Fonologia

Disciplina
Fonologia Suprassegmental da
Língua Inglesa
Coordenador da Disciplina
Prof. Michel François

9ª Edição
Copyright © 2010. Todos os direitos reservados desta edição ao Instituto UFC Virtual. Nenhuma parte deste material poderá ser reproduzida,
transmitida e gravada por qualquer meio eletrônico, por fotocópia e outros, sem a prévia autorização, por escrito, dos autores.
Créditos desta disciplina
Realização
Autor
Profª Silvia Regina Chaves Barreira
Colaborador
Prof. Jáder Martins Rodrigues Júnior

Sumário
Class 01: Word Stress ............................................................................................................................... 01
Topic 01: Stress ...................................................................................................................................... 01
Topic 02: Stress Patterns ........................................................................................................................ 05
Topic 03: Stress in Words with Suffixes ................................................................................................ 12
Task: Listening Comprehension and Oral Production ........................................................................... 17
Class 02: Sentence Stress .......................................................................................................................... 21

Topic 01: The Rhythm of English .......................................................................................................... 21
Topic 02: Content and Function Words ................................................................................................. 26
Topic 03: Reduced Forms ...................................................................................................................... 31
Class 03: Connected Speech (Part 1) ....................................................................................................... 36

Topic 01: Linking ................................................................................................................................... 36
Topic 02: Elision .................................................................................................................................... 42
Topic 03: Epenthesis .............................................................................................................................. 46
Class 04: Connected Speech (Part 2) ....................................................................................................... 53

Topic 01: Progressive Assimilation ....................................................................................................... 53
Topic 02: Regressive Assimilation ........................................................................................................ 59
Topic 03: Coalescent Assimilation ........................................................................................................ 62
Class 05: Intonation .................................................................................................................................. 67

Topic 01: Focus ...................................................................................................................................... 67
Topic 02: Rising-Falling Intonation ....................................................................................................... 75
Topic 03: Rising Intonation.................................................................................................................... 84
Topic 04: Nonfinal Intonation ................................................................................................................ 91
Topic 05: More Functions of Intonation…………………………………………………………........ 99
Task: Listening Comprehension and Oral Production……………………………………………….. 109
Fonologia Suprassegmental da Língua Inglesa
Class 01: Word Stress
Topic 01: Stress
VERSÃO TEXTUAL
As you must have already realized, English pronunciation may be considered a bit hard at
times, which makes it essential for learners to work on this aspect of the language since the very
beginning of the learning process. However, in order to communicate effectively in English, it is
not enough to know how to produce the sounds of the language correctly. You also need to know
how to place stress in words and in sentences appropriately.
In Portuguese, we sometimes use stress marks to call attention to a syllable. For example, in the word
“lâmpada”, which syllable is stressed?
CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWER
Descrição da imagem:
LÂMpada
In English, however, there are no stress marks, but that does not mean there are no stressed syllables.
For example, the word important has three syllables, but they are not pronounced the same way. The
second syllable is more prominent than the other two: imPORTant! Although there is no stress mark in the
word, there is a stressed syllable: PORT.
1
What happens when you say a stressed syllable? How do you pronounce it?
Stress involves making the vowels longer and louder and it plays an important part in
English pronunciation. We shall then work on stress at two levels: within a word and within
sentences.
Word Stress
When a word has more than one syllable, one of the syllables is normally more prominent than the
others. This syllable is said to be stressed. Stressed syllables are often longer and louder than unstressed
ones. In our lessons we will represent stressed syllables with capital letters.
As you could hear, the first syllable in the words above is longer and louder than the second, that is to
say, the first syllable is stressed. When you speak English, it is imperative that you stress words correctly.
Otherwise, there may be some kind of miscommunication.
In our next topic we will take a look at some of the stress patterns in English which can be helpful for
the prediction of the placement of stress.
STOP TO READ
When you do not know which syllable should receive the stress in a given word, look up the
phonetic transcription of the word in your dictionary. In dictionaries the stress is normally marked with
this symbol (') being placed just before the stressed syllable of the word. Look at and listen to the
examples below:
Long words often have two stressed syllables. The strongest syllable in the word receives primary
stress and the second strongest syllable receives secondary stress. Primary stress is marked with the
symbol ('), whereas secondary stress is marked with the symbol (,). Look at and listen to the following
examples:
PRACTICE 1
Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the following words and identify the stressed syllable.
2
PRACTICE 2
Listen to the pronunciation of the words below. Then, write the words in the correct column
according to their stressed syllable.
Words stressed on the first syllable Words stressed on the second syllable
CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWERS
WORDS STRESSED ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE
MEssage
AIRport
BOYfriend
MInute
COUsin
SEcret
MUsic
3
BREAKfast
MOvie
WORDS STRESSED ON THE SECOND SYLLABLE

aRRIVE
conTROL
toNIGHT
maCHINE
deSSERT
aDVICE
techNIQUE
PRACTICE 3
Now click on the link below and practice identifying the stress in English words.
Word Stress Quiz [1]
PRACTICE 4
Click on the link below to watch a video about word stress in English.
Word Stress and Three Syllable Words – American English [2]
FURTHER READING
Click on the links below to read more about word stress in English.
Word Stress [3]
Word Stress – Parte 2 [4]
VOCABULARY SEARCH
If you have any questions about the vocabulary present in this topic, just click on one of the links
below.
Michaelis [5]
Merriam-Webster [6]
Oxford [7]
WordWeb Online [8]
4
Topic 02: Stress Patterns
If there are no stress marks in English, how will I know how to place stress?
There are no fast and infallible rules for stressing words in

English. Therefore, stress patterns must often be learned with each
word. However,
…there are some generalizations which can help learners predict where the major stress
should fall in some English words. Let us take a look at some of them.
5
Two-Syllable Words
The words below illustrate the stress pattern followed by most two-syllable nouns and verbs in
English. Listen to how they are pronounced and identify the stressed syllable in each one of them.
What conclusions can you come to? Answer the questions below based on the
pronunciation of the words above.
➣ Which syllable tends to be stressed in two-syllable nouns in English?

➣ Which syllable tends to be stressed in two-syllable verbs?

In two-syllable nouns the first syllable is more likely to
receive the stress, whereas in two-syllable verbs the second
syllable tends to be stressed.
NOUNS
PROject
OBject
CONvict
PREsent
SUSpect
6
REcord
CONtrast
INsult
CONflict
VERBS
proJECT
obJECT
conVICT
preSENT
susPECT
reCORD
conTRAST
inSULT
conFLICT
STOP TO READ
About 90 percent of all English nouns of two syllables are stressed on the first syllable, and more
than 60 percent of all English verbs are stressed on the second syllable (AVERY, P.; EHRLICH, S., 2008).
Three-Syllable Words
Listen carefully to the following three-syllable words and identify the stressed syllable.
NOW CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

In two-syllable nouns the first syllable is more likely to
receive the stress, whereas in two-syllable verbs the second
syllable tends to be stressed.
BEAUtiful
CAlendar
DOcument
dePOsit
INternet
deLIcious
LIbrary
HAMburger
vaCAtion
comPOnent
coMMERcial
TElephone
7
dePENdent
diPLOma
As you can see from the examples above, the stress usually falls on the first or on the
second syllable in three-syllable words. So, make sure to know the stressed syllable of a
word every time you learn new vocabulary.
Compounds
The placement of stress in English compound words is very regular. Compound words are sometimes
written as one word, sometimes as two words, and sometimes they are joined by a hyphen. The way in
which they are written does not interfere with their stress pattern, though (AVERY, P.; EHRLICH, S., 2008).
Let us listen to examples of compound words in English and try to identify where the stress falls. Then
let us decide which generalizations can be made regarding the stress in compounds.
Noun Compounds
Adjective Compounds
(The definitions used in this section were extracted from Oxford
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (7th edition). Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005.)
Verbs with a Prefix and a Base

(The definitions used in this section were extracted from Oxford
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (7th edition). Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005.)
8
Which stress patterns do the examples above illustrate?
Based on the pronunciation of the compound words presented, answer the following questions.
In two-word noun compounds, does the stress usually fall on the

stressed syllable of the first noun or the second noun?
In two-word adjective compounds, where does the stress often fall?
In verbs with a prefix and a base, where is the stress often placed?

In two-word noun compounds, it is the first noun which
usually receives the major stress, such as in: DRUGstore,
ARMchair, BUS driver, CLASSroom, AIRplane, TEAspoon, and
NIGHTclub.
In two-word adjective compounds, it is the second word

which often receives the major stress, such as in: well BUILT,
good-NAtured, fat-FREE, narrow-MINDed, strong-WILLED, bad-
TEMPered, and self-CONfident.
In verbs with a prefix and a base, it is the base which

usually receives the major stress, such as in: outRUN,
overLOOK, underVAlue, upSET, downLOAD, foreSEE, and
withDRAW.
STOP TO READ
Adjective compounds actually take two stress patterns. When the adjective compound is used
attributively, it receives major stress on the first word. On the other hand, when the adjective
9
compound occurs in Predicative position , major stress is placed on the second word (CELCE-MURCIA
et al, 1996). Listen to the examples below:
ATTRIBUTIVELY
Preceding a noun.
PREDICATIVE POSITION
After a link verb.
That is a WELL-trained dog.
That dog is pretty well-TRAINED.
EXERCITANDO
Click on the links below and practice identifying the stress in English words.
Word Stress Quiz [9]
Sounds of English [10]
EXERCITANDO
Watch the following video about the importance of word stress in English.
English Language Learning Tips – Speaking Test [11]
VOCABULARY SEARCH
below.
Michaelis [12]
Merriam-Webster [13]
Oxford [14]
WordWeb Online [15]
REFERENCES
10
AVERY, P.; EHRLICH, S. Teaching American English Pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2008.
CELCE-MURCIA et al. Teaching Pronunciation: a Reference for Teachers of English to Speakers of

Other Languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
11
Topic 03: Stress in Words with Suffixes
Another way to predict stress is with suffixes. Learning some general guidelines for
suffixes and word stress will help you pronounce new words more accurately.
Stress Pattern 1
The same stress pattern applies to all the suffixes below.
SUFFIXES
Morphemes which are added to the end of a word and which change the meaning or function of
the word.
Listen to the pronunciation of the following words and try to identify where the stress is
placed.
The suffix –ic

scientific.
organic
cosmetic
mechanic
The suffix -ical

technical.
political
chemical
identical
12
The suffix -ity
activity.
possibility
university
community
The suffix -ify

identify.
personify
verify
qualify
The suffix -ogy

psychology.
biology
anthropology
morphology
The suffix -tiom, - sion

nation.
permission
confusion
constitution
The suffix -ian

physician.
technician
musician
Canadian
The suffix -ial

financial.
special
official
commercial
The suffix -ous, -ious, -eous

jealous.
generous
suspicious
courageous
The suffix -graphy

photography.
biography
geography
discography
13
Which syllable receives the major stress when the word ends in -ic,
-ical, -ity, -ify, -ogy, -tion, -sion, -ian, -ial, -ous, -ious, -eous, -graph?

