Voiceless voiced consonants of the English language. English consonants

There are 26 letters in the English language. In different combinations and positions they represent 44 sounds.
In the English language, there are 24 consonant sounds, and they are represented in writing by 20 letters: Bb; Cc; Dd; Ff; Gg ; Hh; Jj; Kk; LI; mm; Nn; Pp; Qq; Rr; Ss; Tt; Vv; Ww; Xx; Zz.
In the English language, there are 12 vowel sounds and 8 diphthongs, and they are represented in writing by 6 letters: Aa; Ee; li; Oo; Uu; Yy.

Video:

[English language. Beginner course. Maria Rarenko. First educational channel.]

Transcription and stress

Phonetic transcription is an international system of symbols used to show exactly how words should be pronounced. Each sound is shown with a separate icon. These icons are always written in square brackets.
The transcription indicates verbal stress (which syllable in the word the stress falls on). Accent mark [‘] placed before the stressed syllable.

English consonants

English consonants expressed by letters b, f, g, m, s, v, z, are close in pronunciation to the corresponding Russian consonants, but should sound more energetic and intense.
English consonants are not softened.
Voiced consonants are never deafened - neither before voiceless consonants, nor at the end of a word.
Double consonants, that is, two identical consonants next to each other, are always pronounced as one sound.
Some English consonants are pronounced aspirated: the tip of the tongue must be pressed firmly against the alveoli (the tubercles where the teeth attach to the gums). Then the air between the tongue and teeth will pass with force, and the result will be a noise (explosion), that is, aspiration.

Rules for reading consonant letters in English: ,

Table of pronunciation of English consonants
Phonetic transcription	Examples
[b]	b ad, b ox	voiced sound corresponding to Russian [b] in the word b rat
[p]	o p en, p et	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [p] in the word P ero, but pronounced aspirated
[d]	d i d, d ay	a voiced sound similar to Russian [d] in the word d ohm, but more energetic, “sharper”; when pronouncing it, the tip of the tongue rests on the alveoli
[t]	t ea, t ake	unvoiced sound corresponding to Russian [t] in the word T hermos, but pronounced aspirated, with the tip of the tongue resting on the alveoli
[v]	v oice, v isit	voiced sound corresponding to Russian [v] in the word V osk, but more energetic
[f]	f ind, f ine	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [f] in the word f inic, but more energetic
[z]	z oo, ha s	voiced sound corresponding to Russian [z] in the word h ima
[s]	s un, s ee	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [s] in the word With silt, but more energetic; when pronouncing, the tip of the tongue is raised towards the alveoli
[g]	g ive, g o	voiced sound corresponding to Russian [g] in the word G Irya, but pronounced softer
[k]	c at, c an	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [k] in the word To mouth, but pronounced more energetically and aspiratedly
[ʒ]	vi si on, plea sur e	voiced sound corresponding to Russian [zh] in the word and macaw, but pronounced more tense and softer
[ʃ]	sh e, Ru ss ia	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [ш] in the word w ina, but pronounced softer, for which you need to raise the middle part of the back of the tongue to the hard palate
[j]	y ellow, y ou	a sound similar to the Russian sound [th] in a word th od, but pronounced more energetically and intensely
[l]	l itt l e, l ike	sound similar to Russian [l] in the word l Isa, but you need the tip of the tongue to touch the alveoli
[m]	m an m erry	sound similar to Russian [m] in the word m ir, but more energetic; when pronouncing it, you need to close your lips more tightly
[n]	n o, n ame	sound similar to Russian [n] in the word n OS, but when pronouncing it, the tip of the tongue touches the alveoli, and the soft palate is lowered, and air passes through the nose
[ŋ]	si ng, fi ng er	a sound in which the soft palate is lowered and touches the back of the tongue, and air passes through the nose. Pronounced like Russian [ng] is incorrect; there must be a nasal sound
[r]	r ed, r abbit	a sound, when pronounced with the raised tip of the tongue, you need to touch the middle part of the palate, above the alveoli; tongue doesn't vibrate
[h]	h elp, h ow	sound reminiscent of Russian [х] as in the word X aos, but almost silent (barely audible exhalation), for which it is important not to press the tongue to the palate
[w]	w et, w inter	a sound similar to a very quickly pronounced Russian [ue] in a word Ue ls; in this case, the lips need to be rounded and pushed forward, and then vigorously moved apart
	j ust, j ump	sound similar to [j] in a Russian loanword j inces, but more energetic and softer. You cannot pronounce [d] and [ʒ] separately
	ch eck, mu ch	sound similar to Russian [ch] in a word h ac, but harder and more intense. You cannot pronounce [t] and [ʃ] separately
[ð]	th is, th ey	a ringing sound, when pronounced, the tip of the tongue must be placed between the upper and lower teeth and then quickly removed. Do not clamp the flat tongue between your teeth, but slightly push it into the gap between them. This sound (since it is voiced) is pronounced with the participation of the vocal cords. Similar to Russian [z] interdental
[θ]	th ink, seven th	a dull sound that is pronounced in the same way as [ð], but without a voice. Similar to Russian [s] interdental

