The first thing a person who starts learning English faces is the difficulty in reading most words. On this score, there are many jokes even among the native speakers of this language, to say nothing of those for whom it is not native. One Dutch linguist even wrote a poem containing the most difficult and controversial cases of English phonetics - it is difficult to read it without mistakes even for someone who knows the language well.
But jokes are jokes, but you have to learn to pronounce words correctly. The rules for reading in English help with this. For beginners, they will be a little difficult, but this is only out of habit. Having understood them and well fixed the theory with examples, you will see how much they will make your life easier.
What are these rules for?
Without knowing them, learning to read will be difficult. Of course, you can memorize the transcription of those words that you come across. But in thisIf so, your reading ability will be very limited. And if there is a word with a familiar root, but a suffix or prefix that is incomprehensible for reading? Or a proper name? In such cases, mistakes are inevitable if you do not know the rules for reading in English. For beginners, they are especially important, because they allow you to feel and understand the logic of building a language at all levels, starting with phonetics.
Next, we will tell you how to read different sounds and their combinations, how to teach English rules to children and what exercises you can use to learn how to read and remember transcription symbols.
Reading consonants
Let's start with the simplest, and then move on to the complex. Most consonant sounds in English differ little from Russian. But still, the difference is felt. In general, the following characteristic features can be distinguished:
- always firmly pronounced;
- sonorous sounds are not deafened at the ends of words;
- after the sounds [p, t, k] there is a breath, because the lips part faster than in pronunciation in Russian;
- the [w] sound is pronounced with two lips;
- when pronouncing the sound [v], on the contrary, only the lower lip is involved;
- many sounds [t, d, s, z, n, l, tʃ, dʒ] are pronounced with the tip of the tongue touching the alveoli, not the teeth (as in Russian pronunciation).
Reading vowels: 4 types of syllable
We continue to analyze the rules of reading in English. For beginners withexamples are better to present the material. Then it will be clearer how to pronounce this or that sound.
There are only six vowels in the English alphabet, but the difficulty in reading them is due to the presence of four different types of syllables:
- open;
- closed;
- vowel + r;
- vowel + r + vowel.
Let's consider them all in order, not forgetting the examples.
In an open syllable, the vowel is read as it is called in the alphabet: O is read as "ou (eu)", U is read as a long "yu", etc. The only exception is the letter Y, which is pronounced as "ay ". How can you tell if a syllable is open? It must end with a vowel, which can be:
- at the end of a monosyllabic word (me, go);
- at the beginning or middle (game, time, music);
- next to another vowel (suit).
In a closed syllable that ends in a consonant (sometimes doubled), vowels are truncated:
- Aa [æ] turns into a cross between Russian sounds [a] and [e], for example: cat, apple.
- Uu [ʌ] is similar to the Russian sound [a], for example: rubber, jump.
- Ii reads like a short Russian sound [and], for example: sit, finger.
- Ee [e] is read with the sound [e], for example: pen, egg.
- Oo [ɔ] is read with a short sound [o], for example: shop, fox.
- Yy under stress must be read as a short sound [and], for example: mystery, myth.
This is the minimum that the rules for reading in English include forbeginners. With exercises for all 4 types, it is better not to rush, but first, it is good to learn the differences between closed and open syllables. Then you can move on to more complex cases.
The type of syllable "vowel + r" reads as follows:
- -ar pronounce with a long sound [aah];
- -or reads like a long [oooh];
- -ur, -ir, -er are similar to the sound [o], but only pronounced by the throat.
The type of syllable "vowel + r + vowel" turns the sound into a special two-part phenomenon of English phonetics - a diphthong:
- Aa reads [ɛə], example: dare.
- Ee reads [iə], example: mere.
- Ii reads [aiə], example: fire.
- Uu reads [juə], example: cure.
- Yy reads [aiə], example: tire.
The exception is the letter Oo, which in the fourth type of syllable is not read as a diphthong, but simply as a long [ɔ:]. For example: more.
Reading letter combinations
English reading rules (for beginners and advanced learners) cannot do without explaining the various combinations of consonants and vowels. Let's start with the first.
Combination wr at the beginning of a word: sound [w] is not pronounced. Examples: write, wrist, wrong.
The combination of wh at the beginning of a word: the sound [h] is not pronounced. Examples: why, what, white. But there is an exception here: if -wh is followed by the letter -o, then the sound [w] “falls out” when reading. This is how the words sound: who, whole, whose and others.
In letter combinations kn and gn at the beginning of a word: only the sound [n] is read. Examples: knot, gnat.
The combination ng at the end of a word sounds like the sound [ŋ],pronounced through the nose (going), and in the middle of the word - just [ŋg], for example: hungry, singer.
The combination ch reads [tʃ], like the Russian sound [h '], soft. For example: cheese, coach.
The combination of sh gives a sound [ʃ], similar to Russian [sh] in a soft pronunciation. For example: she, push.
The combination of letters qu is read [kw], for example: queen, quite.
Unstressed combination -our reads [ə]: colour, favourite.
The combination -ous at the end of words should be read [əs]: dangerous, famous.
The combination of letters -sion after a consonant is pronounced [ʃn], for example: mission. And after the vowel sound is voiced to [ʒn], example: decision.
Before e, i, y: C is pronounced [s], G is pronounced [dʒ]. In other cases, it reads like this: C - [k], G - [g]. Compare: cell - cat, gym - game.
Vowel combinations: -ee, as well as -ea give a long sound [i:], the combination -ai reads [ai], the combination -oo gives a long sound [u:]. For example: bee, seal, moon.
True, there are sometimes exceptions. For example, blood: in this word, the double O is read as the sound [ʌ]. But there are few such cases. They are easy to remember and do not complicate the rules of reading in English too much.
For beginners
For children and adults, the explanation of the rules will be different. Young "English" will learn knowledge well if they are presented with elements of a game and a fairy tale. For example, you canexplain types 1 and 2 of reading as "open" and "closed" doors, where in the first case the letters feel free and shout their name (from the alphabet) loudly, and in the second they are almost inaudible. In a similar way, you can compose a kind of grammatical fairy tale and tell it to your child. An interactive element can be a task: to “disenchant” the words by reading them correctly. This makes it much easier and more interesting to memorize the rules of reading in English.
For elementary school
The little table below includes rules for reading vowels in two types of syllables. For the convenience of a child who is not familiar with transcription, next to the sound is placed approximately his reading, written in Russian letters. In any case, the table must be read aloud together with an adult who knows the language: you need to pay attention to how the same letter behaves in different types of syllable, and understand the suggested word examples.
Primary school students are often asked to learn transcription marks at home. You can make a set of cards and work out like this: you read a short word where there is a certain sound, and the child shows a card with its designation. In group work, everyone had to have their own set.
Read without hesitation
How can I remember the rules of reading in English faster and better? For beginners, exercises will be the best option. It is great if you can combine 2 types of activities: listening to samples and reading on your own. However, this approachcan get bored soon, so it would be nice to include elements of the game and competition. For example, take two different lists of words for different rules - one for you, the other for a friend - and check who will read faster and with fewer errors. The game option can be as follows: using mixed cards with individual words and transcription icons, find and lay out matches.
Who needs reading rules in English? For beginners to study it (it goes without saying), for those who continue - to test themselves, and for those who have forgotten - to remember knowledge that has not been used for a long time.