The syllable immediately before the suffixes above always receives
the major stress.
Stress Pattern 2
The following examples illustrate the stress pattern of words ending in the suffixes -ee, -eer, -ese,
-esque, -ique, or -ette.
Listen to how they are pronounced
According to the pronunciation of the words above, which syllable should be stressed
when a word ends in one of those suffixes?
We should stress the syllable which contains the suffix.
14
STOP TO READ
Some suffixes are considered neutral, that is to say, they do not affect the stress pattern of the
root word. The suffixes below are considered neutral:
ROOT WORD
The word without a prefix or a suffix.
PRACTICE 1: ODD WORD OUT

A. Listen to the pronunciation of the words below and choose the one which does not receive the
stress on the syllable immediately before the suffix:
HISTORIAN TRAINEE
GORGEOUS CAPACITY
B. Listen to the pronunciation of the words below and choose the one which does not receive the
stress on the suffix:
EDUCATION ANTIQUE
PORTUGUESE MUSKETEER
C. Listen to the pronunciation of the words below and choose the one which does not receive the
stress on the same syllable as its root word:
COLORFUL CAREFULLY
BEGINNING FATALITY

A. TRAINEE
B. EDUCATION
C. FATALITY
PRACTICE 2
Now click on the links below and practice identifying the stress pattern in English words.
Wors Stress [16]

Stress Monsters [17]
15
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
Click on the links below to read more about the importance of good pronunciation and word
stress. Then comment on your impressions in the forum.
Why you should study English pronunciation [18]
Word Stress [19]
Stress in Compound Words [20]
VOCABULARY SEARCH
below.
Michaelis [21]
Oxford [23]
WordWeb Online [24]
16
Topic Task: Listening Comprehension and Oral Production
Part 1: Listening Comprehension
ACTIVITY PORTFOLIO
Listen to the pronunciation of the words below and identify the stressed syllable in each one.
Then, write the words with the stressed syllable in capital letters on a Word document and send it to
your portfolio for your teacher’s assessment.
01. comfortable (adj.).
01. COMFORTABLE (ADJ.)
Making you feel physically relaxe.
02. slightly (adv.).
02. SLIGHTLY (ADV.)
A little.
03. democracy (n.).
04. home-made (adj.).
04. HOME-MADE (ADJ.)
Made at home.
05. baseball (n.).
06. ambitious (adj.).
06. AMBITIOUS (ADJ.)
Determined to be successful, rich, powerful, etc.
07. self-confident (adj.).
17
07. SELF-CONFIDENT (ADJ.)
The opposite of insecure.
08. suitcase (n.).
09. impression (n.).
09. IMPRESSION (N.)
An idea, feeling or opinion about somebody or something.
10. outlive (v.).
10. OUTLIVE (V.)
To live longer than.
09. IMPRESSION (N.)
To make somebody’s confidence or authority weaker.
11. undermine (v.).
11. UNDERMINE (V.)
12. idolize (v.).
12. IDOLIZE (V.)
To admire or love somebody very much.
13.historical (adj.).
14. pharmacist (n.).
14. PHARMACIST (N.)
A person whose job is to prepare medicines.
18
15. phonology (n.).
Part 2: Oral Production
PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY
The words below all appear in our lesson. Go back to each topic to listen to their pronunciation
again (as many times as necessary) and record them paying careful attention to the pronunciation of
the stressed syllable. Then, send the recording to your portfolio for your teacher’s assessment.
1. machine
2. calendar
3. dependent
4. present (noun)
5. present (verb)
6. suspect (noun)
7. suspect (verb)
8. nightclub
9. fat-free
10. outrun
11. scientific
12. chemical
13. possibility
14. verify
15. biology
16. permission
17. musician
18. official
19. suspicious
19
20. photography
21. refugee
22. Chinese
23. technique
24. cassette
25. recently
Fontes das Imagens
1 - http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/word-stress-quiz.htm
2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08qBN29mIBs
3 - http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/word-stress
4 - http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/word-stress.htm
5 - http://michaelis.uol.com.br/moderno/ingles/index.php
6 - http://www.merriam-webster.com/
7 - http://www.oup.com/elt/catalogue/teachersites/oald7/lookup?cc=global
8 - http://www.wordwebonline.com/
9 - http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/word-stress-quiz.htm
10 - http://www.soundsofenglish.org/stress--intonation
11 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVEPOAJAVK4
16 - http://www.roadtogrammar.com/wordstress/
17 - http://elt.oup.com/student/americanenglishfile/3/c_pronunciation/ef_stressgame?cc=br&selLanguage=pt
18 - http://www.antimoon.com/how/pronuncwhy.htm
19 - http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/word-stress
20 - http://usefulenglish.ru/phonetics/stress-in-compound-words
20
Class 02: Sentence Stress
Topic 01: The Rhythm of English
VERSÃO TEXTUAL
In the previous class, you read and learned about stressed and unstressed syllables in words.
In this class, we will see how the combination of stressed and unstressed syllables contributes to
the creation of the rhythm in English.
The Rhythm of English

Many Brazilian learners of English often find it difficult to understand native speakers of the language
because they usually speak very fast. Do you think so too? Well, one of the reasons that can explain this
rapid flow of speech is the very nature of the rhythm of English – English is a stress-timed language.
And what does stress-timed mean?
In a stress-timed language, the amount of time it takes to say a sentence depends on the
number of syllables that receive stress, not on the total number of syllables.
In other words, the length of an utterance in English depends not on

the number of syllables but rather on the number of stresses (CELCE-
MURCIA ET AL, 1996).
The word/phrase pairs below illustrate what is said

above.
Listen and pay careful attention to the rhythm
patterns in each pair.
21
(The examples above were extracted from GRANT, L. Well
said. Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 2001, pp. 78.)
EXERCISE
1. Listen to the pairs above again. Do the word and the phrase in each pair have the same rhythm
pattern or different ones? Do they take a similar amount of time to be said or do the phrases take
longer to be said than the words?
NOW CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWER

In each pair, the rhythm pattern of the word is the same as that of the phrase. And both
the word and the phrase take almost the same amount of time to be pronounced.
2 . Now listen one more time and mark the stressed syllable of the word and the stressed syllable of
the phrase in each pair.
NOW CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWER
1. He was
engiNEER HERE.
2. In a ROW.
overTHROW
3. conVERT He’s HURT.
4. She SENT
preSENTed it.
5. PERmit LEARN it.
6. She can
volunTEER HEAR.
22
What can we learn from the examples given concerning the rhythm of English?
First
We can learn that, just like words, phrases and sentences in English have
stressed and unstressed syllables.
Second
We can learn that, in spoken English, some words are stressed and other
words are not.
STOP TO READ
If you stress every word and syllable equally, you may sound angry, impatient, or rude without
meaning to.
HOW CAN I HELP YOU?
PRACTICE 1
Listen to the words and the phrases below. Then match the word and the phrase with the same
rhythm pattern.
1.approximate A. can better it
2. justifiable B. all of her
3. confederate C. a box of it
4. alphabetize D. just as viable
5. orthopedic E. or to feed it
23
6. Oliver F. half her size
(The words and phrases in this exercise were extracted from AVERY, P.; EHRLICH, S. Teaching
American pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008, pp. 82.)

1. C 2. D 3. A 4. F 5. E 6. B
PRACTICE 2
Listen to the words and phrases in Practice 1 again and identify the stressed syllable in both the
words and the phrases.
aPPROximate /əˈprɑːksɪmət/
justiFIable /ˈʤʌstəˌfaɪəbl/
conFEderate /kənˈfedərɪt/
ALphabetize /ˈælfəbəˌtaɪz/
orthoPEDic /ˌɔːrθəˈpiːdɪk/
Oliver /ˈɑːləvər/
a BOX of it /ə bɑːks əv ɪt/

just as VIable /ʤʌst əz ˈvaɪəbl/
can BEtter it /kən ˈbetər ɪt/
HALF her size /hælf hər saɪz/
or to FEED it /ɔːr tə fiːd ɪt/
ALL of her /ɔːl əv hər/
24
PRACTICE 3
Listen to the words and phrases in exercise 1 again and repeat. Listening and repeating is
important practice for language learning.
Click on the links below to read more about stress and the rhythm of English.
Word Stress and Sentence Stress [1]
The Rhythm Rule [2]
VOCABULARY SEARCH
below.
Michaelis [3]
Merriam-Webster [4]
Oxford [5]
WordWeb Online [6]
REFERENCES
25
Topic 02: Content and Function Words
In English stressed syllables are normally more prominent than stressed syllables in Portuguese.
Similarly, unstressed syllables in English are much weaker than unstressed syllables in Portuguese. Also, in
spoken English some words are more important than other words. The more important words are called
content words, and the less important words are called function words. When we speak English we have
to stress content words and unstress function words. We do not normally do this in Portuguese, so we
have to remember that native speakers of English do it and that is one of the main reasons why many
Brazilian learners of English often think they speak too fast.
CONTENT WORDS
Or lexical words.
FUNCTION WORDS
Or grammar words.
Why do I need to know about content and function words?
Because then you will know which words to stress when you speak English!
EXERCISE
1. Listen carefully to the sentences below and mark the words which are stressed (content words). If
the content word has more than one syllable, mark the syllable which receives the stress.
Her house is quite big, but it doesn’t have a garden.
26
They usually listen to the radio in the morning.
London is famous for its red buses.
What newspaper do you read?
They can dance very well but they can’t sing.
Where does your husband work?
How was the weekend?
She’s not Polish. She’s German.

Her HOUSE is QUITE BIG, but it DOESn’t HAVE a GARden.
They Usually LISten to the RAdio in the MORning.
LONdon is FAmous for its RED BUSes.
WHAT NEWSpaper do you READ?
They can DANCE VEry WELL but they CAN’T SING.
WHERE does your HUSband WORK?
HOW was the WEEKend?
She’s NOT POlish. She’s GERman.
Notice that the words house, quite, big, have, red, what, read, dance, well, can’t, sing,
where, work, how, and not have only one syllable. Remember that, in English, we count
syllables according to the number of vowel sounds in a word. For example, house (
) has only one vowel sound (
), so it has only one syllable. The final ‘e’ is not pronounced in the words house, quite, have,
dance, and where:
and
27
2. Now that you have checked your work, write (S) for the kinds of words which are stressed in the
previous exercise and (U) for the kinds of words which are unstressed.
adjectives nouns
personal
adverbs
pronouns
articles prepositions
auxiliary verbs verbs
Wh-
conjunctions question
words
negative
contractions/not

(S) adjectives (S) nouns
(S) adverbs (U) personal pronouns
(U) articles (U) prepositions
(U) auxiliary verbs (S) verbs
(U) conjunctions (S) Wh- question words
(S) negative contractions/not
As you can see from the tasks above, English words can be divided into two groups:
Content Words
• Content words express independent meaning.
• Content words are usually stressed.
• Content words include: adjectives, adverbs, main verbs, negatives, nouns, and
question words. They also include demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those)
and possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs).
28
Function Words
• Content words express independent meaning.
• Function words have little or no meaning in themselves and mainly serve the
purpose of expressing grammatical relationships.
• Function words are usually unstressed.
• Function words include: articles (a, an, the), auxiliary verbs (e.g. can, do, did),
conjunctions (e.g. but, and, so), personal pronouns (e.g. I, me, my, you, your, he,
him), and prepositions (e.g. at, in, from, with). They also include relative pronouns
(e.g. that, who, which), demonstrative adjectives, and possessive adjectives (e.g. my,
your, his).
STOP TO READ
Listeners of English expect certain words to be strong (stressed) and others to be weak
(unstressed). The strong words are the ones listeners pay attention to the most. The contrast between
stronger words with weaker words is an important part of clear communication in English (GRANT,
2001:81). For learners of English to produce sentences that have the appropriate stress patterns and
the appropriate English rhythm, it is necessary that they know which words are stressed and which are
not stressed.
PRACTICE 1
Listen to the sentences below and mark the words which receive sentence stress. If the word
receives sentence stress and has more than one syllable, remember to mark the stressed syllable of
the word.
1. Nice to meet you.
2. Where did you go for your last vacation?
3. We’ve never traveled abroad.
4. I can play the guitar and the flute.
5. He likes pizza but he doesn’t like bread.
6. France is bigger than Italy.
7.They saw a movie and had dinner at a fancy restaurant.
8. I will call her right now.

