The need for mirror practice

We recommend that you work through all the sounds in the book, making sure that you really understand how to shape each one. However, you can use the world map of pronunciation on page 13 to give you an idea of the sounds that you’re most likely to need to work on, based on your first language. You can also use this diagnostic quiz to help you identify some of the most significant issues that may affect the clarity of your speech.

Diagnostic quiz

1. Do the words hit and heat sound the same when you say them?

2. Do the words pull and pool sound the same when you say them?

3. Do the words cot and caught sound the same when you say them?

4. Do the words first, four, letter, star, near, square and cure contain an r sound for you?

5. Do the words bat and bath contain the same vowel sound when you say them?

Focus on vowel length and minimal pairs. See pages 86–88 and 92–94.

Focus on vowel length and minimal pairs. See pages 77–82.

Focus on vowel length and minimal pairs. See pages 95–100.

Focus on vowel length and minimal pairs. See pages 101–106.

Go straight to ‘the spoken and the silent r’ section (page 69), and then look at Units 19, 25, 29, 35, 36 and 37 (nurse, bath, thought near, square, cure).

UNIT 1 PET & BET

/p/ (pet) /b/ (bet)

1

2

1

2

Make the sounds

1 Lightly squeeze your lips together, all the way along. 2 Start to breathe out, and let a little air build up behind your lips. 3 Don’t let any air out through your nose! 4 Let your lips spring apart quickly, and continue breathing out. 5 The sound you produce can be voiced /b/ or voiceless /p/ (see pages 7–8).

When do I use this sound?

Voiced/voiceless Spelling Examples voiceless p pen, cup, open

voiceless pp apple, appear Frequency often

often

voiced b be, able, stumble, cab often

voiced bb stubble often

There is a silent b in mb spellings like ‘comb’, ‘womb’, ‘dumb’ (see page 172 for more on silent letters).