Or there are not six cymbals in the band?
Oops, phonetics is important or else you might be saying something rather embarrassing. Do you like the piss and quiet or the peace and quiet? Or someone asks you after the show what you think of the drummer...or the drama? And what you can see over there is a ship or, rather, a sheep? Have you got two uncles or two ankles?
We've just started with phonetics, so don't fret. You'll soon become familiar with those strange symbols.
Whenever you want to hear the sounds of English language you can go to a few pages I recommend- you can get some practice with vowels, diphthongs, stress or intonation in this Cambridge site, in Fenetiks and Antimoon.
For those who are more into getting a very distinctive American accent (a few cases in Avanzado 2 I can think of), you can try this dictionary of American pronunciation.
Also, you can look up in Howjsay the pronunciation of words you don't know the meaning of or you have doubts about how to say it correctly.
I've got a friend who's got a friend who knows someone...well, it was me, I admit it- Once I happened to be in a flat alone and the plumber came over to fix the heater. He asked me for a cloth with a strong Wolverhampton accent and even though I didn't understand what he might need it for I fetched him a...clock! Have you got any other embarrassing misunderstandings, a gaffe you can recall because of mispronouncing? Send in a comment with an anecdote.
See you!
9 comments:
Six years ago I spent my summer working in the laboratory of a paper factory in Wales. At the beginning I started measuring the amount of ash in the samples. Soon, I could notice that each time I ask someone ….¿shall I measure your ash? …the whole staff started laughing at me without explaining what was happening….
One day, a guy took pity on me and he explained me that I had been offering myself to everybody to measure their ass….Oh my god! It was really embarrassing…Well, at least, I learnt the lesson…
Several years ago, I spent my holidays in Exeter.
One day, I was walking along a commercial street, minding my own business, when I saw a very nice shoe shop's window, in door, a pair of fun boots looked at me and without thinking about it I came into the shop and I said
- Good morning, could try those /bOuts/ on, please?.
The shop assistant looked at me with attention and told me
- Here, there aren't /bOuts/, they are usually in the water.
I understood nothing.
Very serious she told me, you can try those /bu:ts/ on, can't you?
(gloria imaz)
Hi everyone! I'm Palma Tocón. To be honest, I remember now the situation I'm going to tell you, with affection and nostalgia. Some time ago, when I was training for being a teacher, a 8th. EGB level student, told me in an arrogant tone, while I was explaining something using the word "flower": "It doesn't pronounce /flaʊAr/" And he added, "it's /flaʊər/" and I felt so embarrassed! Do you understand me, don't you?
Hi,
I´m Gemma Larrañaga from 1st Avanzado.I don´t remember very well the situation but last year in my English classes, speaking about what did I do at the weekend
I said something like " I went clubbing at the weekend and I drank some "bear" instead of "beer". It made me feel a bit embarrased but telling the truth I´m sure that nowadays I don´t know how I must say "beer" "bear" or "beard".
See you!!
I was in London for a while. It was a sunny day, it was spring and I like spring in London, with this mixture of weak light and decadence... It is so beautiful!...
I was wondering around city because I had to spent some time alone till my friend could came back to pick - up - me... later... after work...
I was thirsty and tired and I decided to went into ICA´s bar.
I called the waitress and I asked her in a very polite way
- Can I have an orange jewish?
A-N-O-R-A-N-G-E-J-E-W-I-S-H-!!!!
It sounds bad isn´t it?
I still remember her face!
A. Suarez !st adv
Hello, I´m Vicente Bengochea (1st advanced). A close friend, last year was in Whasington and she wanted a bottle of water not very cold. She said the word "warm", but it must sound like "worn"... Finally the waiter understood to my friend, but not at first time. Fortunatelly for my friend, the waiter didn´t give to her a bottle of water with "worns"
When I was fourteen I went to Dublin. I was asking about how to go to a casel..........of course, nobody understood me.
"Icebeer" from L group
Hello!! I´m Cristina Sánchez (1st advanced)
Last summer I spent a few days in New York... one day I went to a restaurant a said: "Could you give one hawaian pizza??, please" and very quickly the waiter said to me: "You are spanish, aren´t you??"
And I didn't said nothing... but he said that a lot of spanish asked for one pizza, and the correct form is "a pizza". He said like If I said "dame uno pizza"
In fact I Don´t know why,but last summer in Denmark,when I tried to ask for a shower it was imposible, they didn´t understand me and always I had to put my hands in the head to explain it...
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