English vowel sounds

from other letters standing next to it, in front of it or behind it;
from being in a shock or non-stress position.

Rules for reading vowels in English: ,

Pronunciation table for simple English vowel sounds
Phonetic transcription	Examples	Approximate matches in Russian
[æ]	c a t,bl a ck	a short sound, intermediate between the Russian sounds [a] and [e]. To make this sound, when pronouncing Russian [a], you need to open your mouth wide and place your tongue low. Simply pronouncing Russian [e] is wrong
[ɑ:]	ar m, f a ther	a long sound, similar to Russian [a], but it is much longer and deeper. When pronouncing it, you need to yawn, but not open your mouth wide, while pulling your tongue back
[ʌ]	c u p, r u n	a short sound similar to the Russian unstressed [a] in the word With A yes. To make this sound, when pronouncing Russian [a], you need to almost not open your mouth, while slightly stretching your lips and moving your tongue back a little. Simply pronouncing Russian [a] is wrong
[ɒ]	n o t, h o t	short sound similar to Russian [o] in the word d O m, but when pronouncing it you need to completely relax your lips; for Russian [o] they are slightly tense
[ɔ:]	sp o rt, f ou r	a long sound, similar to Russian [o], but it is much longer and deeper. When pronouncing it, you need to yawn, as if with your mouth half-open, and your lips tense and rounded
[ə]	a bout, a lias	a sound that is often found in the Russian language is always in an unstressed position. In English, this sound is also always unstressed. It does not have a clear sound and is referred to as an unclear sound (it cannot be replaced by any clear sound)
[e]	m e t, b e d	a short sound similar to Russian [e] under stress in words such as uh you, pl e d etc. English consonants before this sound cannot be softened
[ɜː]	w or k, l ear n	this sound does not exist in the Russian language, and it is very difficult to pronounce. Reminds me of the Russian sound in words m e d, St. e cla, but you need to pull it out much longer and at the same time stretch your lips strongly without opening your mouth (you get a skeptical smile)
[ɪ]	i t, p i t	a short sound similar to the Russian vowel in a word w And* t*. You need to pronounce it abruptly
	h e, s ee	a long sound, similar to Russian [i] under stress, but longer, and they pronounce it as if with a smile, stretching their lips. There is a Russian sound close to it in the word poem II
[ʊ]	l oo k, p u t	a short sound that can be compared with the Russian unstressed [u], but it is pronounced energetically and with completely relaxed lips (lips cannot be pulled forward)
	bl u e, f oo d	a long sound, quite similar to the Russian percussion [u], but still not the same. To make it work, when pronouncing Russian [u], you must not pull your lips into a tube, do not push them forward, but round them and smile slightly. Like other long English vowels, it needs to be drawn out much longer than Russian [u]

