British English Pronunciation Practice - "Inconsistent" Poem & Explanation

Hello everyone, Anna here  from English Like a Native.

Hello lil kulħadd, Anna hawn mill-Ingliż Like a Native.

Today we're doing something  a little bit different.

Illum qed nagħmlu xi ħaġa xi ftit differenti.

We are delving into the world of poetry.

Qed nidħlu fid-dinja tal-poeżija.

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

Issa għandi sensiela ta’ poeżiji tal-pronunzja ġejjin fi triqtek.

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

U llum ser inkun qed inkisser il-poeżija “Inkonsistenti”.

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

Mela, ejja nisimgħu l-poeżija. L-ewwelnett

English pronunciation is quite tricky, it’s true,

il-pronunzja Ingliża hija pjuttost delikata, huwa veru,

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

Kif blu, u nefaħ ukoll, jirrimaw bi tnejn.

There’s little consistency between fear and bear,

Ftit hemm konsistenza bejn il-biża u l-ors,

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

L-aħħar rhyming ma hemm, tagħhom, u dawn qed.

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

U dak mhux l-agħar minnha, ikkunsidra l-'o',

Lacks consistency between dot, do and don’t.

M'għandux konsistenza bejn tikka, tagħmel u ma tagħmilx.

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

Dak li m'għandux 'o', u lanqas għandu għaliex.

A cause of confusion is has and was.

Kawża ta' konfużjoni hija għandha u kienet.

Though, thought and through boggle the mind.

Għalkemm, ħsieb u permezz boggle-moħħ.

Tough stuff our words, they are not well designed

Jittieħed iebsa kliem tagħna, mhumiex iddisinjati sew

Fork rhymes with walk, and bird with word,

Furketta rhymes ma walk, u għasfur bil-kelma,

Foot rhymes with put, not boot. I heard…

Foot rhymes ma put, mhux boot. Smajt...

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

...titgħallem l-Ingliż huwa diffiċli, allura hawn x'għandek tagħmel,

Prioritise pronunciation and you will fly through.

Ipprijoritizza l-pronunzja u int se ttajjar.

Did you enjoy that?

Ħadt gost hekk?

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

Jekk għamilt, u tixtieq tipprintja l-kopja tiegħek ta' din il-poeżija bil-firma tiegħi fuqha,

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

allura tista' nħalli link hawn taħt.

Okay, so let's break this poem down.

Tajjeb, mela ejja nkissru din il-poeżija.

Let's start!

Ejja nibdew!

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

Pronunzja Ingliża hija pjuttost delikata, huwa veru...

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

U dan huwa l-ewwel /u:/, ħsejjes tagħna.

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

Hija l-verita. Kif blu u nefaħ ukoll. Jirrimaw bi tnejn.

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

Allura hawnhekk għandna ripetizzjoni ta’ din il-vokali twila /u:/ f’‘veru’, ‘blu’, ‘blaw’, ‘wisq’ u ‘tnejn’.

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

Issa l-kelma 'rima', 'rima' li għandha ortografija mhux tas-soltu.

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

Iżda l-pronunzja hija /raım/, /raım/, /raım/.

Okay?

Okay?

English pronunciation is quite tricky, it's true

Il-pronunzja Ingliża hija pjuttost delikata, huwa veru

As blue and blew too, they rhyme with two.

Kif blu u nefaħ ukoll, jirrimaw bi tnejn.

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

Ftit hemm konsistenza (fil-pronunzja) bejn il-biża u l-ors.

Now, hear that difference.

Issa, isma 'dik id-differenza.

Fear /fıə/.

Biża /fıə/.

Bear /beə/.

Ors /beə/.

Fear, /ıə/, like your ear. 

Biża, /ıə/, bħal widnejk.

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

Ors /beə/, bħal siġġu /ʧeə/, xagħar /heə/, fejn /weə/.

Like the air we breathe.

Bħall-arja li nieħdu n-nifs.

So, we have ‘ear’ and ‘air’,

Allura, għandna 'widna' u 'arja',

‘ear’ and ‘air’.

'widna' u 'arja'.

Fear /fıə/. Bear /beə/.

Biża /fıə/. Ors /beə/.

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

Tajjeb, allura huma differenti minkejja li dik l-ortografija hija l-istess.

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

L-aħħar, rhyming ma hemm, tagħhom u dawn qed.

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

Tajjeb, allura l-kelma "tal-aħħar" tfisser l-aħħar fil-lista preċedenti.

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

Għalhekk, l-aħħar fil-lista preċedenti kienet lista ta' żewġ 'biża' u 'ors' u din tal-aħħar kienet 'ors'.

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

U qed tgħid li l-aħħar wieħed ‘iġorr’ jirrima ma’ ‘hemm’, ‘tagħhom’ u ‘huma’.

Three different words.

Tliet kelmiet differenti.

And they all have the same sound.

U kollha għandhom l-istess ħoss.

Exactly the same sound.

Eżattament l-istess ħoss.

The last one as well.

L-aħħar wieħed ukoll.

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

Oqgħod attent ħafna għall-pronunzji tal-kontrazzjoni għax ħafna studenti ma jħobbux jippronunzjaw

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

kontrazzjonijiet b'mod differenti mill-kliem waħdieni, ħafna studenti jaraw

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

dik il-kelma u jgħidu 'huma' iżda jippruvaw jippronunzjaw il-kontrazzjoni 'huma /ðeə. /', 'huma /ðeə/'.

