British English Pronunciation Practice - "Inconsistent" Poem & Explanation

Hello everyone, Anna here  from English Like a Native.

Today we're doing something  a little bit different.

We are delving into the world of poetry.

Now I have a series of  pronunciation poems coming your way.

And today I'm going to be breaking  down the poem “Inconsistent”.

So, let's hear the poem. First of all

English pronunciation is quite tricky, it’s true,

As blue, and blew too, they rhyme with two.

There’s little consistency between fear and bear,

The latter rhyming with there, their, and they’re.

And that’s not the worst of it, consider the ‘o’,

Lacks consistency between dot, do and don’t.

What has not got an ‘o’, nor has because.

A cause of confusion is has and was.

Though, thought and through boggle the mind.

Tough stuff our words, they are not well designed

Fork rhymes with walk, and bird with word,

Foot rhymes with put, not boot. I heard…

…learning English is hard, so here’s what to do,

Prioritise pronunciation and you will fly through.

Did you enjoy that?

If you did, and you'd like to print out your  own copy of this poem with my signature on it,  

then you can I'll leave a link down below.

Okay, so let's break this poem down.

Let's start!

English pronunciation is quite tricky, it's true...

And this is the first of our /u:/, sounds.

It's true. As blue and blew  too. They rhyme with two.

So here we have a repeat of this long /u:/ vowel  in ‘true’, ‘blue’, ‘blew’, ‘too’ and ‘two’.

Now the word ‘rhyme’, ‘rhyme’  that has an unusual spelling.

But the pronunciation is /raım/, /raım/, /raım/.

Okay?

English pronunciation is quite tricky, it's true

As blue and blew too, they rhyme with two.

There's little consistency (in  pronunciation) between fear and bear.

Now, hear that difference.

Fear /fıə/.

Bear /beə/.

Fear, /ıə/, like your ear. 

Bear /beə/, like chair /ʧeə/,  hair /heə/, where /weə/.

Like the air we breathe.

So, we have ‘ear’ and ‘air’,

‘ear’ and ‘air’.

Fear /fıə/. Bear /beə/.

Okay, so they are different even  though that spelling is the same.

The latter, rhyming with there, their and they’re.

Okay, so the word ‘latter’ means  the last in the previous list.

So, the last in the previous list was a list of  two ‘fear’ and ‘bear’ and the latter was ‘bear’.

And it's saying the last one ‘bear’ rhymes  with ‘there’, ‘their’ and ‘they’re’.

Three different words.

And they all have the same sound.

Exactly the same sound.

The last one as well.

Pay close attention to contraction pronunciations  because many students don't like to pronounce  

contractions in a different way to the  single words, many students would see  

that word and say ‘they’re’ but try to pronounce  the contraction ‘they’re /ðeə/’, ‘they’re /ðeə/’.

Let's move on.

And that's not the worst of it. Consider the ‘o’,

Lacks consistency between dot, do and don't.

So, look at these three words ‘dot’, ‘do’,‘don't’.

How are we pronouncing that ‘o’? In the first we have /ɒ/, in the second we  

have /uː/, in the third we have /əʊ/. /ɒ/, /uː/, /əʊ/

/dɒ/, /duː/, /dəʊ/ dot /dɒt/, do /duː/, don't /dəʊnt/.

So, there is a lack in pronunciation  consistency then we go on to say

What has not got an ‘o’ /ɒ/...

but we still pronounce it like it has ‘o’ /ɒ/,

/wɒ/, /wɒt/.

But it has not got an ‘o’ in the way it's written.

... nor has because.

Because /bɪˊkɒz/.

Now here that -ause /ɒz/, /ɒ/, /ɒ/

-cause /kɒz/, because /bɪˊkɒz/

So, ‘what’ and ‘because’  both have this ‘o’ /ɒ/ sound.

What has not got an o, nor has because. A cause of confusion is has an was.

Did you hear the difference between  how I pronounce ‘cause’ /kɔːz/ when  

it's on its own as opposed to when  it's in the word ‘because’ /bɪˊkɒz/.

Cause /kɔːz/, because /bɪˊkɒz/.

Cause /kɔːz/, because /bɪˊkɒz/.

In ‘because’ /bɪˊkɒz/ it’s short /ɒ/, but  in cause /kɔːz/ we have this long /ɔː/. 

/ɒ/ - /ɔː/

/ɒ/ - /ɔː/ because /bɪˊkɒz/ – cause /kɔːz/

A cause of confusion is has and was.

They both have an ‘-as’, but ‘has’  is /..əz/ and ‘was’ is /..ɒz/

/..əz/ - /..ɒz/

So confusing.

Next.

Though, thought and through...

Though /ðəʊ/, thought /θɔ:t / and through /θru:/

they boggle the mind.

They look so similar but they're so different.

Tough stuff...

They both rhyme, tough – stuff.

Tough stuff our words, they are not well designed.

Fork rhymes with walk, bird with word Foot /fʊt/ rhymes with put /pʊt/, not boot /bu:t/.

I heard…

…learning English is hard, so here’s what to do, Prioritise pronunciation and you will fly through.

So, ‘foot’ /fʊt/, boot /bu:t/,

‘foot’ /fʊt/, boot /bu:t/

/ʊ/ – /u:/, /ʊ/ – /u:/

They are different.

Foot /fʊt/ rhymes with put /pʊt/, not boot /bu:t/.

I heard... 'Cause ‘heard’ /hɜ:d/  rhymes with ‘word’ /wɜ:d/.

I heard learning English is hard, so here's what  

to do. Prioritize pronunciation  and you will fly through /θru:/.

I hope you have enjoyed learning a  little bit more about pronunciation.

If pronunciation is important to you, then why  not join my free Pronunciation Masterclass?

To learn how to truly  transform your pronunciation.

I'll put the registration  link in the description below.

Until next time, take care and goodbye!