Improving voice and diction Introduction Speaking Clearly: Improving voice and diction Introduction

I Love Lucy Bedtime story

Sounds, not Letters The difference between sounds and letters is a fundamental one and is really indispensable to you if you want to understand spoken language. Modern English spelling no longer reflects English speech sounds. For example, author George Bernard Shaw was often quoted spelling fish – ghoti; with the f sound from enough, the i sound from women, and the sh sound from nation.

English Letters vs. speech The alphabet used today was first used 1300 years ago. When it was new it accurately reflected the patterns of speech because it adhered to the underlying principles of all alphabets: 1) each written symbol will represent one spoken sound; 2) no spoken sound shall be represented by more than one symbol. Today that is greatly not the case. Spoken language is dynamic, personal and transitory while written is static and permanent.

International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) This alphabet (not a language) was designed 100 years ago for the purpose of writing down sounds of a language. IPA is international which means it can be applied to any language because it is phonetic, meaning it is based on observed speech sounds. In this course we will use IPA as an ear- training tool. This will help in improving your pronunciation by associating the symbols with actual movements of speech.

IPA Alphabet for English

IPA Alphabet cont’d

Consonants The consonant sounds are classified according to three factors: voicing, place of articulation, and method of articulation.

Method of Articulation Plosive: sounds you make by blocking off the breath stream entirely for a short period, just long enough to build some air pressure behind your lips. Example: pet Fricative: sounds you make when you narrowly squeeze air between you’re an opening in your teeth. Example: see Nasals: as the name suggests. Sounds produced by lowering the soft palate and blocking the air way with your teeth of tongue. Example: man Glides: sounds your make while moving your mouth from one position to another as if the sound is gliding out. Example: yes Lateral sounds: (English only has one) sounds you make by dropping the tongue from the top of the mouth to the bottom. Example: lull Affricates: consonant combinations. Usually this is the combination of a plosive and an affricate. Example: charge

Vowels We use three factors to classify vowels: height of the tongue, place of production, and muscle tension.

VOWELS Cont’d You raise your tongue to different heights to create different vowel sounds. Example: the difference between the words see and saw. The “place” of the tongue refers to either the front, middle or back of the mouth. See is made in the front and saw is made in the back. The contractions of the larynx (throat muscle) also contribute to vowel production. See creates tension and saw does not.