Today in the Fun Easy English classroom you are going to
study pronunciation lesson 2. You are going to
learn to pronounce the sound a as in
the words eight,
mail,
pay,
taste.
Hey
if you cannot understand something on this page,
then use the Fun Easy English
dictionary
(opens in a new window)
Pronounce the sound a as in
the words eight,
mail,
pay,
taste. Watch the following pronunciation
videos and learn to pronounce this sound correctly.
Video:
American English Pronunciation Lesson 2
Spelling: This sound can be spelled in any of the following ways
a
gate,
lace, lady,
shade, taste,
late, race
ai
complain,
explain, mail,
tail, wait
ay
day,
pay
ea
great
ei
eight, neighbor, veil
ey
they
Note: the red
letters all have the same sound
Sound:
Voiced and Unvoiced
This is a VOICED sound which means Your Vocal Cords DO
vibrate when making this sound.
You CAN
LISTEN to your Vocal Cords vibrating if you cover
your ears with your hands.
Try covering your ears with your hands as Akiko is doing in
the picture.
Now make the sound of this lesson. Can you listen to your vocal cords vibrating?
VERY GOOD
You CAN
FEEL your Vocal Cords vibrating if
you place your hands on your neck.
Try placing your hands on your neck as Akiko is doing in the
picture.
Now make the sound of this lesson. Can you feel your vocal
cords vibrating?
VERY GOOD
The following diagram shows the most important parts of your
head and mouth used for pronouncing the sounds of English.
It also shows the location of your Vocal Cords.
Position: Mouth, lips,
and tongue
The following descriptions explain the proper mouth, lips,
and tongue position when you make this sound.
Mouth
Your mouth should be slightly tense.
Lips
Your lips should be unrounded.
Tongue
The front part of your tongue should be in the center part of your
mouth.
Practice video
Listen to the video and practice repeating each word.
Pronunciation practice words
Look at your mouth in a mirror and practice pronouncing
the following words. Make sure your mouth, lips, and
tongue are in their proper positions.
gate
explain
day
great
eight
they
lady
tail
pay
neighbor
taste
wait
Note: the red letters all
have the same sound (watch the video above)
Test: Pronunciation word test
Choose the correct letter or
letters to complete each of the following words.
1. g_te
2. expl_ _n
3. d_ _
4. gr_ _t
5. _ _ght
6. th_ _
7. l_dy
8. t_ _l
9. p_ _
10. n_ _ghbor
Note: the letter
or letters needed to complete each word all have the
same sound.
From
YOUR Teacher:
Pronunciation and Spelling
Hey you really need to spend some time learning the
pronunciation and spelling of certain words. In many
countries like Japan, people learning English often make
spelling mistakes because they spell words the same way
they pronounce them. For example they confuse the
letters L and R and pronounce rice as lice and lice as
rice. WATCH OUT FOR THIS.
Additional Lessons
About These
Lessons
The following classroom lessons are great for students
who want additional conversation, listening, and reading
practice.
Conversation Lesson -
Beginner Level. Let's
Learn English conversation lesson
with a conversation video, a video script, audio
listening practice, video speaking practice, video
pronunciation practice, a new
words section, and a writing activity.
Conversation Lesson
16 - Where Are You From?
(Beginner -
Conversation, Listening, Reading)
In this lesson Anna interviews tourists on the National
Mall in Washington, DC. She learns about where they are
from and the languages they speak.
Lesson Video
Watch the video and then do the activities on this page.
Video Script
Anna: Hello! Washington, D.C. has many tourists! People from different countries
come here. Today, my job is to interview tourists. I have to learn why they come
here. This is very exciting! Excuse me. I’m Anna Matteo from The News. Do you
have time for an interview?
Sabrina: Sure, I have time.
Anna: What is your name?
Sabrina: My name is Sabrina.
Anna: What country are you from?
Sabrina: I’m from Bangladesh.
Anna: So, you are Bangladeshi.
Sabrina: That’s right! My nationality is Bangladeshi.
Anna: Do you like Washington, D.C.?
Sabrina: Yes! The city is very beautiful!
Anna: What do you like to do in Washington D.C.?
Sabrina: I like history. So, I like walking around and looking at all the
monuments and memorials. They make history come alive!
Anna: Washington has many monuments and memorials. The Washington Monument is
behind us! Which is your favorite?
Sabrina: I really like Lincoln Memorial. It is very beautiful. And it feels like
Abraham Lincoln is still alive.
Anna: Awesome. Thank you for your time, Sabrina!
Sabrina: You’re welcome.
Anna: Let’s find another tourist.
Anna: Oh! Excuse me. I am Anna Matteo from The News. Do you have time for a
couple of questions?
Louis: Sure!
Anna: Are you from Washington, D.C.?
Louis: No, I’m not.
Anna: What is your name and where are you from?
Louis: My name is Louis. And I’m from China.
Anna: What languages do you speak?
Louis: I speak Chinese and English.
Anna: What do you like about Washington DC?
Louis: I like the museums. I really like the art museums.