Diphthong pronunciation table
Phonetic transcription	Examples	Approximate matches in Russian
	f i ve, ey e	diphthong, similar to the combination of sounds in Russian words ah And h ah
[ɔɪ]	n oi se, v oi ce	somehow. The second element, the sound [ɪ], is very short
	br a ve, afr ai d	a diphthong similar to a combination of sounds in a Russian word w to her* ka*. The second element, the sound [ɪ], is very short
	t ow n, n ow	a diphthong similar to a combination of sounds in a Russian word With aw on. The first element is the same as in ; the second element, the sound [ʊ], is very short
[əʊ]	h o me, kn ow	a diphthong similar to a combination of sounds in a Russian word cl OU n, if you do not pronounce it deliberately syllable by syllable (in this case, the consonance resembles ew ). Pronouncing this diphthong as a pure Russian consonance [ou] is wrong
[ɪə]	d ea r, h e re	a diphthong, similar to the combination of sounds in the Russian word such; consists of short sounds [ɪ] and [ə]
	wh e re, th e re	a diphthong, similar to the combination of sounds in the Russian word dlinnosheye, if you do not pronounce it syllable by syllable. Behind the sound resembling Russian [e] in the word uh That, followed by the second element, an unclear short sound [ə]
[ʊə]	t ou r, p oo r	a diphthong in which [ʊ] is followed by a second element, an unclear short sound [ə]. When pronouncing [ʊ], lips should not be pulled forward

The classification of English speech sounds is based on an analysis of the methods of pronunciation. Thus, when pronouncing vowel sounds, the vocal cords vibrate, and a stream of air from the lungs freely passes through the entire vocal apparatus.

Therefore, all vowels are voiced sounds of musical tone. The differences between them are determined by the characteristics of the speech resonator: the lips can be rounded, neutral or stretched, the tongue can be moved forward, pulled back, raised up.

[p] , [b] , [P] , [b] .

The consonant sounds of English speech are formed by overcoming obstacles created by the speech organs in the path of air flow, therefore all of them have a noise component to one degree or another. This could be, for example, a clap that occurred when the lips suddenly opened, initially completely blocking the air outlet. Example sounds:

[ʃ ] , [ʒ ] , [w] , [With] .

Or hissing, which occurs when air passes through the gap created by the speech organs, sounds:

It is convenient to consider the pattern of pronunciation of English consonants using the table presented in Figure 1.

Rice. 1. Classification of English consonants and their Russian analogues

The basic principles of the classification of English monophthongs are reflected in the diagram in Fig. 2.

Depending on the position of the tongue, vowel sounds are classified into:

Front vowels
Back vowels
Mixed vowels

Front vowels: [i:, ɪ, e, æ], when pronounced, the body of the tongue is moved forward, the tip of the tongue rests on the lower teeth.

Back vowels: [ɔ, ɔ:, u:, u, ᴧ] - the body of the tongue is pulled back, the tip of the tongue extends from the lower teeth.

Mixed vowels: [ə:, ə ] - the tongue is evenly raised, and the entire back of the tongue lies as flat as possible.

Among the back vowels, those pronounced with rounded lips are distinguished labialized: [ɔ ] , [ɔ: ] , [u:] , [uuə] , [ou] , [ɔɪ ]

Vowels: [ i:] , [ɪ ] , [e] , [eɪ] , [ɪə ] are pronounced with stretched lips. For other vowels: [ ʌ ] , [æ ] , [ɑ ] , [ə: ] , [ə ], as well as the first elements of diphthongs [ aɪ] , [au] , [ɛə ] characterized by a neutral lip position.

According to the degree of elevation of the tongue in the oral cavity, monophthongs are divided into high, medium and low.

For high vowels [ i:] , [u:] , [ɪ ] , [u], also called closed, and the first elements of diphthongs [ ɪə ] , [uə] the bulk of the tongue rises high in the oral cavity.

Sound [ uy] . The lips are slightly rounded, but not drawn out. Due to the tongue pulled back [ u] has a sort of faint echo [ s] .

To pronounce a long sound [ u:] lips should be rounded more strongly compared to [ u] , but do not pull it out. Open your mouth less and pull your tongue more than for [ u] .

