Voice and Accent

How are sound made?

Sounds are created using our breath and using different parts of the mouth
which are the lips, tongue, teeth, jaws, hard palette and soft palette.

What is MTI?

Mother Tongue Influence or MTI is when the sounds of your native

language are carried in your accent. It is very important to speak English in a
standard or neutral accent, so that you may be easily understood.

What is Voice?

Voice has more to do with the sounds you carry naturally. It is

affected by certain factors:-

1. Pitch: The highs and lows in your voice. This is what makes a man and
woman sound different. Women have a naturally higher pitch than men.

2. Tone: The appropriate emotions must be carried with your words. The
feelings you are trying to describe must be created in the mind of the
listener. If you avoid expressing emotion, you suffer from monotone, which
would make your listener extremely bored.

3.Rate of Speech (RoS): An average Indian speaks very fast. It makes it

impossible for your listener to keep up with you. Your rate of speech must be
controlled.

4. Fluency: When you think fast, but your ability to get the words out is not
as quick , you tend to use fillers like “umm, aah”, this distracts the listener.

What is an accent?

Accent has to do with the way your words. Certain factors affect your
accent:

1. Syllable Stress: All words are broken up into syllables. Your words must
be spoken slowly and clearly.
2. Word Stress: Emphasizes with your tone, the most important part of the
sentence. E.g. If you say, “I am hungry”, then “hungry” is the word you
should stress on.

3. Clarity: Be careful not to interchange your sounds. Make sure you open
your mouth enough when you speak. Your words must come out clearly.

English Sounds
English Consonants

• Consonants sounds are created, using the different parts of the mouth.

• There are twenty four consonants in English

• These sounds are often confused with sounds from Devnagri Script.

Here is a chart, showing you which sounds from Devnagri Script exist in
English

Kh, Ga, Ch, Ja, Na,Fa,Ba,Ma,Yey,La,Va,Sh,Sa,Ha

The English consonants are:

K King, Castle Z Zoo, Th This, Those

Zebra e
C Chase, H Hello, R Right, Rude
h Chair High
P Paper, M Might, W Why, Wall
Pardon Move
T Tight,Today F Fine,Follo S Say, Style
h w
T Think, G Grow,Girl Zh Measure,
h Through Vision
Y Yellow,Yes J Jewel, Jar L Lose, Light
V Very, Voice B Buy, Brick N Nice, Name
S Shine, Shoe D Draw, Dirt Ng Sing, Hung
h
Activity: Students should find more words based on consonants

English Vowel Sounds are:

• Vowel sounds are emitted from the throat.

• Here is a list of the English vowel sounds. There are 12 vowel sounds in
English

PHONETIC VOWEL

SYMBOL SOUNDS
ɑː (aa) Art, Last
æ (ae) Man, Sand
ʌ (ah) Nut, Love
ə (A) About, Alas
ɜː (er) Girl, Learn
ɒ (oh) Rock, Wash
ɔː (aw) Door, Sore
ʊ (uh) Look, Put
uː (oo) Soon, Blue
E (eh) Bed, Heavy
I (ih) Sit, Fit
iː (ee) Feet, Meat
Diphthongs:

Diphthongs are a combination of two vowel sounds. There are eight English
Diphthongs
PHONETIC DIPHTHONGS

SYMBOL
eɪ Day, Break

aɪ High, Dry

ɔɪ Choice, Coy

əʊ Row, Show

aʊ How, Cow

ɪə Ear, Tear

eə Square, Dare

ʊə Cure, Pure

VOWEL SOUNDS
 ɑː
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

Ask Start hours

Arm Heart Scarf
Bar After Charter
Car Craft Guitar
Far Dark Apartment
Tar Sharp answer
Jar Harp argue
Art Calm Father
Tart Harm garden
Cart Farm Massage
Part Yarn garage
Dart Barn corsage
Cant Yard partition
Aunt Hard Compartment

VOWEL SOUNDS
 æ
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

At Hand Acid
As Band apple
An Sand Action
Ant Land Anchor
Act Back Africa
Cat Sack Accident
Bat Lack Actually
Rat Hack Applicable
Fat Track Absolutely
Hat Attack Anticipation
Can Hijack Ambulance
Fan Contract Amphibian
Ran Contact Ancestor
Tan Paradise Aspiration
z Practice Amphitheater