Anna: Many of the museums are free.
Louis: I like that too!
Anna: Awesome! Thanks for your time, Louis.
Louis: You’re very welcome. Bye!
Anna: Now, let’s find another tourist!
Anna: Hello! I am Anna Matteo from The News. Do you have time to answer a couple
of questions?
Mehrnoush: Sure!
Anna: What is your name and where’re you from?
Mehrnoush: My name is Mehrnoush. I am from Iran. I’m Iranian.
Anna: What language do they speak in Iran? Is it Persian?
Mehrnoush: They speak Farsi.
Anna: What do you like to do in Washington DC?
Mehrnoush: Well, I like learning about government and politics.
Anna: Washington has many politicians!
Mehrnoush: It does! I want to see the U.S. Capitol.
Anna: Look, you are very near.
Mehrnoush: I am!
Anna: Have fun!
Mehrnoush: Thanks!
Anna: There you have it. Tourists from all over the world come to Washington,
D.C. They all like doing and seeing different things in the city. This is Anna
Matteo reporting for The News. Until next time!
Anna: Is that okay? Awesome! Now, I want to do my favorite thing in the city …
ride the carousel!
Listening
Now practice listening to only the audio portion of the conversation.
Speaking
In this video, you can learn to say the new words. Learn how to say your country
and nationality.
Pronunciation
In this video, you learn about how English speakers say, "a couple of."
New Words
Abraham Lincoln –
n. the 16th President of the United States
alive –
adj. living; not dead
art –
n. something that is created with imagination
and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or
feelings
carousel –
n. a machine or device with a moving belt or
part that carries things around in a circle
country –
n. an area of land that is controlled by its
own government
couple –
n. two (things) or a few (things)
favorite –
n. a person or a thing that is liked more than
others
free –
adj. not costing any money
government –
n. the group of people who control and make
decisions for a country, state, etc.
history –
n. the study of past events
memorial –
n. something (such as a monument or ceremony)
that honors a person who has died or serves as a reminder of an event in
which many people died
monument –
n. a building, statue, etc., that honors a
person or event
museum –
n. a building in which interesting and valuable
things (such as paintings and sculptures or scientific or historical
objects) are collected and shown to the public
nationality –
n. the fact or status of being a member or
citizen of a particular nation
question –
n. a sentence, phrase, or word that asks for
information or is used to test someone's knowledge
politics –
n. activities that relate to influencing the
actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a
government
ride –
v. to sit on and control the movements of (a
horse, motorcycle, bicycle, etc.)
tourist –
n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure
U.S. Capitol –
n. the building in which the U.S. Congress
meets in Washington, D.C.
Countries/Nationalities/Languages
Bangladesh –
n. a country in Asia
Bangladeshi –
n. a native or inhabitant of Bangladesh.
adj. of, relating to, or characteristic of
Bangladesh or its people.
China -
n. People's Republic of, a country in E Asia.
Chinese -
n. the standard language of China, based on the
speech of Beijing; Mandarin; a native or descendant of a native of China.
adj. of or relating to China, its inhabitants,
or one of their languages
Iran -
n. a republic in SW Asia.
Iranian -
adj. of or relating to Iran, its inhabitants,
or their language; of or relating to the Iranian languages.
n. a subbranch of the Indo-European family of
languages, an inhabitant of Iran; Persian.
Farsi -
n. the modern Iranian language of Iran and
western Afghanistan, written in the Arabic alphabet; modern Persian.
Persian –
adj. of or relating to ancient and recent
Persia (now Iran), its people, or their language. n.
a member of the native peoples of Iran; the principal language of Iran and
western Afghanistan, in its historical and modern forms.
Activity
Where are you from? What languages do you speak? What do
you like to do when you travel? Write about it in the
Facebook Comments section. Then practice writing and
talking about countries and nationalities with a friend.
Click
lesson activity to get the printable PDF version. The
page opens to a new window.
Study all 52 English conversation lessons. Let's Learn
English conversation lessons each with a conversation
video, a video script, audio listening practice, video
speaking practice, video pronunciation practice, a new
words section, and a writing activity.
These
lessons are for beginners.
The complete lesson includes an audio program explaining this
topic, the script for the audio program, a words in this story section,
and other important information.
Click for the complete lesson
Audio Program
Listen to the audio program explaining this topic.
The complete lesson includes an audio program explaining this
topic, the script for the audio program, a words in this story section,
and other important information.
Click for the complete lesson
Audio Program
Listen to the audio program explaining this topic.
The lesson includes an audio program explaining this
topic, the script for the audio program, a words in this story section,
and other important information.
Click for the complete lesson
Audio Program
Listen to the audio program explaining this topic.
Hey Students,
Use this dictionary and reference to look up any words you do not
understand in Fun Easy English.
You CAN
LISTEN to your Vocal Cords vibrating if you cover
your ears with your hands.
You CAN
FEEL your Vocal Cords vibrating if
you place your hands on your neck.
Mouth
Lips
Tongue
