Letters that make two sounds

  • Tell trainees that sometimes one letter will make two sounds. (Examples include: mix and quick).
  • Point out that, while this may seem frustrating (and it will be for learners too), the spelling of a word frequently represents the sound that it makes. (This is particularly true for consonant sounds, but less so for vowel sounds.) Tutors should introduce these types of problems to their intermediate and advanced learners, after they have a firm understanding of the basics.
10 minutes

graphic of an overhead projector

A: Sound Production

  • Show overhead, How we make sound and introduce the seven articulators.
  • Show overhead, How we make sound (The Sound System of English) and note where these articulators are on the diagram.

Voiced and Unvoiced Consonants

  • Tell trainees that consonants are divided into two main categories - voiced and unvoiced.
  • Introduced voiced consonants by having trainees put their hands directly underneath their Adam's apple and say the following words:
    • bad
    • door
    • goat
    • van
    • zoo
  • Have trainees say: pad, tore, coat, fan, Sue with their hands directly under their adam's apple.
  • Introduce "unvoiced" consonants.
  • Have trainees say the following words, reading each line from left to right. Have trainees concentrate on how the articulators are used when reading each line. (The only difference between these initial sounds is that they are either voiced or unvoiced.)
bad pad
door tore
goat coat
van fan
zoo Sue