VOWEL SOUNDS
 ʌ
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

But Buck Ugly

Cut Duck Usher
Hut Luck Fudge
Nut Suck Cuddle
Gut Truck Muddle
Rut Come Humble
Rub Some Mumble
Run Bunk Number
Fun Skunk Slumber
Mutt Trunk Cucumber
Putt Dump Upstairs
Rust Bump Understand
Just Lump Suddenly
Lust Pump rubbish
Gust Jump Punish

VOWEL SOUNDS

ə
 PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

ago aloud Mother

Ajar Abate Brother
Afar Aghast Father
Alas Awake Sister
Alive Afraid Butter
Atop Ashamed Caller
Aloft Astound After
Apart Around Worker
Again abound Snatcher
About Afford Rapture
Among Amongst Capture
Amount Apostle Pasture
Another Approach Plaster
Available applause Laughter
Account Appreciate Computer

VOWEL SOUNDS

ɜː
 PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

Irk Swirl Purr

Earl Twirl Personal
Earn Flirt Personality
Urn Shirt Purchase
Earth Skirt girth
Girl Shirk Dearth
Curl Smirk Concern
Pearl Lurk Confirm
Curd Lurch search
Curb Work service
Verb Word servant
Burn World serpent
Learn Earnest circular
Chirp Church Journey
Churn Further Journal

VOWEL SOUNDS

ɒ
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

Top Rock Often
Cop Lock Olive
Pop Sock Onyx
Hop Jock Omelets
Mop Mock occupy
Cot Dock operation
Pot Hock Optimum
Hot Hockey Offspring
Rot Hobby Odyssey
Got Lobby Octane
Lot Hobble Octagon
Dot Wobble Octopus
Not Wash Opulence
hog Cloth Obsolete
dog Clock opportunity

VOWEL SOUNDS

ɔː
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

All Lord Dawn

Ball Sword Yawn
Call Bored Horn
Mall Hoard lawn
Tall Draw Swan
Hall Drawl Prawn
Fall Brawl Brawn
Paw Crawl awful
Raw Sprawl always
Jaw Maul alternate
Saw Haul alternative
Your ward Awesome
Tore warden Awkward
Sore warning Important
Score tortoise Imported

VOWEL SOUNDS

Ʊ
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

Put should Bullet

Pull Could bulliten
Push couldn’t Crooked
stood Would Courier
good wouldn’t cusion
Hood Wolf Goodwill
Wood Brook Good- bye
Foot Crook goodnight
Shook bookmark woodland
Look wonderful woodwork
Hook Lawful woodpecker
Took Forceful cookbook
Book Playful understood
Cook Woman bulimia
Nook Woolen Pudding

VOWEL SOUNDS

uː
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

Two Tooth Blue

Too Booth Prune
Zoo Moose School
Moo Goose Spoon
Cool Fruit Wound
Fool flute Maroon
Moon Jute Cartoon
Soon June Bathroom
Goon Juice Glucose
Room Soup Google
Loot Crude Jubilee
Hoot Brute Lubricate
Moot Rule Rhubarb
Mood Cruel Revolution
Food Fuel Quadruple

VOWEL SOUNDS

e
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

Hen Very Yesterday

Pen Every Everyday
Den Merry Hedgehog
Yen When Vegetable
Pet Then Message
Vet Stem Headache
Set Rent Question
Let Went Record
Get Lent American
Peg Bent Convention
Leg Rest Convection
Beg Crest Explanation
Led Best Experience
Bed Ready prevention
Red Steady Retention
 VOWEL SOUNDS