1. NICE to MEET you.
2. WHERE did you GO for your LAST vaCAtion?
3. We’ve NEver TRAveled aBROAD.
4. I can PLAY the guiTAR and the FLUTE.
5. He LIKES PIzza but he DOESn't LIKE BREAD.
6. FRANCE is BIGGer than Italy.
29
7. They SAW a MOvie and HAD DInner at a FANcy REStaurant.
8. I will CALL her RIGHT NOW.
The words nice, meet, where, go, last, play, flute, likes,like, bread, France, saw, had,
call, right, and now have only one syllable.
PRACTICE 3
Now listen to the sentences in Practice 1 again and practice saying them out loud.
PRACTICE 4
Click on the links below to watch a video about content and function words, and their importance
to appropriate sentence stress in spoken English.
Stress and Rhythm in English Pronunciation [7]
Word Stress in Sentences [8]
Click on the links below to read more about stress in English.
Sentence Stress [9]
Sentence Stress Rules [10]
VOCABULARY SEARCH
below.
Michaelis [11]
Oxford [13]
WordWeb Online [14]
REFERENCES
GRANT, L. Well said. Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 2001.
30
Topic 03: Reduced Forms
As you were presented in the previous topic, function words in spoken English are usually weak. Many
function words have only one syllable, and because they are usually very weak, they have a strong
pronunciation and a weak pronunciation. For example, the conjunction ‘and’ is pronounced [ænd] in
isolation, but it is commonly pronounced [ənd] or [ən] when people are talking naturally.
It is very important to know the weak pronunciation of one-syllable function words as it helps you
understand English better when it is spoken fast and it allows you to work on the production of more
appropriate and natural English utterances.
Listed below you will find the strong and the weak forms of some one-syllable function words. Listen
and repeat.
STOP TO READ
In connected speech, where function words are normally unstressed, they are pronounced in their
weak form. In the weak form of most one-syllable function words, the vowel is reduced to /ə/, as you
can see in the chart above.
PRACTICE 1
Listen to the sentences below and mark the pronunciation of the underlined function words that
you hear.
1. It’s a book. [eɪ] [ə]
2.She’s at home. [æt] [ət]
3. Did you pass or fail? [ɔːr] [ər]
4. Let’s call them again.

[ðem] [əm]
5. Think of all we have. [ɔːv] [əv]
6. He’s the boss. [ðiː] [ðə]
7. Sally must have left. [əv]

[hæv]
8. Buy some milk and [ən]

eggs. [ænd]
31
1. [ə]
2. [ət]
3. [ər]
4. [əm]
5. [əv]
6. [ðə]
7. [əv]
8. [ən]
PRACTICE 2
Write the phonetic transcriptions below into phrases. Then check your answers, listen to and
practice saying them.
1. /ə glæss ə mɪlk/
2. /ˈlemən ən aɪs/
3. /əz swiːt əz ˈʃʊgər/
4. /gɪv ɪm ə breɪk/
5. /ðeɪ əv ˈfɪnɪʃt/
6. /ɪts fər bɪl/
PRACTICE 3
Click on the link below to read and listen to a short paragraph about restaurants in the US. To
listen to the text you must click on the ‘Play-Windows Media’ button. Listen attentively, as many times
as necessary, and pay careful attention to the use of sentence stress and reduced forms. For extra
practice, you could record yourself reading the paragraph and afterwards compare your recording to
the original audio.
Listen and Practice [15]
PRACTICE 4
Click on the links below to watch some interesting videos about weak forms in spoken English.
American English Word Stress: Unstressed vs Reduced [16]
32
English Pronunciation: advanced features – strong and weak forms and aspects of connected
speech [17]
Click on the link below to read more about reduced forms in English.
Reduced Speech Form in American English. [18]
Common Reduced forms in American English. [19]
VOCABULARY SEARCH
below.
Michaelis [20]
Oxford [22]
WordWeb Online [23]
33
Task: Listening Comprehension and Oral Production
Part I - Listening Comprehension
PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY
Click on the link below to listen again to the paragraph about restaurants in the U.S. Remember
that you must click on the ‘Play-Windows Media’ button to listen to the audio. While you listen, mark the
words which receive sentence stress (content words). If the content word has more than one syllable,
mark the syllable which receives the stress. Remember: in our lessons we mark the stressed syllable
using CAPITAL LETTERS. Then, write the paragraph with the stressed syllables of the content words in
capital letters on a Word document and send it to your portfolio for your teacher’s assessment.
Restaurants [24]
Para escutar o áudio acesse o ambiente Solar.
I sometimes go out to eat at a restaurant if I don't have time to cook or I just want to relax. My
favorite place is a Mexican restaurant downtown, and the decor and atmosphere are very authentic.
You usually don't have to make a reservation unless you are planning to go during a busy time. The
prices are very reasonable, and the service is great. Best of all, the portions are large, and the food is
superb. I always make sure to leave a generous tip.
PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY
The phrases and sentences below all appear in lesson 2. Go back to each topic to listen to their
pronunciation again (as many times as necessary) and record them. Then, send the recording to your
portfolio for your teacher’s assessment. Make sure to stress content words and unstress function
words. Also, try to produce the weak form of one-syllable function words as studied in topic 3.
1. He was here.
2. She sent it.
3. Her house is quite big.
4. London is famous for its red buses.
5. What newspaper do you read?
6. How was the weekend?
7. She’s not Polish. She’s German.
8. Nice to meet you.
34
9. I can play the guitar and the flute.
10. He likes pizza but he doesn’t like bread.
11. It’s a book.
12. She’s at home.
13. Did you pass or fail?
14. Let’s call them again.
15. Think of all we have.
16. a glass of milk
17. lemon and ice
18. as sweet as sugar
19. Give him a break.
20. They have finished.
Fontes das Imagens
1 - http://www.englishclub.com/esl-articles/199810.htm
2 - http://www.pronuncian.com/lessons.aspx?Lesson=52
7 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbcEiFTmkQo
8 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpPCBWsVUp0
9 - http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/sentence-stress.htm
10 - http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/sentence-stress-rules.htm
15 - http://www.trainyouraccent.com/a-restaurants.htm
16 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR9rzlbC0ww
17 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JzWi5gE40U
18 - https://learnenglishwithdemi.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/reduced-speech-form-in-american-english/
19 - http://english-learners.com/2009/10/common-reduced-forms-in-american-english.html
24 - http://www.trainyouraccent.com/a-restaurants.htm
35
Class 03: Connected Speech (Part 1)
Topic 01: Linking
Speech is a continuous stream of sounds. This means that when we speak naturally, we do not
pronounce a word, make a pause, then say the next word in the sentence, pause again, and so on.
In rapid speech, when one word is linked with the next, sounds
come together. And when sounds come together in speech, they are
influenced by one another. As a result, some sounds are lost, some
sounds are added, some sounds take on different characteristics, and
some are spoken almost simultaneously.
In classes 3 and 4, you will be presented with some of the major adjustments which take place in
connected speech: linking, elision, epenthesis, and assimilation.
Learning about these adjustments is not only important to help

learners of English to improve their oral production, but it is also crucial
in helping them to improve their listening comprehension (CELCE-
MURCIA ET AL, 1996).
Linking
Linking can be defined as the connecting of the final sound of one word or syllable to the initial sound
of the next. When words are properly linked, there is a smooth transition from one word to the next. Linking
occurs in different phonological contexts.
Let us see the most common of these contexts. Click in the boxes to open.
VERSÃO TEXTUAL
Linking consonants to vowels
When a word ends in a consonant sound and is followed by a word beginning with a vowel
sound, the consonant is often produced as if belonged to both syllables or as if belonged to the
next word.
(Remember that the letter ‘e’ in word-final position is not pronounced in the words like, move,
and leave: / lark / ,/ muv / , and / liv /.
Linking consonants to consonants
When a word ends in a stop consonant and is followed by a word that begins with a
consonant, the stop consonant is not released.
stop consonant:
consonants whose production involves complete blockage of the airstream in the vocal tract
- /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/ .
36
Linking identical consonants
When a word ends in a consonant sound and is followed by a word beginning with the same
consonant sound, the two consonants are normally pronounced as one long consonant.
Linking vowels to vowels

When a word ends in a tense vowel and is followed by a word beginning with a vowel, the
words are usually linked by the glide (or semi-vowel) ending the tense vowel.
tense vowel :
vowels produced with extra muscle tension – /iː/, /uw/, /eɪ/, /aɪ/, /ɔɪ/, /aʊ/, /ow/ .
glide (or semi-vowel):

/j/ or /w/.
STOP TO READ
People do not speak in separate words, they speak in logical connected groups of words. These
groups are often called thought groups. A thought group can be defined as a portion of a sentence
separated from the rest by a pause or pauses. In the examples below, the thought groups are
separated by a diagonal line:
It is not possible to make a clear set of rules to divide sentences into thought groups. A speaker is
normally free to group words according to personal preference.
(The examples above were extracted from GRANT, 2001: 124-134.)
PRACTICE 1
Listen to the sentences below and identify the places where the process of linking occurs.
37
1. She has a lot of friends.
2. What time is it?
3. This is my uncle, John.
4. We live in a big house with a big garden.
5. He left home at eight and got to work at nine.
6. We haven’t talked to each other in ages.
7. English is spoken all over the world.
8. I had a really bad day yesterday.
PRACTICE 2
Listen to the sentences in Practice 1 again and repeat. Listening and repeating is important
practice for language learning.
PRACTICE 3
Go back to the sentences in Practice 1 and identify the types of linking which occur: Type 1 =
linking consonants to vowels; Type 2 = linking a stop consonant to a consonant; Type 3 = linking
identical consonants; Type 4 = linking vowels to vowels. For example, in ‘has a’ in sentence 1 we link
the final consonant of ‘has’ to the following vowel sound (type 1).
PRACTICE 4
Click on the link below for the lyrics and the audio of the song “When I need you” by Canadian
singer Celine Dion. Read the lyrics while listening to the song and identify occurrences of linking. Listen
to it as many times as necessary.
When I Need You [1]
38
WheníI need you
/j/
I just close myí íeyesíandíI'm with you
Andíall thatíI so wantíto give you
It'síonly a heartbeatíaway
WheníI need love
I holdíout my handsíandíI touch love
I never knew there was so much love
Keeping me warm nightíandíday
Milesíand milesíofíempty spaceíin betweeníus
A telephone can'títake the placeíof your smile
But you know I won’t be traveling forever
It's coldíout, but holdíout andído likeíI do
WheníI need you

/j/
Just close myí íeyesíandíI'm with you
Andíall thatíI so wantíto give you babe
It's notíeasy when the roadíis your driver
Honey, that'sía heavy load that we bear
But you know I won't be traveling a lifetime
It's coldíout but holdíout andído likeíI do
39
Oh I need you
WheníI need you
I holdíout my handsíandíI touch love
I never knew there was so much love
Keeping me warm nightíandíday
WheníI need you

