Pronunciation and phonetics

Introduction to Pronunciation and Phonetics

  • Purpose of the Book: Aimed at equipping teachers to teach English pronunciation effectively.

  • Intended Audience: Trainee teachers and in-service teachers wanting to enhance their knowledge of English pronunciation.

  • Structure of the Book:

    • Section 1: Phonetics (study of speech sounds) and phonology (patterns of speech sounds).

    • Section 2: Issues related to pronunciation teaching, including learner factors and effective classroom practices.

    • Section 3: Sample teaching exercises and resources for educators.

Importance of Phonetics

  • Phonetics is the objective study of all aspects of the spoken form of language.

    • Components:

      • Articulatory Phonetics: How humans use vocal organs to produce sounds.

      • Acoustic Phonetics: Study of sound waves.

      • Auditory Phonetics: How sounds are received by the listener.

  • Teachers should focus on articulatory phonetics as it’s most relevant for language teaching.

Understanding Key Terms

  • Phonetics: Scientific study of spoken sounds in languages.

  • Phonology: Function and distribution of sounds in a given language.

  • Pronunciation: Teaching learners to produce sounds of a language.

  • Phonics: Method for teaching reading by correlating sounds with letters.

Components of Pronunciation

  • Pronunciation consists of several components:

    • Suprasegmental Features: Features that operate over stretches of speech larger than individual sounds, such as intonation, stress, and rhythm.

    • Segmental Features: Individual vowel and consonant sound units that combine to form syllables and words.

    • Hierarchy of Pronunciation Features:

      • Features: Basic units like [± voice] or [± nasal] that describe sounds.

      • Phonemes: Combinations of features that form the distinct sounds in a language.

      • Syllables: Combinations of phonemes showing patterns of stress.

      • Foot and Tone Groups: Relate to rhythm and intonation respectively.

    • Connection between segmental and suprasegmental aspects for overall intelligibility.

Challenges in Teaching Pronunciation


  • Traditional focus often on segmental features may overlook suprasegmental issues that affect comprehensibility.

  • Effective pronunciation teaching should incorporate both aspects for a comprehensive approach.

Reference Resources

  • The book includes a glossary of phonetical terms and further reading for deeper exploration of topics in phonetics and phonology.

Author's Background

  • Adam Brown: Head of International Business and Senior Lecturer at Auckland Institute of Studies, with insights on pronunciation teaching.