I
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

Sit Mitt Inside

Fit Quit Itself
Lit Quilt Incur
Wit Built Involve
Bit spit Inspect
Kit Split Industry
Kid Silt Industrial
Lid Slit Income
Bid Silk Increment
Hid Milk Instrument
Rid Wish Incident
Rim Fish Increase
Him Dish Import
Tin Miss India
Win Will International
 VOWEL SOUNDS

iː
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

He evil Enemy
we Eager Energy
me Eagle Entry
She Easter Emergency
Bee Either Economy
Fee Enough Tendency
See Wheat Evening
Tea Heat Discreet
Key Beat Deceased
Pea meat Please
Eat Lean Street
Eel Mean Sleep
Ego Keen Sneeze
east Team Conceive
Easy Beam Convenient
 DIPHTHONGS

eɪ
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

Hay Make Play

May Bake Slay
Lay Take Fame
Way Cake Frame
Say wake Flame
Bay Saint Blame
Day Faint Claim
Pay Paint Chain
Ray Wage Nation
Aim Stage Labour
Lane Page Insane
Rain Cage Membrane
Sail Lace Celebrate
Age Face Patience
Sage mace Airplane

DIPHTHONGS
 aɪ
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

I Five Deny
my Fine Comply
Hi Find Supply
Eye Wife Apply
Tie knife Child
Lie hide Wild
buy bite Mild
Cry Kite Upright
Die night Forthright
Fly Slight Foresight
Guy White Confide
Pie Light Confine
Vie Sight Derive
Try Might Devine
Why Bright Sublime

DIPHTHONGS
 ɔɪ
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

Boy Moist Envoy

Toy Hoist Convoy
Coy Voice Annoy
Soy Choice Appoint
Joy Spoil Disappoint
Oil Point Joystick
Soil Joint Loiter
Boil Joined Ointment
Coil Joyous Celluloid
Coin Joyful Tabloid
Loin Rejoice Turmoil
Foil deploy Buoyant
Toil Alloy Buoyancy
Void Doily Boisterous
join goiter Rolls Royce

DIPHTHONGS
 əʊ
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

Go Road Folded
So Cold Folder
No Goat Focal
Sow Gold Total
Tow Ghost Toasted
Low Globe Roving
Bow Grope Rolling
Mow Groan Growing
Row Sold Groping
Crow Bold Protect
Grow Hold Probation
Glow Fold Society
Slow Told Socializing
Coat Toad Docile
Code Mould Condone

DIPHTHONGS

aʊ
 PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

Cow Power Noun

Bow Pound Frown
How Crown Mouth
Dow Clown South
Wow Shout Round
Now Shower Found
Vow Growl Loud
Out Ground Proud
Gout House Mouse
Bout Hound Louse
thou Brow Tower
Foul Brown Flower
Howl Browse Fountain
Meow Pronoun Mountain
Plough Pronounce Thousand

DIPHTHONGS

ɪə
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

Ear Pier Earlobe
Tear Tier Earache
Near real Career
Fear Weird Arrear
Gear Queer Appear
hear Sheer Disappear
Clear adhere Fearsome
Sear Smear Fearless
Rear Vanier Fearful
Dear fierce Realtor
Mere Surreal real-estate
Here Really Souvenir
Beer Clearly Reindeer
Peer Nearly Puppeteer
Deer Dearly Frontier

DIPHTHONGS

eə
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

Air Hair Compare

Pair Chair Prepare
Lair Stair Paring
Care Stare Parent
Bare Share Blaring
Bear Flair Sommelier
Dare Flare Hungarian
Glare Where Airbag
Fair Swear Airbrush
Fare Prayer Airplane
Mare Repair Aircraft
Rare Careful Airline
Tear Careless Airport
Tare Hairstyle Aerodrome
Hare Despair Aerodynamic

DIPHTHONGS

ʊə
PRACTICE WORDS

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3

Poor Ensure Duration

Pure Azure Tourist
Sure assure Tourism
Cure Surely Tournament
Lure Surety Insurance
 Tour Securely Towel
Jury assurance Dowel
Juror assuredly Brewery
Insure poorly Jurisdiction
Procure Curative Jurisprudence

Consonants to Consider:

T/D/:-

The Indian way of saying T or D is very harsh. The trick is to soften these
sounds. The tip of your tongue must touch behind your upper teeth. Instead
of pushing your tongue against your teeth simply allow it to drop down
naturally. The slight sound of breath must be heard.