/j/
Just close myí íeyesíandíI'm with you
Andíall thatíI so wantíto give you
PRACTICE 5
Listen again to the song “When I need you” by Celine Dion and sing it out loud to practice the
occurrences of linking in it
PRACTICE 6
Click on the links below to watch some interesting videos about connected speech and linking in
English.
Connected Speech: Consonants + Consonants / English Pronunciation Lesson [2]
Connected Speech & Linking / American English Pronunciation [3]
How Natives Cut and Connect Their Words in English: Connected Speech in the Simple Past [4]
[w]-insertion | English Pronunciation Lesson [5]
[y]-insertion | English Pronunciation Lesson [6]
FORUM
Discuss your answers to Practice 3 with your classmates and your teacher in the forum.
Click on the links below to read more about linking in English.
Linking [7]
VOCABULARY SEARCH
40
below.
Michaelis [8]
Merriam-Webster [9]
Oxford [10]
WordWeb Online [11]
REFERENCES
GRANT, L. Well Said. Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 2001.
41
Topic 02: Elision
In the previous topic, you learned about the process of linking in connected speech. In this topic, you
will learn about another type of adjustment which happens in spoken English – the process of elision (also
known as deletion).
When alison occurs, sounds disappear or are not clearly articulated in

certain contexts.
The most typical phonological contexts in which elision occurs are:
VERSÃO TEXTUAL
Context 1: Elision of /t/ when the sequence /nt/ occurs between two vowels.
Context 2: Elision of /t/ or /d/ when they occur in a sequence of three

consonants.
Context 3: Elision of /t/ or /d/ in word-final position, when it is preceded by a

single consonant and is followed by a word beginning with a consonant.
Context 4: Elision of an unstressed Elision of an unstressed /ə/ or /ɪ/ when it

is preceded by the stressed syllable in multisyllabic words
Context 5: Elision of /v/ in the preposition of before words beginning with a

consonant.
Context 6: Elision of initial /h/ and /ð/ in pronominal forms in connected

speech.
Para escutar aos audios acesse o ambiente SOLAR
STOP TO READ
Knowing the phonological contexts in which deletion often occurs might help you better
understand spoken English.
PRACTICE 1
Listen to the phrases and sentences below and identify occurrences of elision.
42
1. We love winter.
2. He suffers from partial blindness.
3. They’re leaving next Monday.
4. Can I have an aspirin?
5. Children love to make sand castles on the beach.
6. We only need a handful of rice.
7. He’s a really fast driver.
8. What a waste of time!
9. Can you help her with the homework?
10. I don’t like history much.
PRACTICE 2
Go back to the sentences in Practice 1 again and identify the phonological contexts where elision
occurs.
43
1. winter – Context 1: elision of /t/ when the sequence /nt/ occurs
between two vowels.
2. blindness – Context 2: elision of /t/or /d/ when they occur in a sequence of
three consonants.
3. next Monday – Context 3: elision of /t/ or /d/ in word-final position, when it is
preceded by a single consonant and is followed by a word beginning with a
consonant.
4. aspirin – Context 4: elision of an unstressed /ə/when it is preceded by the
stressed syllable in multisyllabic words.
5. sand castles – Context 3: elision of /t/ or /d/ in word-final position, when it is
consonant.
6. handful – Context 2: elision of /t/or /d/ when they occur in a sequence of
three consonants. of – Context 5: elision of /v/ in the preposition of before
words beginning with a consonant.
7. fast driver – Context 3: elision of /t/ or /d/ in word-final position, when it is
consonant. 8. of – Context 5: elision of /v/ in the preposition of before words
beginning with a consonant. 9. her – Context 6: elision of initial /h/ and /ð/ in
pronominal forms in connected speech. 10. don’t like – Context 3: elision of /t/
or /d/ in word-final position, when it is preceded by a single consonant and is
followed by a word beginning with a consonant. History – Context 4: elision of
an unstressed /ə/when it is preceded by the stressed syllable in multisyllabic
words.
44
PRACTICE 3
Now listen to the sentences in Practice 1 and repeat them out loud to practice the occurrences of
elision in them. Remember that repeating is important for effective language learning.
PRACTICE 4
Click on the links below to watch some interesting videos about connected speech and deletion
in English.
h-deletion in Connected Speech | English Pronunciation [12]
Introduction: Pronunciation of Contracted Verbs | "Have" & "Will" | English Pronunciation Lesson
[13]
Transforming Verbs in Everyday Speech [14]
Pronunciation of Contracted Verbs: Would + have = would've | Part 2 [15]
VOCABULARY SEARCH
below.
Michaelis [16]
Oxford [18]
WordWeb Online [19]
45
Topic 03: Epenthesis
In topics 1 and 2, you learned about linking and deletion in connected

speech. In this topic, you will learn about the process of epenthesis.
Epenthesis can be defined as the insertion of a vowel or consonant

segment within an existing series of segments.
Most Common Types of Epenthesis

The most important type of epenthesis in English occurs in certain morphophonological sequences
such as the regular plural and the regular past tense. In these cases, an epenthetic schwa is added to
break up sequences of sibilants or alveolar stops, respectively.
SCHWA
/ə/
SIBILANTS
Characterized by a hissing sound, similar to a long “s”.
ALVEOLAR STOPS
The sounds /t/ and /d/.
The Regular Plural

The nouns below all end in a sibilant sound. Listen to their pronunciation and identify the six sibilant
sounds in English.
NOW CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR

ANSWERS
case /keɪs/
cause /kɔːz/
leash /liːʃ/
46
garage /gəˈrɑːʒ/
church /ʧɜːrʧ/
judge /ʤʌʤ/
As you can see from above, the six English

sibilants are /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /ʧ/ and /ʤ/.
In nouns that end in hissing, sibilant sounds, we add the syllable /əz/ (or /ɪz/) when forming their
plural. Let us hear the pronunciation of the plural of the nouns abov
How should we pronounce the plural of a noun that does not end in a sibilant sound?
When this happens, the –s ending is pronounced as a result of a process called
assimilation, which you will study in class 4.
STOP TO READ
The Plural Rule is also applicable to: the third person singular present tense ending, the contracted
form of “is” and “has”, and the possessive ‘s.
The Regular Past Tense

To regular verbs that end in /t/ or /d/, we add the syllable /əd/ ( or /ɪd/) when forming their past. Let
us hear the pronunciation of the past of the verbs below.
PRACTICE 1
Try to pronounce the verbs and nouns below based on what you have learned in this class. Then
listen to their pronunciation, check and repeat.
1. washes (v.) 6. fixes (v.)
47
2. watches (v.) 7. mirages (n.)
3. misses (v.) 8. catches (v.)
4. uses (v.) 9. bridges (n.)
5. laces (n.) 10. crashes (v.)
CLICK HERE TO CHECK THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE WORDS
PRACTICE 2
Try to pronounce the following past tense verbs based on what you have learned about
epenthesis. Then listen to their pronunciation, check and repeat.
1. wanted 6. tested
2. pretended 7. landed
3. started 8. surrounded
4. handed 9. deleted
5. waited 10. permitted
CLICK HERE TO CHECK THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE WORDS
PRACTICE 3
Click on the links below to watch some interesting videos about the pronunciation of–s/–ed
endings.
3 Sounds of the Plural "s" in English: [s], [z] or [ɪz] [20]
[t], [d] or [Id]? | "-ed" Past Tense | English Pronunciation [21]
VOCABULARY SEARCH
48
below.
Michaelis [22]
Oxford [24]
WordWeb Online [25]
49
PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY
Listen carefully and identify the occurrences of linking, elision and epenthesis that occur in the
sentences below. Then write your answers on a Word document and send it to your portfolio for your
teacher’s correction.
She washes her hair twice a week.
After the plane landed, we rented a car and went to the

hotel.
I don’t enjoy having classes on weekends.
Every morning he wakes up and works out.
We have a lot of friends but they’re always too busy to

go out with us.
They work in a bank next to the bus station.
He decided to go for a walk in the park.
50
My left leg is hurting. I think I’ve broken it.
Let’s see what’s on at the cinema.
Give him a call if you want to.
Part II - Oral Production
PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY
Listen to the sentences in Part I again and record them. Then, send the recording to your portfolio
for your teacher’s assessment. Remember to produce the adjustments concerning linking, elision and
epenthesis that (can) occur in the phonological contexts in the sentences.
Fontes das Imagens
1 - http://letras.mus.br/celine-dion/70030/traducao.html
2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7VREyOLPz0
3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAHUTKm_1n0
4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaCRpnW8Q2U
5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXod8U3BoEg
6 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl3PO20nick
7 - http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/linking.htm
12 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBEEZwMj1AA
13 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG0sZK0v9QA
14 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdRCfsr8uDE
15 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAoz1hTKQH8
51
20 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWNW3-4Wpao
21 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j32SurxnE4s
52
Topic 01: Progressive Assimilation
In the previous class, you learned about the processes of linking, elision, and epenthesis in connected
speech. In this class, you will learn about another type of adjustment which happens in spoken English –
the process of assimilation.
What is assimilation?
Assimilation is a universal feature of spoken language. It occurs when a particular sound takes on the
characteristics of an adjacent sound. In English, the process of assimilation frequently occurs, both within
words and between words.
TAKES ON
To begin to have a particular quality.
There are three types of assimilation in English: progressive assimilation, regressive assimilation,

and coalescent assimilation. In this topic, you will learn about progressive assimilation. Regressive
assimilation and coalescent assimilation will be dealt with in topics 2 and 3, respectively.
PROGRESSIVE ASSIMILATION
Progressive assimilation occurs when a certain sound is affected by the sound which precedes it.
Examples of this type of assimilation include:
-S ENDING
For the regular plural of nouns, the third person singular form of present simple
verbs, the contraction of ‘is’, the contraction of ‘has’ as an auxiliary verb, and
possessive ‘s: the final sound of the stem word conditions the voiced or voiceless
53
pronunciation of the suffix: /s/ (the voiceless form) or /z/ (the voiced form). For
example:
STEM WORD
The word without the –s ending.
Stop to read
As you studied in class 3, in words that end in sibilant sounds, the –s
ending is pronounced /əz/ (or /ɪz/) as a result of the process of epenthesis.
-ED ENDING
For the simple past and past participle forms of regular verbs: the final sound
of the stem word conditions the voiced or voiceless pronunciation of the suffix: /t/
(the voiceless form) or /d/ (the voiced form).
Stop to read
As you studied in class 3, in words that end in /t/ or /d/, the –ed ending
is pronounced /əd/ (or /ɪd/) as a result of the process of epenthesis.
STOP TO READ
Similarly to linking, the amount of assimilation that occurs in speech depends on numerous
variables, such as the formality of the situation, the rate of speech, and the style of the speaker
(CELCE-MURCIA ET AL, 1996).
PRACTICE 1
Practice identifying the pronunciation of –s endings as a result of the process of progressive
assimilation.Is the –s ending in the words below pronounced /s/ or /z/?
1. likes (v.) a) /s/ b) /z/
2. moves (v.) a) /s/ b) /z/
3. puts (v.) a) /s/ b) /z/
4. plays (v.) a) /s/ b) /z/
5. cabs (n.) a) /s/ b) /z/
54
6. pens (n.) a) /s/ b) /z/
7. pencils (n.) a) /s/ b) /z/
8. cups (n.) a) /s/ b) /z/
9. Kate’s a) /s/ b) /z/
10. Ted’s a) /s/ b) /z/
11. Philip’s a) /s/ b) /z/
12. Sara’s a) /s/ b) /z/

