English Pronunciation Fix: How to say ‘on’ words correctly every time

Hi.

I'm Rebecca from engVid.

In this pronunciation lesson, you're going to learn the many different ways in which

we pronounce the letters "on" when they appear in words.

Okay?

The letters "on" appear at the beginning of words, sometimes in the middle, and very often

at the end.

And we're going to focus on how we pronounce those letters when they appear in these different

positions.

Okay?

But first I want you to do a little pre-test to see how you're pronouncing them right now.

Okay?

And I am so excited about this lesson because I know that lots of people make some mistakes

here, but maybe not you, so let's check.

Okay?

The first word I want you to say out loud, wherever you are, is this one.

Okay?

Next, say this word.

Good.

The third word.

And the last word.

Okay?

All right.

So, let's go back.

Say the first word again.

Okay?

Now I'm going to say it.

The word is "online".

So, here, the letters "on" appeared at the beginning, and we pronounced it like the word

itself: "on".

Okay?

So, we pronounced it here as "on".

Okay?

Probably you got that right.

Most people do, because if you can pronounce the word "on", when "on" appears at the beginning,

you're usually pronouncing it properly.

All right.

How did you pronounce this one?

Say it again.

Okay.

Now I'll say it: "Amazon".

So, what happened here?

"Online", "Amazon".

We're also pronouncing it pretty much like this.

All right?

So you probably got this right, and you probably got this right.

"Amazon".

Okay?

But now say this one.

Okay.

So, what happened here to the letters "on"?

This word is pronounced "son", like a son and daughter.

Right?

We write "on", but we don't say "on"; we say it like: "sun".

Right?

So, sometimes when "on" appears at the end of a word, it's pronounced "un", so many people

get that wrong sometimes, but sometimes not.

What about this one?

"Washington".

Okay?

That's what you should say.

You should say: "Washington".

Listen again: "Washington", "tin".

Am I saying "ton"?

No.

Am I saying: "tun"?

No.

Am I saying: "tin"?

Yes.

So, what's happening - that "on" gets connected here to the "t"-right?-and becomes shortened

or reduced, and it sounds like this.

Now, you're wondering: What is this?

This letter in the International Phonetic Alphabet is called a schwa.

And what a schwa is, it's a very quick, short sound; it's a reduced sound, and it sounds

a little bit like: "uh", "uh".

So, here, it becomes "un", "un"; not "ton", but "tin": "Washingtin".

That's what you should be saying when you say the name of this place.

Okay?

And that is definitely an area where many students - maybe not you - many students make

mistakes.

And that's the main area of our focus in this lesson.

We will be reviewing all of them, but especially this.

Why?

Because look at the many different situations in which we have "on" at the end of words;

we have it in the names of people, like "Bill", what is it?

"Clinton".

Right.

"George Harrison".

Not: "Harrison"; "Harrisin".

"Clin"...

Not: "Clinton"; "Clintin".

Okay?

Good.

Places: "Boston".

Repeat after me: "Lisbon".

Good.

And many other words-okay?-that happen to end in "on", like: "reason"; not "reason"

- "reasin".

"Million".

Now, here's a word that lots of people actually mispronounce.

They tend to say: "million", because they're thinking of "on".

It's not your fault, okay?

You see "on", and so you think you should be pronouncing it like "on", but unfortunately

at the end of words, it changes.

That's why I'm here.

Okay?

To help you out.

All right.

We also have words that end in "on", but have "tion" endings or "sion" endings.

Repeat after me: "action", "vision".

Okay?

All right.

So, in the next few minutes you are going to master this.

And if you make mistakes, you will not make a mistake again; and as a result, you will

correct hundreds of words that actually fall into this category.

Okay?

And, in fact, afterwards I'm going to give you a resource which you can read and practice

to really master this with lots and lots of words which follow these patterns.

But first let's warm up a little bit by reviewing this part, and then we'll get to the last

part.

Okay?

See you in a minute.

Okay.

So, now let's start with when the letters "on" are actually pronounced like "on".

So, as I said, when those letters appear at the beginning of a word, we pronounce it like

"on".

For example, the word "on".

Repeat after me, okay?

"On", "onto", "Ontario", which happens to be a province in Canada; a very large province.

Okay?

So, in all of these examples, the letters "on" sounded like "on".

Let's look at how we might use this in a phrase.

"On board".

Repeat it after me.

It's good for you to practice.

Now, here, I know you're probably saying it right already, but this will get you ready

for the next part where it does change, and you will hear and see the contrast.

Okay?

So, bear with me.

"On target", "on call".

Good.

Let's try it in a sentence: "His onstage performance was excellent."

You say it.

"His onstage performance was excellent."

Or: "This is an ongoing investigation."

Okay?

The police often refuse to comment when something is going on because they say: "This is an

ongoing investigation."

Okay.

All right.

So, that's where "on" sounds like "on".

The letters "on" sound like "on".

Now look what happens when "on" is at the end of a word.

Sometimes, but not most of the time, the "on", the letters "on" still sound like "on".

For example, repeat after me: "icon", "upon", "nylon", "crayon".

Okay?

Can you hear the "on" at the end?

So, there it's fine because it still sounds the way you expect it to sound.

All right?

Look what happens here.

So, sometimes when it's at the end...

You have a few examples like this.

