Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.
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Hi, I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation
workshop. Here, I'm gonna show you how
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English is really spoken. It'll help
you to become a better listener and a
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more fluent speaker. You ready? Come on, follow me.
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Now, there's an idiom in the English
language that means that something is
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really easy.
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Any idea what it is?
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Well, here's a clue. Do you know now? Let's ask the people of London.
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It's a piece of cake. It's a piece of cake.
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It's a piece of cake. It's a piece of
cake. A piece of cake - an expression that
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means that something is really easy to
do, as well as meaning - a piece of cake.
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01:02
But listen again to the words
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'a' and 'of'. They're actually pronounced the
same. What is the sound and are those
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words stressed? It's a piece of cake. It's a
piece of cake.
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It's a piece of cake. It's a piece of cake.
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The words 'a' and 'of' are both pronounced as /ə/
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and they are not stressed. This sound /ə/ is the
most common sound in the whole English
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language. It's so common that it even has
its own name,
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schwa. Now, it can be difficult to hear
the schwa because it's never stressed.
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However, it's a vowel sound that's used
in many grammar words like articles and
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prepositions. Here are some more examples.
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I like a cup of tea in the morning.
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Could you get me a packet of biscuits?
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Can you give it to me?
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I had an apple for lunch today.
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So, you've heard the examples, and now
it's your turn.
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Are you ready to start? Listen and repeat.
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I like a cup of tea in the morning.
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Could you get me a packet of biscuits?
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Can you give it to me?
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02:30
I had an apple for lunch today.
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Great work. Now remember, if you want to
learn more about pronunciation then
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please visit our website: bbclearningenglish.com. And that's about it from
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the pronunciation workshop for now.
I'll see you soon. Bye bye. Now, I've got a
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cup of tea and I've got a biscuit, I'm looking
forward to a piece of cake.
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That was a mistake, but a tasty one.
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About this website
This site will introduce you to YouTube videos that are useful for learning English. You will see English lessons taught by top-notch teachers from around the world. Double-click on the English subtitles displayed on each video page to play the video from there. The subtitles scroll in sync with the video playback. If you have any comments or requests, please contact us using this contact form.