When pronouncing the sound [ i:], long, as in the word willow, lips stretch, as if in a smile. The tip of the tongue is located at the lower teeth. The middle part of the tongue is raised.

Sound [ ɪ ] is more brief, like an unstressed [ And] in the word game. The tip of the tongue is slightly pulled away from the lower teeth. The lips are stretched less than for [ i:], and the mouth is slightly open wider.

When pronouncing middle vowels: [ e] , [ə: ] , [ə ] , [ɔ: ] and the first elements of diphthongs [ eɪ] , [ou] , [ɛə ] the bulk of the tongue is located in the middle of the oral cavity, the middle and back parts of the tongue are evenly raised.

When pronouncing the sound [ e] the tip is at the base of the lower teeth, the middle back of the tongue curves forward and upward, but not too high. This sound is somewhat similar to the Russian sound [ uh] in the words this, goal. If the tongue touches the lower teeth, [ e] And [ ɪ ] will turn into Russians [ And] And [ e], and if the tongue is pulled too far away from the lower teeth, English sounds [ e] And [ ɪ ] will be similar to the sounds of Russian speech [ s] And [ uh]

When pronouncing the English sound [ ə: ] the flat tongue is slightly raised, the tip of the tongue touches the base of the lower teeth, the lips are tense and stretched, slightly opening the teeth, especially when pronouncing this sound after [ w] in words like world, work. There is no similar sound in Russian. The English pronounce the sound [ ə: ] at the moment of difficulty with the answer. In such cases we pronounce the sound [ mm...]

When pronouncing the sound [ ə ] lips are in a neutral position. It is always unstressed, the shortest in English, before the consonant [ n] And [ l] often disappears altogether. It may have shades depending on the influence of neighboring sounds; at the beginning or middle of a word it often resembles a very short [ ə: ], at the end of a word is similar to [ ʌ ] : col our,aft er .

Low vowels (open): [ ʌ ] , [æ ] , [ɑ: ] , [ɔ ] and the first elements of diphthongs [ ɔɪ ] , [aɪ] , [au] are pronounced with the tongue positioned low in the oral cavity.

Sound [ æ ] Unlike [ e] is pronounced with the mouth as open as possible, the lower jaw slightly lowered. Duration of sound [ æ ] longer than [ e] . It occupies an intermediate position between long and short vowels.

The same open position of the mouth is also characteristic of the sound [ ɔ ], reminiscent of the very short Russian [ o], but much more open. The lips are slightly rounded, although they do not extend forward. The tip of the tongue is moved away from the lower teeth, and the back of the tongue is slightly raised.

When pronouncing a long vowel [ ɔ: ] the mouth solution is narrower than for [ ɔ ], lips are rounded, but not protruded. The back of the tongue rises higher than for [ ɔ ] . You cannot pronounce this sound with the initial sound [ at], characteristic of Russian [ O], so the tongue must be pulled back and the lips must be significantly rounded.

When pronouncing the sound [ ɑ: ] the root of the tongue is pulled back and down, the sound comes from the depths of the throat, reminiscent of the sound made when a doctor examines the throat. The tongue lies very low in the mouth. the tip of the tongue is pulled away from the lower teeth.

Sound [ ʌ ] is significantly shorter than Russian [ A] and resembles unstressed [ A] in the word d A la. It is pronounced briefly and abruptly, as if through clenched teeth. The tongue is pushed back a little. The distance between the jaws is less than when pronouncing [ ɑ: ] .

Vowel sounds, like consonants, are influenced by the immediate environment. For example, the sound [ æ ] in the words hand and land sounds different, because, being in the second case surrounded by alveolar consonants, in reality it is also pronounced with the tip of the tongue located in the area of the alveoli, and not at the lower teeth.

Similarly, consonant sounds are influenced by vowels. In the words two and tea the sound [ t] has different shades due to subsequent labialization [ u:] and pronounced with stretched lips [ i:] .