Practice Word:

Today Data Together Total Task Tomorro

w
Little Admit But Stude Might Alternat
nt e
Betwe Astute Tight Stead Invali Pardon
en y d
Ticket Danger Card Abroa Disast Delicate
d er
Dirty Abunda Departm Duty Destin Tomato
nt ent y

Practice Sentences:

1. Tom tossed the T-shirt into the tent

2. Take your time to do the task

3. They twisted and turned to the tunes

4. Betty Bottor bought some butter but the butter was too
bitter, so she bought some better butter to make the bitter butter
better.

5. Tim and Tina went to Tokyo on Tuesday

 6. Twelve twins tangled themselves during the tango

7. Dorothy is dainty like a doll

8. Drop the card at the department

9. Dizzy Daisy danced and danced, till dropped did dizzy Daizy dance.

10. Twelve tiny little turtles battled to get a little bit

of the oodles of noodles.

11. Destiny is technically traveling towards what is

in store for you.

12. Sitting pretty, tiny Tanya, dashing Daniel’s eye

did catch

13. Mr. Tongue Twister tried to train his tongue to

twist and turn and twit and twat to learn the letter “T”

14. A twister of twists once twisted a twist.

A twist that he twisted was a three twisted twist;

If in twisting a twist one tiwst should untwist,

The untwisted twist would untwist the twist.

2. TH (Soft):-

To create this sound, allow air to gush out between your tongue and upper
teeth. Make sure you don`t push against your teeth, or the sound created
would be very hard.

Practice Words:

Thin Thurs With Three Three

Thermom
k day eter
Than Birthd Path Thousa Thousa Thread
ks ay nd nd
Both South Death With With Thought
Thirt Thrust Thorou Thick Thick Thin
y gh
Practice Sentence:

1. Through thick and thin , we`ll be together

2. Thanks for thinking of me

3. My birthday is on Thursday

4. Thank fully, the 13th is on Thursday

5. She thanked the three for their thoughts

6. Thirty three thirsty, thundering thoroughbreds thumped Mr. Therber on

his head.

7. Plymouth sleuths thwart Luther`s slithering

8. I thought, I thought of thinking of thanking you

9. The thirty-three thieves though that they thrilled the throne throughout
Thursday

10. Something in a thirty acre thermal thicket of

thorn and thistles thumped and thundered threatening the three-D
thoughts of Matthew the thug-although, theatrically, it was only the
thirteen-thousand thistles and thorns through the underneath of his
thigh that the thirty year old thug thought of that morning

11. There those thousand thinkers were thinking

how did the other three thieves go through

3. /TH (Buzz):-

The buzz TH sound is similar to the sound. The tongue is placed behind the
upper teeth.

Practice Words:

This That These Those Togeth Rather

er
Fathe Mother Feathe Weath Other Brother
r r er
Rhyth Bathe Southe Wither Leathe Northe
m rn r rn
Their Wheth Bother Bother Anothe Southe
 er r rn

Practice Sentences:

1. My mother and brother are going together

2. This weather is a bother

3. They’d rather have another

4. Together, they took the southern route

5. This is better than that

6. These are longer than those

7. My brother’s leather feather withered in this weather

8. My other brother is rather dynamic

9. Together they’d turn this into these

4. /ZH/:-

This sound is very often confused with Z or J. The trick to getting the
sound right is to allow your tongue to be suspended in your mouth
without letting it touch anything. You must specifically avoid letting it
touch your teeth or hard palette.

Practice Words:-

Measure Pleasur Treasure Vision Decision Visual

e
Casual Usual Version Leisur Diversio Seizur
e n e
Division College Rouge Envisa Enclosur Mirage
ge e
Camoufla Televisi Conversi Genre Conclusi Inclusi
ge on on on on
Practice Sentences:

1. He is usually very casual

2. The pleasure is in finding the treasure

3. Television is the most usual form of leisure

 4. There was no measure to my pleasure when I saw the hidden treasure

5. His decision is to change the conclusion

6. Camouflaging his decision, he envisaged another vision

5. /V/:-

The rule of how to make this sound is to bite your lower lip and pull it into
your mouth.