1. /s/ : The voiceless /k/ conditions the voiceless form of the –s ending, causing it to be
pronounced /s/.
2. /z/ : The voiced /v/ conditions the voiced form of the –s ending, causing it to be
pronounced /z/.
3. /s/ : The voiceless /t/ conditions the voiceless form of the –s ending, causing it to be
pronounced /s/.
4. /z/ : The voiced /eɪ/ conditions the voiced form of the –s ending, causing it to be
pronounced /z/.
5. /z/ : The voiced /b/ conditions the voiced form of the –s ending, causing it to be
pronounced /z/.
6. /z/ : The voiced /n/ conditions the voiced form of the –s ending, causing it to be
pronounced /z/.
7. /z/ : The voiced /l/ conditions the voiced form of the –s ending, causing it to be
pronounced /z/.
8. /s/ : The voiceless /p/ conditions the voiceless form of the –s ending, causing it to be
pronounced /s/.
9. /s/ : The voiceless /t/ conditions the voiceless form of the –s ending, causing it to be
pronounced /s/.
10. /z/ : The voiced /d/ conditions the voiced form of the –s ending, causing it to be
pronounced /z/.
11. /s/ : The voiceless /p/ conditions the voiceless form of the –s ending, causing it to
be pronounced /s/.
12. /z/ : The voiced /ə/ conditions the voiced form of the –s ending, causing it to be
pronounced /z/.
55
PRACTICE 2
Now listen carefully to the words from Practice 1 in the sentences below. Then listen again and repeat
them to work on your pronunciation of –s endings.
1.She likes apples.
2. He moves a lot.
3. Sue puts everything in the wrong place.
4. John plays American football quite well.
5. In New York the cabs are yellow.
6. Those pens aren’t mine.
7. Whose pencils are these?
8. Two cups of coffee, please.
9. Kate’s a good teacher.
10. Ted’s a doctor.
11. Phillip’s uncle got married.
12. Sara’s already done her homework.
PRACTICE 3
Practice identifying the pronunciation of –ed endings as a result of the process of progressive
assimilation. Is the –ed ending in the words below pronounced /t/ or /d/?
1. liked a) /t/ b) /d/
2. lived a) /t/ b) /d/
3. kissed a) /t/ b) /d/
4. opened a) /t/ b) /d/
5. called a) /t/ b) /d/
6. tried a) /t/ b) /d/
7. played a) /t/ b) /d/
8. finished a) /t/ b) /d/
9. used a) /t/ b) /d/
10. repaired a) /t/ b) /d/
56
1. /t/: The voiceless /k/ conditions the voiceless form of the –ed ending, causing it to be
pronounced /t/.
2. /d/: The voiced /v/ conditions the voiced form of the –ed ending, causing it to be
pronounced /d/.
3. /t/: The voiceless /s/ conditions the voiceless form of the –ed ending, causing it to be
pronounced /t/.
4. /d/ : The voiced /l/ conditions the voiced form of the –ed ending, causing it to be
pronounced /d/.
5./d/ : The voiced /aɪ/ conditions the voiced form of the –ed ending, causing it to be
pronounced /d/.
6. /d/: The voiced /n/ conditions the voiced form of the –ed ending, causing it to be
pronounced /d/.
7. /d/: The voiced /eɪ/ conditions the voiced form of the –ed ending, causing it to be
pronounced /d/.
8. /t/: The voiceless /ʃ/ conditions the voiceless form of the –ed ending, causing it to be
pronounced /t/.
9. /d/: The voiced /z/ conditions the voiced form of the –ed ending, causing it to be
pronounced /d/.
10. /d/: The voiced /r/ conditions the voiced form of the –ed ending, causing it to be
pronounced /d/.
PRACTICE 4
Now listen carefully to the verbs from Practice 3 in the sentences below. Then listen again and repeat
them to work on your pronunciation of –ed endings.
1.I liked it very much.
2. We lived in San Francisco for a long time.
3. They kissed under the moonlight.
4. The door opened but no one came in.
5. He called us but we weren’t home.
6. She tried again and again but didn’t succeed.
7. The children played a lot this morning.
8. The movie finished an hour ago.
9. He used a computer to do his homework.
10. The mechanic repaired our car.
57
PRACTICE 5
Click on the links below to watch some interesting videos about the pronunciation of –s/–ed
endings.
3 Sounds of the Plural "s" in English: [s], [z] or [ɪz] [1]
[t], [d] or [Id]? | "-ed" Past Tense | English Pronunciation [2]
VOCABULARY SEARCH
below.
Michaelis [3]
Merriam-Webster [4]
Oxford [5]
WordWeb Online [6]
REFERENCES
58
Topic 02: Regressive Assimilation
Regressive assimilation occurs when a certain sound is affected by the

sound which follows it.
Examples of this type of assimilation include:
The Modals ‘Have to’ And ‘Has to’

In have to and has to,the voiceless /t/ causes the preceding voiced /v/
and /z/ to become voiceless /f/ and /s/ respectively.
Notice that in /hæftə/ and /hæstə/, we have the reduced

(weak) pronunciation of the preposition to.
‘Used to’ (expressing past habitual action)

In used to, the voiceless /t/ causes the preceding voiced
combination /zd/ to become the voiceless combination /st/.
Notice that in /juwstə/, we have the reduced (weak)

pronunciation of the preposition to.
/s/or/z/+/ʃ/
In rapid native-speaker speech, the sibilant sound /ʃ/ causes the
preceding sibilants /s/ or /z/ to become identical to it. For example:
The symbol [:] in [ʃ:] indicates that the sound is long.
/t/ + /p,k/ and /d/ + /b,g/

The stop consonant /t/ may assimilate to a following initial /p/ or /k/,
while the stop /d/ may assimilate to a following /b/ or /g/. In both cases,
there is a change in the place of articulation, but there is no change in the
voiced or voiceless quality of the segment. For example:
The symbol [:] in [p:], [kː], [b:], and [g:] indicates that the
sound is long.
/n/ -> /m/ or /n/

The final nasal consonant /n/ may adjust its place of articulation and
become /m/ when it is followed by a bilabial (/p/, /b/, /m/), or it may
become /ŋ/ when it is followed by a velar (/k/, /g/).
59
PRACTICE 1
Listen to the sentences below and identify the places where the process of regressive
assimilation occurs.
VERSÃO TEXTUAL
1. She has to leave in May.
2. They used to eat popcorn a lot.
3. He has short curly hair.
4. When is she coming?
5. Philip’s shirt is new.
6. We have to study more.
7. Can I have some fruit cake?
8. Boys like thin girls.
1. She hasíto leave iníMay.
/hæstə/ /ɪmímeɪ/
2. They usedíto eatípopcorn.
/juwstə/ /iːˈpːɑːpkɔːrn/
3. He hasíshortícurly hair.
/hæʃːɔːrˈkːərli/
60
4. When isíshe coming?
/ɪʃːi/
5. Philip'síshirt is new.
/ˈfɪlɪpʃːərt/
6. We haveíto study more.
/hæftə/
7. Can I have some fruitícake?
/fruːkːeɪk/
8. Boys like thinígirls.
/θɪŋígərlz/
PRACTICE 2
Listen to the sentences in Practice 1 again and repeat them. Pay careful attention and give special
emphasis to the occurrences of regressive assimilation in the sentences.
PRACTICE 3
Click on the link below to watch a video about connected speech in English.
Transforming Verbs in Everyday Speech [7]
VOCABULARY SEARCH
below.
Michaelis [8]
Merriam-Webster [9]
Oxford [10]
WordWeb Online [11]
61
Topic 03: Coalescent Assimilation
VERSÃO TEXTUAL
Coalescent assimilation is a type of reciprocal assimilation: the first sound and second
sound in a sequence come together and mutually condition the creation of a third sound with
characteristics from both original sounds.
The most common type of coalescent assimilation is referred to as palatalization. Palatalization

occurs when the final alveolar consonants /s/, /z/, /t/ and /d/ or the final alveolar consonant
sequences /ts/ and /dz/ are followed by initial palatal /j/ and then become palatalized fricatives (/ʃ/
and /ʒ/) and affricates (/ʧ/ and /ʤ/). Let us look at and listen to some examples in the following chart.
PRACTICE 1
Listen to the sentences below and identify the places where the process of coalescent
assimilation occurs.
VERSÃO TEXTUAL
1. Why don’t you call later?
2. Can I kiss you goodbye?
3. Would you like a cup of coffee?
4. When did your wife get back?
5. Did you tell them what you saw?
6. Last year Gina bought a new car.
7. Is that your son? He’s so big!
8. He never takes your advice.
9. Where is your mom?
10. I truly loved you but I don’t anymore.
62
1. Why don'tíyou call later?
/downʧʊ/
2. Can I kissíyou goodbye?
/kɪʃʊ/
3. Wouldíyou like a cup of coffee?
/wʊʤʊ/
4. When didíyour wife get back?
/dɪʤʊ/
5. Didíyou tell them whatíyou saw?
/dɪʤʊ/ /wɑːʧʊ/
6. Lastíyear Gina bought a new car.
/læsʧiːr/
7. Is thatíyour son? He's so big!
/ðæʧər/
8. He never takesíyour advice.
/teɪkʃər/
9. Where isíyour mom?
/ɪʒər/
10. I truly lovedíyou but I don't anymore.
/lʌvʤʊ/
PRACTICE 2
Listen to the sentences in Practice 1 again and repeat them. Pay careful attention and give special
emphasis to the occurrences of coalescent assimilation in the sentences.
63
PRACTICE 3
Click on the links below to watch two videos to learn more about connected speech in English.
Transforming [d] + [y] in English Pronunciation [12]
English Pronunciation Practice! | Rhythm, Connected Speech and Linking [13]
Click on the link below to read more about connected speech in English.
Connected speech and coarticulation [14]
VOCABULARY SEARCH
below.
Michaelis [15]
Oxford [17]
WordWeb Online [18]
64
PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY
Listen carefully and identify the occurrences of linking, elision and epenthesis that occur in the
sentences below. Then write your answers on a Word document and send it to your portfolio for your
teacher’s correction.
1. Please, don’t go. I help.
2. She five miles after she in the morning.
3. Why come to the party?
4. Bill to know he’s fine.
5. We and all night. It was a great party.
6. She work every other Saturday.
7. Gina and her sister fight a lot when they were younger.
8. After his English class , he a bus home.
9. we’re going to Canada for our holiday.
10. You left me just when I most.
Part II - Oral Production
PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY
The sentences and phrases below all appear in lesson 4. Go back to the topics and listen to them
again as many times as necessary. Then, record them paying careful attention to the pronunciation of
the segments in bold and send the recording to your portfolio for your teacher’s assessment. Make
sure to produce the adjustments concerning assimilation and linking as indicated by the phonetic
transcriptions.
65
Fontes das Imagens
1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWNW3-4Wpao
2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j32SurxnE4s
7 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdRCfsr8uDE
12 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rhfmtFrOWk
13 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTZV3zHohdc
14 - http://www.personal.reading.ac.uk/~llsroach/phon2/asscoareli-into.htm
66
Class 05: Intonation
Topic 01: Focus
In class 2, you learned that in spoken English content words are stressed and function words are
unstressed. However, there is one word or one syllable (when the word has more than one syllable) which
receives more stress or emphasis than the others. This word is called the focus word and it is the most
prominent word in the phrase.
CONTENT WORDS
Adjectives, adverbs, main verbs, negatives, nouns, question words, demonstrative pronouns, and
possessive pronouns.
FUNCTION WORDS
Articles, auxiliary verbs, conjunctions, personal pronouns, prepositions, relative pronouns,

demonstrative adjectives, and possessive adjectives.
VERSÃO TEXTUAL
When a conversation begins or a topic is introduced, the focus is usually the last content
word or stressed syllable of the last content word (GRANT, 2001:95). When this happens, the
focus is considered neutral.
Now listen to the examples below. The sentences and phrases illustrate the placement of focus on the
last content word (or its stressed syllable). The syllables in bold capital letters are stressed, and the large
dot (●) is placed above the word or syllable that receives focus.
Example 01
67
Between a mother and a son
A: WHERE are you GOing?
B: To SCHOOL. I HAVE BASketball PRACtice.
Example 02
Between a wife and a husband
A: Can you HELP me with the HOUSEwork?
B: NOT NOW. MAYbe LAter
Example 03
Between a clerk and a customer
A: Can I HELP you?
B: HOW MUCH are those JEANS?
A: They're SIXty DOllars.
OBSERVATION
Listen to the different ways in which the sentence “He finished his report” is said in the dialogues
below and compare the different meanings that are created because of the change in focus.
(These examples were extracted from GRANT:2001, pp. 95.)