Issues of developing the nuances of pronunciation of letter combinations are beyond the scope of this manual, but require their share of attention throughout the entire learning process. By the way, many people’s diction is not impeccable even in their native language.

rice. 2. Classification of English vowel sounds

Due to the fact that English consonants are more numerous than vowels, it becomes necessary to consider what exactly the rules for reading English consonants are, since some of them have dual principles of pronunciation. It should be noted that the letter will not always be pronounced the same way as in the alphabet, so it is necessary to describe the main variants of consonants and determine what features of the consonant letters of the English language should be taken into account. First of all, you need to determine the basic principles that should be taken into account when pronouncing consonants.

Key features of consonant pronunciation

If we give a peculiar classification of English consonants, it is worth clarifying that there are two main types of consonants: those that have only one principle of pronunciation and are read the same regardless of the situation, and those that can have two phonetic principles of reading. You can learn the principles of pronunciation of both groups not only through memorization. The main way is to take into account neighboring vowels, which directly affect the reading of consonants and can sometimes change pronunciation.

The rules for reading consonants in English may not be as complex as the rules for reading vowels, but some features are unique, and many students have difficulty with phonics until they learn how to read English consonants and division principles. in accordance with the rules of pronunciation.

Consonants with one reading rule

The English alphabet has 20 consonant letters, that is, the predominant number. Most of them have one reading principle; this means that they do not have two pronunciations, and regardless of other neighboring letters, these consonants will not change and their transcription will be the same. Here are the letters that belong to this type:

b- the pronunciation of the English letter b will be the same - [b];
l- the English letter l is always read the same way - [l];
m always reads like [m];
n- the English letter n has a standard pronunciation principle - [n];
d- the English letter d has an absolutely normal reading rule - [d];
q will read as ;
k sounds the same regardless of the situation - [k];
p- the letter p is usually not read other than [p];
t- the version of reading alveolar t is always the same - [t];
f will read as [f];
h- the letter h is usually pronounced like [h];
z will not be pronounced except [z];
v will have a transcription [v];
j- you need to pay attention to how j is read - .

Despite the rather strict rules, there are some exceptions. For example, f can sometimes sound like [v] (in the word of). In addition, there are speech constructions in which some consonants may not be pronounced at all, for example, ballet, psychology, etc. From the point of view of pronunciation features, in English there is such a thing as an assimilable sound, when the consonant standing before the interdental [θ, ð] slightly changes its position for the convenience of pronouncing subsequent sounds: on the table, at the station, etc.

Consonants with two reading rules

When wondering how to pronounce English consonants, it is important to clarify that some of them may sound different, and the main criterion that determines the pronunciation option of a particular consonant is the adjacent vowel sound. Here are some options worth considering:

g— the sound of the English letter g will look like before vowels i, e, y : gym, ginger; in all other cases it reads as [g]: gossip, game, etc.;
c may have variant pronunciation [s] before vows i, e, y : cinema, cycle. Before other vowels it is read as [k]: cat, corn, etc.;
s- the letter s can sound standard - [s]– either at the beginning of a word, or in the middle next to another consonant: son, course. In addition, voiceless consonants adjacent to [s] are also taken into account: cats, shops. However, s may have another sound option - [z]. This is how it will be read if it is worth between two vowels (cease, please) or at the end of a word after voiced consonants (beds, boys);
x- The consonant x is special because it can be pronounced in two ways. Before a stressed vowel she will look like : exotic, auxiliary, etc. In all other cases, you need to speak using sound : Fox, Texas;
r— the English letter r also has its own specific features. At the beginning of the word it always reads like [r]: raccoon, risk. However at the end of a word after vowels it will not be read: bear, clear.

Note: r in English has dual reading rules only in the British version. In American English, the reading principle will always be the same - [r].

Semivowel letters

A separate position is occupied by the so-called semivowels - w and y.

w- The way w is read does not cause difficulties, since the sound will always be the same - [w].
Y has two pronunciation options: [j] at the beginning of a word and represents the consonant sound (youth, yet) and [i] V the end of a word in an unstressed syllable as a vowel (skinny, ready).