Practice Words:

Very Vision Have Love Achiev Five

e
Volati Victor Vast Vain Voice Visa
le y
Live Vario River Vanis Vanqui Valu
us h sh e
Viole Savio Belie Deliv Visit Nativ
nt r ve er e

Practice Sentence:

1. You have to achieve your goals

2. He gave me advice

3. She voiced her views

4. The victorious warrior vanquished them all

5. The hovering vultures discovered the vermin for supper

6. Vicky vowed to save the dove

7. The video delivers the vicar’s vision

8. The visitor’s visa vanished in Vienna

9. The vaulted van, it veered

10. In victory, Vanessa vowed to deliver

 6. /W/:-

Allow the sound to be created by a sudden opening of your lips.

Practice Words:

Whit Windo Wallo Wait Wat Watch

e w w er
While Wond Wise Whe War Weath
er re m er
Work Weddi Weeke Walr Wee Waste
ng nd us p
Wom Weird Warrio Widt Whe Would
an r h el

Practice Sentences:

1. Who are you waiting for?

2. I wish we had a white winter

3. His wife is very wise

4. William’s wedding is on the weekend

5. Where would we go without Walter

6. The woman waded into the water

7. The bravest warrior won the war

8. She worked a while on Wednesday

9. He wondered why she was weeping

10. The whimsical wizard walked and walked and wondered why he
wandered world
 11. I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish, but if you the wish the
wish the witch wishes, I won’t wish the wish you wish to wish

12. Wayne went to Wales to watch walruses.

7. /S/:-

The sound is similar to the hissing of a snake. The upper and lower teeth are
together and the tongue is touching the teeth. Air should hiss out between
your teeth.

Practice words:

Since Scho Start Stick Social Spen

ol d
Sparrow Thirs Stude Summ Sinful Sudd
ty nt er en
Stay Stor Soldie Sir Sick Sorro
m r w
Conversati Stati Seven Sister Saturd State
on c ay

Practice Sentence:

1. School starts at seven

2. The storm destroyed the windows

3. He stole the last sweet

4. Sidney swallowed spoons of syrup

 5. Silly Susan saw some sweets and started stuffing till she was sick

6. The students were sent to Sweden in summer

7. She snorted and snored in her sleep

8. The sorrowful soldier saw the seven ghosts

9. I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop. Where she sits she shines and
where she shines she sits.

10. Seth at Sainsbury’s sells thick socks.

8. /SH/:-

To create this sound, your tongue must curve upwards toward your hard
palette. Air must gush out between your tongue and hard palette.

Practice Words:

Should Shake Sessi Statio Shallo Shame

on n w
Show Shoe Ship She Short Patien
ce
Pressu Conversati Sure Fashi Cautio Vanish
re on on n
Delicio Permissio Sugar Portio Should Wish
us n n er

Practice Sentences:

1. She showed me the ship

2. The shop must be washed

3. He shrugged his shoulders

4. She sells sea shells on the sea shore

5. The ship sank into the shallow sea

 6. She saw sheriff’s shoes on the sofa

7. She wishes to show her passion for fashion

8. The wishy washy Sheila shook, her shoulders shuddered with shallow
sobs

9. She saw Sheriff’s shoes on the sofa. But was she so sure she saw
Sheriff’s shoes on the sofa?

10. How many sheets could a sheet slitter slit if a sheet slitter could
slit sheets?

11. Seven sleazy shysters in sharkskin suits sold sheared sealskins to

seasick sailors.

What is a Syllable?
A syllable is a part a word that contains a vowel sound.

e.g. – de/li/ve/ry

What is Syllable Stress?

Stress on first syllable

Most two syllable adjectives:

e.g. happy, talent, swollen

Most two syllable nouns:

e.g. Johnny, counter, cupboard

Stress on second syllable

Most two syllable verbs:

e.g. produce, explore, import

Stress on penultimate syllable

(second last)

Most words ending in ‘sion’

e.g. submission, provision, conclusion

Most words ending in ‘tion’

e.g. condition, institution, revolution

Most words ending in ‘ic’

e.g. holistic, magnetic, aesthetic

Stress on ante - penultimate syllable

(third last)

Words ending in ‘phy’

e.g. geography, photography, topography

Words ending in ‘cy’

e.g. secrecy, hypocrisy, democracy

Words ending in ‘gy’

e.g. eulogy, synergy, biology

Words ending in ‘ty’

e.g. formality, hospitality, ability