Practice the back and central vowels, ɑ vs ʌ and ə
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| This is the ɑ sound. This is the ʌ sound. And this is the ə sound. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to tell them apart, PLUS you'll be practicing them and on your way to perfect pronunciation! |
| I'm Alisha, and this is English Pronunciation Through Minimal Pairs. |
| First is ɑ. This is the o sound in "odd," "cot," "doctor," and other words. |
| Next is ʌ. This is the sound in "other," "cut," "but," and other words. |
| ə is the sound in "ago," "about," "allow," and other words. |
| ɑ and ʌ are both back vowels and so are pronounced in the back part of your mouth. |
| ə is a central vowel and so is pronounced in the central part of your mouth. |
| To make the ɑ sound: part the lips and round them slightly. The jaw is relaxed. The tongue moves back in the mouth and flattens. |
| ɑ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɑ (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɑ |
| ɑ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɑ (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɑ |
| To make the ʌ sound: the lips and teeth separate, and the jaw moves down. The tongue flattens and moves forward slightly. The tip of the tongue is near the base of the lower teeth. |
| ʌ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ʌ (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ʌ |
| ʌ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ʌ (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ʌ |
| To make the ə sound: the lips and the tongue part slightly. The tongue remains relaxed as we release the sound. The throat is open. |
| ə |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ə (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ə |
| ə |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ə (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ə |
| These sounds are quite similar, but when ɑ is pronounced, the tongue position is lower. Also, ʌ is a little bit more open than ə. |
| Listen to the difference and repeat after me. |
| ɑ, ʌ, ə |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɑ, ʌ, ə. (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɑ, ʌ, ə |
| ɑ, ʌ, ə |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɑ, ʌ, ə. (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɑ, ʌ, ə |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with me. |
| Ready? |
| cot/cut |
| (space for repetition) |
| cot/cut |
| calm/come |
| (space for repetition) |
| calm/come |
| sung/song |
| (space for repetition) |
| sung/song |
| Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after me, focusing on pronunciation. |
| (Do you remember the sound that's more open? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| ʌ |
| (1) |
| ʌ |
| And the more closed sound? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| ə |
| (1) |
| ə |
| And the vowel that's pronounced with the lower position of the tongue? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| ɑ |
| (1) |
| ɑ |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the more open sound, and which has the more closed sound? |
| other/allow |
| (1) |
| other/allow |
| (1) |
| "Allow" has the more closed sound, and "other" has the more open sound. |
| Let's try another. |
| but/about |
| (1) |
| but/about |
| (1) |
| "But" has the more open sound, and "about" has the more closed sound. |
| Now, compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the ɑ sound that's pronounced with the lower tongue position, and which has the ʌ sound? |
| (1 sec pause) |
| cot/cut |
| "Cot" has the ɑ sound, that's pronounced with the lower tongue position, and "cut" has the ʌ sound. |
| Let's try one more. |
| (1 sec pause) |
| calm/come |
| "Calm" has the ɑ sound, that's pronounced with the lower tongue position, and "come" has the ʌ sound. |
| Now, listen to this sentence. Which words have the ɑ sound, and which words have the ʌ sound? |
| (1 sec pause) |
| The cop ordered a cup of coffee. |
| Now, try to read the sentence out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| The cop ordered a cup of coffee. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Let's try one more. Which words have the ɑ sound, and which words have the ʌ sound? |
| (1 sec pause) |
| He got a gut feeling. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| He got a gut feeling. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Let's try another. Which words have the ɑ sound, the ʌ sound, and the ə sound? |
| (1 sec pause) |
| The child calmed down when he learned his mother was about to come. |
| Now, try to read the sentence out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| The child calmed down when he learned his mother was about to come. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Here's a special resource just for you… |
| If you want to master these minimal pairs even faster… |
| Download our English Minimal Pairs Explained Companion eBook for FREE |
| This bonus eBook contains even more examples that are not in this video. |
| Just click the link in the comments section. |
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