The corresponding table will help illustrate the pronunciation options for consonants:

All these features of English consonants allow us to conclude that phonetic norms largely depend on the structure of a particular word and the vowels that are adjacent to the consonants. Following these rules will allow you to pronounce words correctly and not violate the basic conditions for pronunciation of letters. Particular attention must be paid to consonants with two pronunciation rules and to avoid misreading. Otherwise, errors in speech will be inevitable, since there are significantly more consonants in the language than vowels, and failure to comply with the norms described above will be fraught with constant violations of the phonetic laws of the English language and misunderstanding on the part of the interlocutors.

There are 24 consonant sounds in the English language. As in the Russian language, they are divided into voiceless and voiced, many have corresponding pairs.

Voiced consonants:[b] [d] [g] [v] [D] [z] [Z] [m] [n] [N] [r] [j] [w].

Voiceless consonants:[p] [t] [k] [f] [T] [s] [S] [h].

In Russian, most consonants have two pronunciations: soft And solid. This difference in the pronunciation of consonants is of a word-distinguishing nature. Compare: chalk - shallow, horse - horse, weight - all. Consonants in English don't soften They Always pronounced firmly.

English voiceless consonants [p] [t] [k] [f] [s] are pronounced more energetically, with greater muscular tension of the speech organs and with greater exhalation force than similar Russian sounds. In stop consonants [p] [t] [k] arises due to this aspiration, especially strong in stressed syllables before vowels.

Voiced consonants in English at the end of a word are weakened, but not completely deafened, as in Russian. Stunning may result in a change in meaning. Compare:

bad - bad, but: bat - bat

had - had, but: hQt - hat

Unlike the Russian language, voiceless consonants in the position before the voiced ones are not voiced, and voiced consonants in the position before the voiceless ones are not voiced, for example: Dis "dei, hiz "tiz.

Below is an approximate comparative description of English and Russian consonants.

Correspond to Russian [t, d, l, n, s, z], but when pronouncing English, the tip of the tongue should be kept on the alveoli (tubercles above the upper teeth). The corresponding Russian consonants are dental.

English [t] and [d] are pronounced much more energetically than Russian ones, and [t] is aspirated. A closure occurs between the tip of the tongue and the alveoli, followed by a rapid “explosion.”

English [l] is pronounced softer than in the word onion, but harder than in the word hatch, and does not soften to [l], as in the word stranded

[p, b, f, v, k, g, m] correspond to Russian [p, b, f, v, k, g, m], but are pronounced more energetically, which is achieved by some tension of the lips for [b], [m], [f], [v ] and language for [k] and [g]. English [p] and [k] are pronounced aspirated.

[w] - There is no similar sound in the Russian language. This labiolabial sound is produced by the action of both lips while vibrating the vocal cords. Tense lips are placed in a position as if whistling, then the corners of the mouth are quickly and energetically moved apart approximately as is done when pronouncing the Russian [у] in the combination ua.

[N] - nasal sound. When pronouncing [N], the back of the tongue closes tightly with the soft palate, the tip of the tongue is lowered, and the air exits through the nasal cavity. There is no such sound in the Russian language.

They roughly correspond to Russian [ш,ж], but are pronounced more softly.

Corresponds to Russian [ch], but is pronounced harder.

Corresponds to Russian [j] in the word horseman.

They are interdental fricative consonants. The sound [T] is unvoiced, [D] is voiced. When pronouncing them, the tongue is spread out and not tense, the tip of the tongue is between the upper and lower teeth or pressed against the inner surface of the upper incisors. There are no similar sounds in the Russian language.

[r] is a voiced consonant. The tip of the tongue is raised to the posterior slope of the alveoli, where a gap is formed, wider than for noisy ones. When an air stream passes, the tip of the tongue does not vibrate, as with Russian [r], it is completely motionless. When pronouncing [r], you need to make sure that the tip of the tongue does not bend back and the lips do not move forward.