Let's move on.

Ejja nimxu fuq.

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

U dak mhux l-agħar minnha. Ikkunsidra l-'o',

Lacks consistency between dot, do and don't.

M'għandux konsistenza bejn tikka, tagħmel u ma tagħmilx.

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

Allura, ħares lejn dawn it-tliet kelmiet 'tikka', 'tagħmel', 'ma tagħmilx'.

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

Kif qed nippronunzjaw dik 'o'? Fl-ewwel għandna /ɒ/, fit-tieni għandna

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

/uː/, fit-tielet għandna /əʊ/. /ɒ/, /uː/, /əʊ/

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

/dɒ/, /duː/, /dəʊ/ tikka /dɒt/, tagħmel /duː/, ma /dəʊnt/.

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

Allura, hemm nuqqas fil-konsistenza tal-pronunzja allura nkomplu ngħidu

What has not got an ‘o’ /ɒ/...

What does not got an 'o' /ɒ/...

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

imma xorta nippronunzjawha qisu għandha 'o' /ɒ/,

/wɒ/, /wɒt/.

/wɒ/, /wɒt /.

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

Imma m'għandux 'o' fil-mod kif inkiteb.

... nor has because.

... u lanqas għandha għaliex.

Because /bɪˊkɒz/.

Minħabba li /bɪˊkɒz/.

Now here that -ause /ɒz/, /ɒ/, /ɒ/

Issa hawn li -ause /ɒz/, /ɒ/, /ɒ/

-cause /kɒz/, because /bɪˊkɒz/

-cause /kɒz/, għax /bɪˊkɒz/

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

Mela, 'xiex' u 'għax' it-tnejn għandhom dan il-ħoss 'o' /ɒ/.

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

Dak li ma ltqajna o, u lanqas għandu għaliex. Kawża ta' konfużjoni hija għandha kienet.

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

Smajt id-differenza bejn kif nippronunzja 'cause' /kɔːz/ meta

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

tkun waħedha għall-kuntrarju ta' meta tkun fil-kelma 'because' /bɪˊkɒz/.

Cause /kɔːz/, because /bɪˊkɒz/.

Ikkawża /kɔːz/, għax /bɪˊkɒz/.

Cause /kɔːz/, because /bɪˊkɒz/.

Ikkawża /kɔːz/, għax /bɪˊkɒz/.

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

F''għax' /bɪˊkɒz/ huwa qasir /ɒ/, iżda f'kawża /kɔːz/ għandna dan /ɔː/ twil.

/ɒ/ - /ɔː/

/ɒ/ - /ɔː/

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

/ɒ/ - /ɔː/ għaliex /bɪˊkɒz/ – kawża /kɔːz/

A cause of confusion is has and was.

Kawża ta’ konfużjoni hija għandha u kienet.

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

It-tnejn għandhom '-as', iżda 'għandha' hija /..əz/ u 'was' hija /..ɒz/

/..əz/ - /..ɒz/

/..əz/ - /..ɒz/

So confusing.

Allura konfuża.

Next.

Li jmiss.

Though, thought and through...

Għalkemm, ħsibt u permezz...

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

Għalkemm /ðəʊ/, ħsibt /θɔ:t / u permezz /θru:/

they boggle the mind.

iħaffu l-moħħ.

They look so similar but they're so different.

Jidhru daqshekk simili imma huma tant differenti.

Tough stuff...

Tough stuff...

They both rhyme, tough – stuff.

It-tnejn jirrimaw, tough - stuff.

Tough stuff our words, they are not well designed.

Jittieħed iebsa kliemna, mhumiex iddisinjati sew.

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

Furketta jirrima bil-mixja, għasfur bil-kelma Sieq /fʊt/ jirrima ma put /pʊt/, mhux boot /bu:t/.

I heard…

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

Smajt... ...titgħallem l-Ingliż huwa diffiċli, allura hawn x'għandek tagħmel, Ipprijoritizza l-pronunzja u int se ttajjar.

So, ‘foot’ /fʊt/, boot /bu:t/,

Allura, 'sieq' /fʊt/, boot /bu:t/,

‘foot’ /fʊt/, boot /bu:t/

'sieq' /fʊt/, boot /bu:t/

/ʊ/ – /u:/, /ʊ/ – /u:/

They are different.

/ʊ/ – /u:/, /ʊ/ – /u:/ Huma differenti.

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

Is-sieq /fʊt/ jirrima ma’ put /pʊt/, mhux boot /bu:t/.

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

Smajt... 'Għax 'heard' /hɜ:d/ jirrima ma' 'kelma' /wɜ:d/.

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

Smajt li titgħallem l-Ingliż huwa diffiċli, għalhekk hawn x'għandek

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

tagħmel. Ipprijoritizza l-pronunzja u int se ttir minn /θru:/.

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

Nispera li ħadt gost titgħallem ftit aktar dwar il-pronunzja.

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

Jekk il-pronunzja hija importanti għalik, allura għaliex ma tingħaqadx fil-Masterclass tiegħi tal-Pronunzja b'xejn?

To learn how to truly  transform your pronunciation.

Biex titgħallem kif tassew tittrasforma l-pronunzja tiegħek.

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

Se npoġġi l-link tar-reġistrazzjoni fid-deskrizzjoni hawn taħt.

Until next time, take care and goodbye!

Sad-darba li jmiss, ħu ħsieb u addio!