The dialogues above illustrate how intonation depends on context. By putting special emphasis on
a given word, we may convey different meanings and intentions. Listen to the dialogues again and
68
identify which word (or syllable, if the word has more than one syllable) in ‘John finished his report’ is
the most prominent.
1. He FINished his rePORT.
2. He FINished HIS rePORT.
3. He FINished his rePORT.
STOP TO READ
Focus maintains the natural flow of communication between speakers and listeners. When focus
is not appropriately used, there is usually some kind of misunderstanding.
PRACTICE 1
The sentences and phrases in the dialogues below all take neutral placement of focus. Identify the
words (or syllables) which are stressed and then predict which one is the most prominent. Then listen
and practice.
Dialogue 1
A: Why haven’t you cleaned up your bedroom?
B: Because I was doing my homework. But I’ll start right now.
Dialogue 2
A: What time did you get home?
B: Around eight.
A: That early?
B: Alex gave me a ride.
Dialogue 3
A: When are you going to have a vacation?
B: Next July.
A: Are you going anywhere?
B: No. I’m saving to buy a car.
69
Dialogue 1
A: WHY HAVEN'T you CLEANED your BEDroom?
B: Because I was DOing my HOMEwork. But I'll
START RIGHT NOW.
Dialogue 2
A: WHAT TIME did you GET HOME?
B: Around EIGHT.
A: WHY so EARly?
B: Alex GAVE me a RIDE.
70
Dialogue 3
A: WHEN are you HAVing a VAcation?
B: NEXT juLY.
B: NOwhere. I'm SAVing to BUY a CAR.
PRACTICE 2
It is extremely important to distinguish between content words and function words to produce the
rhythm of English appropriately. Let us revise this aspect we have studied before by doing the
exercises on the links below.
English Pronunciation Practice Exercises 1 [1]
English Pronunciation Practice Exercises 2 [2]
PRACTICE 3
In the dialogues below, there is shift of focus to words other than the last content word in some
phrases/sentences. Listen to each one of the dialogues and identify where this shift happens.
Dialogue 1
A: Where are you going?
B: To Rome. Where are you going?
A: To Venice.
Dialogue 2
71
A: Can I borrow the car?
B: But you borrowed it yesterday.
A: Sarah borrowed it yesterday.
Dialogue 3
A: Why are you wearing your sister's dress?
B: This is my dress. Hers is blue.
Dialogue 4
A: You said Matton Damon isn't a good actor but I loved his latest movie.
B: You said he isn't a good actor. I've always liked him.
72
Dialogue 1
B: To ROME. WHERE are YOU GOing?
A: To VEnice.
Dialogue 2
A: Can I BOrrow the CAR?
B: But you BOrrowed it YESterday.
A: SArah BOrrowed it YESterday.
Dialogue 3
A: WHY are you WEARing your SISter's DRESS?
B: This is MY DRESS. HERS is BLUE.
Dialogue 4
A: You SAID MATT DAmon ISN'T a
GOOD ACTor but I LOVED his LATest MOvie.
B: YOU SAID he ISN'T a GOOD ACTor.
I've ALways LIKED him.
VOCABULARY SEARCH
below.
Michaelis [3]
73
Merriam-Webster [4]
Oxford [5]
WordWeb Online [6]
REFERENCES
74
Topic 02: Rising-Falling Intonation
In the previous topic, you were presented with the concept of focus and its importance to English
pronunciation. Now you will learn more about intonation.
What is intonation?
Intonation is the tune of what you say!
More specifically, intonation is the combination of musical tones on which

we pronounce the syllables that make up our speech, and it is often referred to
as the melody of language.
Musical notes?... Melody?...
Yes. How loud or how low you say syllables when you speak.
75
If you listen to someone speak, you will notice that their voice goes up and down. This movement of
the voice up or down is called pitch. These pitch changes contribute significantly to intelligible
communication as different pitch patterns can signal a wide variety of meanings.
In our course, we will use a simplified system which divides intonation into four types: normal, high,
low and extra-high. In order to show the movements of the voice up or down, lines will be drawn at four
different levels and arrows will be used to represent the four types of intonation (tones) we will work with.
Look at and listen to the examples below.
ARROWS
Then listen again and repeat, trying to make your voice follow the tones.
( normal tone; high tone; low tone; extra high tone)
VERSÃO TEXTUAL
1. GOOD MORNing.
Extra high
High morn-
Normal Good
Low ing
2. JOHN CALLED me.

Extra high
High called
Normal John
Low me
3. I'd LIKE a SOda.

Extra high
High so-
Normal I'd like a
Low -da.
STOP TO READ
76
The most prominent word or syllable is the word or syllable with the greatest pitch change. When
we have neutral focus, it is usually the last content word (or its stressed syllable) that has the greatest
change in pitch.
Intonation Patterns
Each speaker has his or her own variety of tones. However, native speakers and proficient speakers of
English usually make their voices rise and fall at nearly the same places under similar circumstances. It is
at the end of sentences that English intonation is used most uniformly. In this position, there are two basic
types of intonation: rising-falling intonation (also known as falling intonation) and rising intonation. The
first type will be introduced in this topic, whereas the latter will be dealt with in topic 3.
Rising-Falling Intonation
In this type of intonation, the voice rises above normal and then falls below normal.
In other words, what comes immediately before the high note is spoken on a normal tone, and what
comes after the high note is spoken on a low tone (PRATOR & ROBINNETT, 1985). The last content word
(or the stressed syllable of the last content word) normally receives the high note.
VERSÃO TEXTUAL
1. We DON'T beLIEVE it.
Extra high
High -lieve
Normal We don't be-
Low it.
2. WHY is she ANgry?

Extra high
High an-
Normal Why is she
Low -gry
3. You NEED to STUdy

Extra high
High stu-
77
Normal You need to
Low -dy.
The movement from one tone to another usually happens between syllables, as the examples above
show. However, the voice sometimes rises and falls below normal within the same syllable. This
movement is known as a slide. A slide happens when the last sentence stress and the high note fall on the
last syllable.
RISES
Goes up.
FALLS
Goes down.
Look at and listen to the examples below.
VERSÃO TEXTUAL
1. The FILM is GOOD
Extra high
High goo-
Normal The film is
Low -ood.
2. THIS is mySON!
Extra high
High so-
Normal This is my
Low -on.
Notice that this movement up and down within the same syllable causes the vowel of the syllable to
be lengthened. Listen to examples 7 and 8 again and pay careful attention to the lengthening of the vowel.
TO BE LENGTHENED
To become longer.
78
When is rising-falling intonation used?
In English, rising-falling intonation is usually used at the end of:
( normal tone; high tone; low tone; extra high tone; slide)
Declarative sentences
This is my son.
You need to study.
Commands
Wh - questions
Questions that begin with an interrogative word, such as what, who, when,
etc.
79
STOP TO READ
The fall of your voice to a low tone indicates that the thought is completed. For this reason, it is
considered a type of vocal full stop. Clear rising-falling intonation signals certainty and completeness
(PRATOR & ROBINNETT, 1985).
PRACTICE 1
Identify where your voice is more likely to rise and fall in the sentences below. Where is there a
slide and why?
1. Who wrote it?
2. She wants a sandwich.
3. Try to keep the street clean.
4. Jack is in his bedroom.
5. Where’s the police station?
6. What’s he talking about?
7. We never have meat.
8. Peter’s married to my sister.
9. I can’t see well without my glasses.
10. Don’t forget to call us.

1. Who wrote it?
Extra high
High wrote
Normal Who
Low it?
2. She wants a sandwich.
Extra high
High sand
Normal She wants a
Low -wicn.
3.Try to keep the street clean
Extra high
High clea-
Normal Try to keep the street
80
Low -ean.
4. Jack is in his bedroom.
Extra high
High bed-
Normal Jack is in his
Low -room.
5. Where's the police station?
Extra high
High -lice
Normal Where's the po-
Low station?
6. What's he talking about?
Extra high
High talk
Normal What's he
Low -ing about?
7. We never have meat.
Extra high
High mea-
Normal We never have
Low -eat
8. Peter's married to my sister
Extra high
High sis-
Normal Peter's married to my
Low -ter.
9. I can't see well without my glasses.
Extra high
High glass-
Normal I can't see well without my/p>
Low -es.
10. Don't forget to call us.
Extra high
81
High call
Normal Don't forget to
Low us.
PRACTICE 2
Listen to the sentences in Practice 1 and repeat. Be sure to use rising-falling intonation.
PRACTICE 3
Go back to the sentences in practice 1 again and identify the content words in each one of them.
Remember that content words are normally stressed in spoken English. When the content word has
more than one syllable, also identify the syllable that receives sentence stress. Then, remember why
they are content words.

1. WHO WROTE it?
2. She WANTS a SANDwich.
3. TRY to KEEP the STREET CLEAN.
4. JACK is in his BEDroom.
5. WHERE’S the poLICE STAtion?
6. WHAT’S he TALKing about?
7. We NEver HAVE MEAT.
8. PEter’s MArried to my SISter.
9. I CAN’T SEE WELL without my GLASSes.
10. DON’T forGET to CALL us.
Why are they content words?

◦ Who, where and what are wh- words.
◦ Wrote, wants, try, keep, talking, have, see, and forget are main verbs.
◦ Sandwich, street, bedroom, police station, meat, sister, and glasses are nouns.
◦ Clean is an adjective.
◦ Never and well are adverbs.
◦ Can’t and don’t are negative contractions.
To revise sentence stress, go back to class 2.
PRACTICE 4
Click on the link below to watch a video and learn more about intonation in English.
Intonation: Asking a wh-question | English Pronunciation Lesson [7]
82
FURTHER READING
Click on the link below to read more about intonation in English.
Intonation [8]
VOCABULARY SEARCH
below.
Michaelis [9]
Oxford [11]
WordWeb Online [12]
REFERENCES
PRATOR, C. H.; ROBINNETT, B. W. Manual of American English Pronunciation (4th edition).
Orlando: Holt, Rineliart and Winston, Inc., 1985.
83
Topic 03: Rising Intonation
In English, two types of intonation are most common at the end of a sentence: rising-falling intonation
and rising intonation. In the previous topic, you learned that rising-falling intonation is used for declarative
sentences, commands, and wh- questions. In this lesson, you will study rising intonation.
When is rising intonation used in English?
In English, rising intonation is used at the end of questions that do not begin with a wh- word, i.e.,
questions that can be answered by ‘yes’ or ‘no’. These yes/no questions begin with auxiliary verbs, such as
can, would, may, should, is, am, are, have, has, do, does, did, among others.
When rising intonation is used, the voice normally goes up to a high note on the last sentence stress,
just like in rising-falling intonation. The difference is that,in the rising intonation pattern, the syllables that
follow the rise of the voice are pronounced on the high note as well, i.e., they do not fall to a low note
(PRATOR & ROBINNETT, 1985).
Listen to the examples below.
( normal tone; high tone; low tone; extra high tone)
VERSÃO TEXTUAL
1. Are you BraZIlian?
Extra high
84
High zilian?
Normal Are you Bra-
Low
2. Can IHELPyou?
Extra high
High help you?
Normal Can I
Low
3. Did youSEEhim at the PARty
Extra high
High party?
Normal Did you see him at the
Low
STOP TO READ
When the speaker leaves the voice high at the end of the sentence, he or she creates in the listener
a feeling of incompleteness, suggesting that something else must be said. This sensation of
incompleteness contrasts with the sense of completeness created by the rising-falling intonation
pattern.
1. What time does the class finish?