Okay?

Not too many, but you have some where the letters "on" at the end start to sound like

"un", like "un"; not "on", but "un".

For example: "son".

This word "son", like son and daughter, sounds exactly like the word "sun" - the sun, the

big sun in the sky.

Right?

Okay.

This word, repeat after me: "ton".

Okay?

This is how we spell it; this is how we pronounce it.

All right?

"Done" sounds like "dun".

And look at this word.

Here we have two "on" combinations.

Right?

We have here and here.

So, how do we pronounce this word?

Really, like this: "unyun", "onion", okay?

So, these are a few examples of words where "on" sounds like "un".

Now we'll come next to the biggest category where the letters "on" sound like "un".

Okay?

Let's move on to that.

Now let's get to the main part of our lesson where "on" is reduced or shortened with that

schwa sound and sounds like "un".

Repeat after me: "un".

Again: "un".

Okay?

So it's really shortened, especially when we're using it in words and not just when

we're saying "un", okay?

All right.

So, let's start now.

So, in all of these words, "on" is appearing at the end of the word-all right?-whether

it's people, places, something else, names of companies, or lots of other words.

Okay?

So just repeat after me so that your ears get used to hearing it and your mouth gets

used to saying it.

All right?

Here we go.

"Edison", "Lennon", "Parton".

Remember Dolly Parton?

John Lennon?

Thomas Edison?

Okay.

Now, it also... "on" also appears in first names-okay?-of people.

For example: "Jason", "Gordon".

Okay?

See how I'm shortening?

"Gordon", "Jason".

Right?

Good.

Now let's listen to how it sounds when we're saying places.

Ready?

"Houston", "London".

Were you pronouncing the name of that famous city properly all this time?

I hope so, because there are a whole lot of people who were not, and now you are for sure.

Let's say it again: "London".

Good.

"Madison", "Hamilton", and "Wellington".

Okay?

So, lots and lots of places.

As I said, on that resource which you can get for free at our website, engVid, which

I'll tell you about later, you can practice so many words that end like this with people,

places - lots of very common words.

And if you're mispronouncing them, can you imagine how many mistakes you correct with

one small change?

All right?

Okay.

Now, let's look at a few other words: "billion".

"A billion dollars", "a trillion dollars", "a zillion dollars".

Okay?

All right.

We are the "champions".

Okay?

"Champion".

When you will become a champion you want to make sure you pronounce that word really well

and correctly.

All right.

There are also famous companies that end with "on", for example: "Verizon" or "Canon", or

"Johnson & Johnson".

Okay?

All right.

So, here we go now looking at something slightly different.

As I mentioned, "on" sometimes appears at the end of words that end with "tion".

Right?

Nouns that end like this, or that end with "sion".

Okay?

Here, the...

It's slightly different-okay?-but you're still getting the same "un" sound.

You need to be saying it with that shortened schwa sound.

Repeat after me, okay?

"Addition".

Actually, there are a few other words that have to do with math that sound exactly like

that: "addition", "subtraction", "multiplication".

Okay?

They all end with "tion".

"Division" is on that side - "sion".

Okay.

"Education", "immigration", "situation".

"What's the situation?"

Okay?

Good.

Now the words that end in "sion": "version", "decision".

"What's your decision?

Have you made a decision?"

Good.

"Explosion" and "television".

Okay?

If you've practiced these and you've got them right, you're on your way.

Now we're going to practice them in some sentences, all right?

Because for this particular lesson...

Usually we have a quiz.

Okay?

On our website we have a quiz, but for pronunciation it's kind of a little bit hard for us to give

you a quiz, so I'm going to do the quiz with you right now, and then I'll show you where

you can get that resource where you can do lots more practice.

All right.

So, just to review what we learned in this lesson: If "on" appears at the beginning of

a word, you pronounce it as "on".

If it appears at the end of a word, there are three possibilities; one of them is the

most common, but there are two others.

Sometimes when it appears at the end it sounds like "on", like "icon"; sometimes when it

appears at the end, it sounds like "un", as in the word "son"; but most of the time and

most of the time when people make mistakes, it's where it sounds like "un" with the schwa,

as in the word: "vacation".

All right?

So that's where your hack is.

The hack is like a shortcut, a trick, a way to learn a lot of things very quickly.

It's in this section.

All right?

So now I want you to say these sentences or questions out loud, and then I will say them.

Okay?

But you say it first.

Ready?

Number one: "What's your position?"

Good.

Number two: "Use your imagination."

Number three: "Make a decision."

Now, what I want you to do...

The reason I want you to say it first is to check and compare if your word sounds like

my word.

Okay?

Let's go.

Number four: "Find a solution."

Good.

Number five: "He moved to Edmonton."

Good.

Number six: "Who won the election?"

Number seven: "What's his occupation?"

And number eight: "She loves Matt Damon."

Okay?

So, as you can see, that change, that "un", that shortened sound, that reduced sound appears

in hundreds of words.

And if you want to practice those words and really master it, please go to our website

at www.engvid.com and download for free the resource where you can practice these words.

All right?

And thanks very much for watching.

Please go to my YouTube channel, check out the other lessons that I have there; you may

find other things that you find really helpful.

And if you really like it, please subscribe.

All right?

Thanks very much for watching.

All the best with your English.

Bye for now.