[h] - light, almost silent exhalation. The sound [h] does not have its own articulation. When pronouncing the sound [h], the speech organs are in position for the following vowel. There is no such sound in the Russian language.

[j] – voiced consonant. It resembles Russian [й], for example, in the word clear. However, in English [j] there is less noise, since the tongue is not raised to the hard palate as high as in Russian [i]. The sound [j] occurs only before a vowel, representing a transition to it.

Summary table of vowel reading in four syllable types

Vowel reading summary table

Russian speakers very often distort English sounds, since we are accustomed to deafening voiced consonants at the end in our native language. For example, we pronounce the word “club” as [clup], enemy as [vrak], pilaf as [plof]. That is, instead of voiced ones, we pronounce voiceless phonemes, but the meaning of the word does not change. In English, such a number will not work.

Pronunciation of voiced consonants

In English, it is strictly forbidden to deafen voiced consonants at the end when speaking. If you break this rule, you will be misunderstood, because the meaning of the word changes dramatically. Thus, the word “bed”, when pronounced correctly, will mean “bed”, and when deafened with a final voiced sound, it will mean “bet”.

This oversight is also completely acceptable, as if in Russian, instead of a voiced consonant before a vowel, we pronounced its dull paired sound. Then, instead of the word “daughter,” we would be able to say “period,” or instead of complaining about “fever,” we would boast about “ball.” Therefore, never deafen voiced consonants in English.

Features of English voiced consonants

Another feature of our speech is palatalization (softening) of consonant sounds. Along with hard sounds, there are soft analogues that are paired with them. The meaning of the word depends on hardness or softness: flax - laziness. In English consonants are never softened, they are always hard. That’s why foreigners say the funny “lublu” instead of “love.” So, in English there are 8 voiced consonants in their pure form:[ b, d, ʤ, g, v, ð, z, ʒ ] , they are also called weak

. When they are pronounced, the organs of articulation begin to move, the vocal cords vibrate, but the air pressure is sluggish. And the sound of the voice is much stronger than the noise they make. That's why they are called voiced.

Pronunciation of consonants A characteristic mistake of English learners is that almost all consonants are easily replaced by “analogous” Russian sounds. Then the main attention is given to vowels. However, English voiced consonants also require sufficient attention. In pronunciation, almost no sound agrees 100%.

Remember the two main rules of articulation of English consonants:
Don't soften

Don't stun

Then you will have virtually no problems. Now let's move on to watching the training video.

Video on how to correctly pronounce voiced consonants

Let's study the main features of the sound of voiced phonemes with the help of short video lessons:

[b]

Similar to our "b". In writing it is expressed through a single or double letter “b”:
bb - cabbage

[d]

Similar to "d". Denoted by the following combinations:

d - splendid
dd - ladder

The short “d” before the soft “zh” is pronounced together. It is strictly forbidden to separate them; the sounds must come together. It is represented by the following combinations and letters:

j - jealous
g - origin
dg-ridge

[g]

Correlates with "g". Expressed using the following letters:

gg - aggression
g - guess
x - exist

[v]

Read as "v". Indicated in writing by “v”:

v - move
v - vest

[ð]

One of the most complex phonemes. You need to hold your tongue between your teeth and try to say “z.” The result should be something between “z” and “t”. If a clear “z” is heard, this means that the tongue is not sticking out enough, and if there is a “t”, then it is clamped too tightly. Sent via "th":

th - breathe
th - then

[z]

Correlates with our “z”. Expressed with the letters “s” and “z” if they are placed between vowels, as well as with the help of “x” if it is at the very beginning of the word and a double “zz”:

x-xylophone
s - disaster
z - zero
zz - muzzle

[ʒ]

This sound corresponds to our soft “zh”. It is conveyed in writing using the letters “s” and “g” and the letter combination “sure”:

sure - measure
s - casual
g - massage

Carefully monitor the position of the articulatory apparatus of the video lecture teacher. Try to repeat as accurately as possible after the speaker. The training video will help you copy the maximum sound.

I wish you pleasant viewing and a useful time!