2. What time does the class finish?

a) In sentence 1, the speaker uses rising-falling intonation. In sentence 2, the
speaker uses rising intonation.
b) They have different meanings. In sentence 1, the speaker is asking a true

question, i.e., he or she really wants to learn what time the class finishes. But in
sentence 2, the question is an echo question, i.e., it is a question about what was
said previously, and it means “Is that what you just said?” or “Please, repeat what
you said”.
STOP TO READ
85
As you learned in topic 2, wh- questions are usually given rising-falling intonation. However, they
take on a new meaning if they are said with rising intonation – they are echo questions, which normally
mean “Is that what you said?” or “Please, repeat what you said.”
PRACTICE 1
Identify where your voice is more likely to rise in the questions below. Remember that the voice
normally goes up to a high note on the last sentence stress.
1. Does your wife work?
2. Did you have a vacation?
3. Will you help me with the bags?
4. Is it raining?
5. Was the weather cold in London?
6. Have you ever been abroad?
7. Has she lost her credit card?
8. Would you like a cup of coffee?
9. Should I go to the doctor?
10. Is it GOing to be exciting? ?

1. Does your WIFE WORK?
Extra high
High work?
Normal Does your wife
Low
2. Did you HAVE a vaCAtion?
Extra high
High vacation?
Normal Did you have a va-
Low
3. Will youHELP me with the BAGS?
Extra high
High bags?
Normal Will you help me with the
86
Low
4. Is it RAINing
Extra high
High raining?
Normal Is it
Low
5. Was the WEAther COLD in LONdon?
Extra high
High London?
Normal Was the weather cold in
Low
6. Have you EVER BEEN aBROAD?
Extra high
High -broad?
Normal Have you ever been a-
Low
7. Has she LOST her CREdit CARD?
Extra high
High credit card?
Normal Has she lost her
Low
8. Would you LIKE a CUP of COffe?
Extra high
High coffe?
Normal Would you like a cup of
Low
9. Should I GO to the DOCtot?
Extra high
High doctor?
Normal Should I go to the
Low
10. Is it GOing to be exCITing?
Extra high
87
High -citing?
Normal Is it going to be ex-
Low
PRACTICE 2
Listen to the sentences in Practice 1 and repeat. Be sure to use rising intonation.
PRACTICE 3
Go back to the sentences in practice 1 again and identify the content words in each one of them.
Remember that content words are normally stressed in spoken English. When the content word has
more than one syllable, also identify the syllable that receives sentence stress. Then, remember why
they are content words.
1. Does your WIFE WORK?
2. Did you HAVE a VAcation?
3. Will you HELP me with the BAGS?
4. Is it RAINing?
5. Was the WEAther COLD in LONdon?
6. Have you EVER BEEN aBROAD?
7. Has she LOST her CREdit CARD?
8. Would you LIKE a CUP of COffee?
9. Should I GO to the DOCtor?
10. Is it GOing to be exCITing?
Why are they content words?

• Wife, vacation, bags, weather, London, credit card, cup, coffee, doctor are nouns.
88
• Work, have (sentence 2), help, raining, been, lost, like, go, going are main verbs.
Remember that the present and past forms of ‘to be’ are normally unstressed.
• Cold is an adjective.
• Ever and abroad are adverbs.
PRACTICE 4
Click on the link below, listen to the fable “The Fox and the Grapes” by Aesop, and practice
marking sentence stress and intonation in English. After you check your answers, listen to the fable
again and repeat.
Listening for Intonation: The Fox and the Grapes by Aesop [13]
PRACTICE 5
Click on the link below to practice intonation in questions and answers in English. Listen to and
repeat all the questions and answers, paying careful attention to their intonation.
Listening for Intonation in Questions and Answers (AmE) [14]
Click on the links below to read more about rising intonation in English.
Rising Intonation [15]
Intonation [16] (Visite a aula online para realizar download deste arquivo.)
VOCABULARY SEARCH
below.
Michaelis [17]
Oxford [19]
WordWeb Online [20]
REFERENCES
PRATOR, C. H.; ROBINNETT, B. W. Manual of American English Pronunciation (4th edition).
Orlando: Holt, Rineliart and Winston, Inc., 1985.
89
90
Topic 04: Nonfinal Intonation
In topics 2 and 3, you studied the raising and lowering of the voice at the end of a sentence, where
appropriate intonation is most conventional and, thus, easiest to predict. In this topic, you will be presented
with nonfinal intonation.
Complex Sentences
Complex sentences often have two separate intonation patterns: a nonfinal intonation contour on the
first phrase and a final intonation contour on the second.
COMPLEX SENTENCES
Sentences that have one independent clause and at least one dependent (subordinate) clause.
Listen to the examples below. On which words does the voice go up?
1. When you get there, don’t forget to call me.

2. If you need any help, let me know.

When you get there, don’t forget to call me.
Extra high
the- call
High
When you get -ere / don't forget to
Normal
me
Low
Answer: The voice rises on the words there and call.
91
If you need any help, let me know
Extra high
he- kno-
High
If you need any -elp / let me
Normal
ow-
Low
Answer: The voice rises on the words help and know.
In the examples above, the first group is ended by a high note on its final stress, then the voice goes
down to normal. The second group starts at normal level and ends with the voice rising on the last content
word (or its last syllable) and lowering to below normal. A fall at the end of the sentence to the lowest pitch
indicates that the thought is complete, whereas a fall that does not reach the lowest pitch indicates that
the speaker still has more to say.
Series with “and”

Listen to the sentences below. What types of intonation patterns do you hear? On which words does
the voice go up and down?
1. She bought bananas, apples, pears, and strawberries.

2. We went to Paris, London, Rome, and Madrid.
3. They saw Kate, Susan, Bill, and Jack.
Answer: We can hear the rising and the rising-falling intonation patterns. Rising
intonation is used on all members of the series except the last one, whereas rising-
falling intonation is used on the last member.
92
She bought bananas, apples, pears, and strawberries
Extra high
nanas apples pears straw
High
She bought ba- and
Normal
-berries
Low

We went to Paris, London, Rome, and Madrid
Extra high
Paris London Rome -dri
High
We went to and Ma-
Normal
- id.
Low
93
They saw Kate, Susan, Bill, and Jack
Extra high
Kate Susan Bill Ja-
High
They saw and
Normal
-ack.
Low
IMPORTANT: Notice that in sentences 2 and 3 the last sentence stress is also the
last syllable, so the voice rises and falls within the same syllable.
Listen to the sentences again and repeat to practice intonation in series with ‘and’.
Alternatives with “or”

In sentences containing alternatives with ‘or’, we have the same intonation pattern as in series with
‘and’: rising intonation followed by rising-falling intonation.
Listen to the sentences below and try to identify the rising and falling of the voice.
1. We can have soup, spaghetti or steak.

2. Jane might wear her black dress or her new jeans.

We can have soup, spaghetti or steak
94
Extra high
soup -ghetti stea-
High
We can have spa- or
Normal
-eak.
Low

Jane might wear her black dress or her new jeans
Extra high
dress jea-
High
Jane might wear her black or her new
Normal
-eans.
Low
95
IMPORTANT: Notice that in both sentences the last sentence stress is also the last
syllable, so the voice rises and falls within the same syllable.
Listen to the sentences again and repeat to practice intonation in alternatives with ‘or’.
Contrasts and Comparisons

In contrasts and comparisons, both ideas being contrasted or compared receive special attention. One
of the ideas will usually have a nonfinal intonation pattern whereas the other one will have a final intonation
pattern. Also, one of the stressed elements is pronounced on a high note and the other one on an extra-
high note. Normally, it does not make any difference which element is given the extra-high note. This
difference in level between the two high notes emphasizes the idea of contrast. Listen and check.
In questions with ‘or’ where the speaker wants the hearer to make a choice, this contrastive extra-high
note is obligatory. For example:
However, in questions with ‘or’ that are meant to be interpreted as a double question and are to be
answered ‘yes’ or ‘no’, the intonation pattern should be the same as of one or two yes/no questions
(PRATOR & ROBINETT, 1985).
Look at and listen to the examples below:
Notice that in questions with ‘or’ intended to be answered ‘yes’ or ‘no’, no extra-high note is given on
either of the elements.
Direct Address
The most conventional pattern used in pronouncing names and titles addressed directly to the person
you are speaking to is rising intonation. The direct address should begin on a low note and then rise to
normal. Direct address may come at the beginning, at the end or in any other position in the sentence, and
it does not have any influence on the intonation of the rest of the sentence (PRATOR & ROBINETT, 1985).
Listen to the examples below.
What happens if your voice does not go up at all when you address someone directly?
Mother to Billy:
Stop talking and listen carefully, Billy.
96
Stop talking and listen carefully, Billy.
Billy’s mother sounds angry. If your voice does not rise at all when you address
someone directly, your hearer may think you are irritated (PRATOR & ROBINETT,
1985).
PRACTICE 1
Listen to the sentences and repeat. Practice using appropriate intonation in English.
When we met her, she was crying. (complex sentence)

On my last birthday I got a CD, a pair of jeans, and a blouse. (series with ‘and’)
Are you coming today or tomorrow? (question with ‘or’)
English is easier than German. (comparison)
Did you talk to Gina or Ann? (double question)
We can have pizza or spaghetti. (alternatives with ‘or’)
PRACTICE 2
Click on the link below and practice different kinds of intonation patterns in English
Listening for Falling and Rising Intonation (AmE) [21]
PRACTICE 3
Click on the links below to watch two interesting videos about intonation in English.
Intonation: Expressing Unfinished Thoughts with Your Voice | Part 6 [22]
Intonation: Making lists in English | Part 7 | English Pronunciation Lesson [23]
97
VOCABULARY SEARCH
below.
Michaelis [24]
Oxford [26]
WordWeb Online [27]
REFERENCES
PRATOR, C. H.; ROBINNETT, B. W. Manual of American English Pronunciation (4th edition). Orlando:
Holt, Rineliart and Winston, Inc., 1985.
98
Topic 05: More Functions of Intonation
The meanings of the intonation patterns you have learned so far are considered grammatical
meanings, i.e., these patterns help convey concepts such as affirmation, negation, general interrogation,
among others.
In this topic you will be presented with some patterns of intonation which express emotions and
attitudes. These patterns are normally felt to be more difficult to learn once they are variable, i.e., they
depend on the ideas the speaker wishes to convey.
Listen to the dialogues below and identify the attitude or emotion of the second speaker.
Dialogue 1
A: Kevin’s lost the car keys.
B: Kevin’s lost the car keys?
Dialogue 2
A: She’s won a million dollars.
B: She’s won a million dollars?
Dialogue 3
A: They moved out of Manhattan.
B: Where?
Dialogue 4
A: They moved out of Manhattan.
B: Where?
In which dialogue(s) is the second speaker showing surprise?
In which dialogue(s) is the second speaker asking for clarification?
In which dialogue(s) is the second speaker seeking more information?
99
In dialogue 2, the second speaker is showing surprise.
In dialogues 1 and 3, the second speaker is asking for clarification.
In dialogue 4, the second speaker is seeking more information.
Showing Surprise
You can show surprise by using rising intonation to echo a statement. Your voice normally goes up on
the stressed syllable of the last content word.
ECHO
To repeat what someone else just said, especially because you find it surprising.
Listen to the dialogues below:
Dialogue 1
A: She’s won a million dollars.
B: She’s won a million dollars? I don’t believe it!
Dialogue 2
A: Peter is my son.
B: Peter is your son? But you’re so young!
Dialogue 3
A: Amanda and Tom got married.
B: Amanda and Tom got married? Are you sure?
Listen to the dialogues again and identify the syllable where the pitch rises in the echo statement
showing surprise.
100
1. She's won a million dollars?
2. Peter is your son?
3. Amanda and Tom got married?
Observation
Notice that ‘dollars’, ‘son’, and ‘married’ are the last content words in the
sentence. Also notice that the voice goes up on the first syllable in ‘dollars’
and ‘married’ as these are the stressed syllables in the words.
Asking for Clarification

Clarification of the entire statement
If you want to request clarification of a whole sentence, your voice goes up on the last content word
(or on its stressed syllable). For example:
Dialogue 1
A: Mary called.
B: Mary called?
(Notice that ‘called’ has only one syllable)
Dialogue 2
A: I met John’s parents.
B: You met John’s parents?
101
(Notice that ‘parents’ has two syllables, so the pitch goes up on the
stressed syllable ‘PA’)
Clarification of a specific item

If you want clarification or repetition of a specific item in a statement, your voice goes up on this
specific item.
Dialogue 1
A: Can I call you at nine?
B: At five?
A: No, at nine.
Dialogue 2
A: I’m going to invite John to the theater.
B: Tom?
A: No, John.
Dialogue 2
A: Let’s meet at the coffee shop on Second

Street.
B: At the coffee shop?
102
A: That’s right.
(Notice that ‘coffee shop’ is compound noun and that in compound

nouns the primary stress falls on the stressed syllable of the first noun)
Asking for clarification or seeking more information?

In wh- questions, if the speaker is seeking more information, the pitch falls on the stressed syllable of
the last content word. If the pitch rises, the speaker is probably asking for clarification or repetition. When
requesting repetition, the pitch rise occurs on the wh- word (GRANT, 2001).
isten to the dialogues below and identify the second speaker’s intention.
A: I saw Kate at the mall

1.
B: Where?
Speaker B' wants request clarification.

to: equest more information.
A: I'll call you this Friday

2.
B: When?
'Speaker B' wants request clarification.

A: I saw Kate at the mall

3.
B: Where?

A: Mariah Carey is coming to Brazil in November for a

4. concert
B: When?


In dialogues 1 and 2, the pitch rises in the wh- word, so speaker B is asking for
clarification/repetition.
In dialogues 3 and 4, the pitch falls in the wh- question, so speaker B wants more
information.
Listen to the dialogues again and choose the correct answer to speaker B’s question.
103
1. A: I saw Kate at the mall.
B: Where?
At the
or In front of the cinema.
mall.
A: I'll call you this Friday.

2.
B: Where?
This
or Around nine.
Friday.
A: There was a devastating

3. earthquake in Chile.
B: Where?
In
or In Santiago.
Chile.
A: Mariah Carey is coming to

4. Brazil in November for a concert.
B: Where?
In
or On the 22nd.
November.
1.A: I saw Kate at the mall.
B: Where?
A: No, at nine.
2. A: I’ll call you this Friday.
B: When?
A: In Santiago.
3. A: There was a devastating earthquake in

Chile.
104
B: Where?
A: In Santiago.
4. A: Mariah Carey is coming to Brazil in

November for a concert.
B: When?
A: On the 22nd.
Tag Questions
Tag questions are small questions that come at the end of sentences. They can be used for two
purposes: to ask for agreement or to ask a real question. The intonation pattern in tag questions varies
according to their purpose.
Listen to the sentences below and identify the intonation patterns used in the tag questions.
1. You know Brian, don’t you?

2. You know Brian, don’t you?
3. Sarah didn’t come to the party, did she?
4. Sarah didn’t come to the party, did she?
Which tag questions are given rising intonation? And which tag questions receive rising-falling
intonation?

The tag questions in sentences 1 and 4 are given rising intonation, whereas the
ones in sentences 2 and 3 receive rising-falling intonation.
105
Which intonation pattern is used when the tag question is meant to ask for agreement?
And which intonation pattern is used when the tag question is a real question?
Listen to the examples above again and answer.

In sentences 1 and 4, the tag questions are real questions. If the tag question is a
real question, we use rising intonation. The voice begins on a normal note and then
rises to a high note.
In sentences 2 and 3, the tag questions are meant to ask for agreement
(confirmation). If the tag question is not a real question, we use rising-falling
intonation. The voice begins on a high note and then falls to a low note.
STOP TO READ
Notice that the intonation at the end of the affirmative or negative sentence which precedes the
tag question is always rising-falling intonation.
PRACTICE 1
Listen to the tag questions below and based on the intonation pattern used decide which ones are
true questions and which ones are a confirmation.
It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?
106
You’ve never been abroad, have you?
John wasn’t in class yesterday, was he?
Fiona loves Shrek, doesn’t she?
That’s Bob’s car, isn’t it?
Fred doesn’t like me, does he?
We don’t have classes tomorrow, do we?
You can’t die of influenza, can you?

1. TRUE QUESTION
2. TRUE QUESTION
3. CONFIRMATION
4. TRUE QUESTION
5. CONFIRMATION
6. TRUE QUESTION
7. CONFIRMATION
8. TRUE QUESTION
PRACTICE 2
Click on the links below and revise what you have studied and to learn more about intonation
patterns in English.
Intonation: Requesting Clarification or Repetition (Part 4) | English Pronunciation Lesson [28]
Intonation: Expressing Surprise (Part 5) | English Pronunciation Lesson [29]
Pausing within Sentences | English Pronunciation Lesson [30]
Lesson 10a - INTONATION - English Pronunciation [31]
Lesson 10b - INTONATION - English Pronunciation [32]
Lesson 10c - INTONATION - English Pronunciation [33]
VOCABULARY SEARCH
below.
Michaelis [34]
107
Oxford [36]
WordWeb Online [37]
REFERENCES
108
Part 1: Listening Comprehension
PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY 1A
Listen carefully and identify the intonation used in the sentences below: rising-falling or rising. For
rising-falling intonation use the symbol
and for rising intonation use the symbol
. Then write your answers on a Word document, save it and send it to your portfolio for your teacher’s
assessment.
01. Where were you yesterday?

02. Were you at home yesterday?
03. When is Alex going to leave?
04. Is Alex going to leave tomorrow?
05. There’s been an accident.
06. Has anyone got hurt in the accident?
07. You won’t get there before 8:00
08. What time are you getting there?
09. What’s he doing here?
10. What’s he doing here?
PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY 1B
Listen to the dialogues below and choose the correct answer. Then write your answers on a Word
document, save it and send it to your portfolio for your teacher’s assessment.
01.
KATE: I left my cellphone on the bus.
JOHN: Where?
KATE:
a) On the bus.
b) On the back seat.
02.
KATE: I left my cellphone on the bus.
JOHN: Where?
KATE:
a) On the bus.
b) On the back seat.
03.
BILL: Nancy is visiting us this weekend.
109
JANE: When?
KATE:
a) This weekend.
b) On Saturday evening.
04.
BILL: Nancy is visiting us this weekend.
JOHN: Where?
KATE:
a) This weekend.
b) On Saturday evening.
Part 2: Oral Production
PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY
Record the sentences below paying careful attention to the type of intonation that is appropriate in
each situation. Then, save the recording and send it to your portfolio for your teacher’s assessment. It
is also important to identify on which syllable your voice should go up and go down. Practice reading
the sentences out loud before you actually record them.
1. How was your weekend?
2. Did you have a good weekend?
3. I’d like to speak to the manager.
4. Can I speak to the manager?
5. Is there a problem?
6. What’s the problem?
7. When we met her, she was crying. (complex sentence)
8. We need to buy some milk, eggs, and bread. (series with ‘and’)
9. Are you coming today or tomorrow? (question with ‘or’)
10. We can have pizza or spaghetti. (alternative with ‘or’)
11. He won the lottery? I don’t believe it! (surprise)
12. English is easier than German. (comparison)
13. You’ve never been abroad, have you? (true question)
14. You’ve never been abroad, have you? (confirmation)
110
15. Mary called? (clarification of the entire statement)
Fontes das Imagens
1 - http://esl.about.com/library/speaking/blpronounce_stress_words1.htm
2 - http://esl.about.com/library/speaking/blpronounce_stress_words2.htm
7 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVgcLVdd2Ec
8 - http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~krussll/138/sec3/inton.htm
13 - http://usefulenglish.ru/phonetics/listening-for-intonation-the-fox-and-the-grapes
14 - http://usefulenglish.ru/phonetics/listening-for-intonation-in-questions-and-answers
15 - http://usefulenglish.ru/phonetics/rising-intonation
16 - http://www.dce.kar.nic.in/new%20files/English%206.pdf
21 - http://usefulenglish.ru/phonetics/listening-for-falling-and-rising-intonation
22 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiqMPYIZfs8
23 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NIGSYcXLU8
28 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_uWaHAHv2s
29 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ3nCypPw0Y
30 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyY63ivixOs
31 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2bHdXcszJ4
32 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh6kUsJcu3k
33 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k80wiT0t2rc
111

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Créditos desta disciplina

Profª Silvia Regina Chaves Barreira

Prof. Jáder Martins Rodrigues Júnior

Class 02: Sentence Stress .......................................................................................................................... 21

Class 03: Connected Speech (Part 1) ....................................................................................................... 36

Class 04: Connected Speech (Part 2) ....................................................................................................... 53

Class 05: Intonation .................................................................................................................................. 67

Topic 01: Stress

CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWER

CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

WORDS STRESSED ON THE SECOND SYLLABLE

Word Stress Quiz [1]

Word Stress and Three Syllable Words – American English [2]

Word Stress [3]

Word Stress – Parte 2 [4]

WordWeb Online [8]

Topic 02: Stress Patterns

There are no fast and infallible rules for stressing words in

➣ Which syllable tends to be stressed in two-syllable nouns in English?

CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

NOW CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

Verbs with a Prefix and a Base

In two-word noun compounds, does the stress usually fall on the

CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

In two-word adjective compounds, it is the second word

In verbs with a prefix and a base, it is the base which

After a link verb.

That is a WELL-trained dog.

That dog is pretty well-TRAINED.

Word Stress Quiz [9]

Sounds of English [10]

English Language Learning Tips – Speaking Test [11]

WordWeb Online [15]

CELCE-MURCIA et al. Teaching Pronunciation: a Reference for Teachers of English to Speakers of

Topic 03: Stress in Words with Suffixes

The suffix –ic

The suffix -ical

The suffix -ify

The suffix -ogy

The suffix -tiom, - sion

The suffix -ian

The suffix -ial

The suffix -ous, -ious, -eous

The suffix -graphy

NOW CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

Listen to how they are pronounced

NOW CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

We should stress the syllable which contains the suffix.

The word without a prefix or a suffix.

PRACTICE 1: ODD WORD OUT

NOW CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

Wors Stress [16]

Why you should study English pronunciation [18]

Word Stress [19]

Stress in Compound Words [20]

WordWeb Online [24]

Topic Task: Listening Comprehension and Oral Production

Part 1: Listening Comprehension

01. COMFORTABLE (ADJ.)

Making you feel physically relaxe.

02. slightly (adv.).