PERFECT ENGLISH – 10 must-know English words! | Rachel’s English Pronunciation | Top 100 words

160,259 views

2018-09-18 ・ Rachel's English


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PERFECT ENGLISH – 10 must-know English words! | Rachel’s English Pronunciation | Top 100 words

160,259 views ・ 2018-09-18

Rachel's English


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

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Today, you are getting the next video in the 100 most common words in English series.
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This is video 10, where we will be covering the last 10 words,
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that is 91 through 100
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in the most common words in English list.
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In this series, we're studying the real pronunciation.
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This is likely different from what you learned in English class.
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You see, in American English, we have all sorts of words that are unstressed or even reduced:
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that means we change the pronunciation.
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The set of the 100 most common words in American English contains many, many words that reduce.
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If you haven't already seen video 1 and the other videos in this series,
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I do suggest you start there.
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These videos build one on top of the next,
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so click here to watch video one.
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In this final video, we do have a couple of great reductions.
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But our first word, number 91, isn't a word that reduces.
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The word is 'even', and this is an adjective,
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an adverb, or a verb.
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So a content word, usually stressed in a sentence.
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But as I wrote sample sentences, I was thinking about how
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sometimes even content words seem unstressed
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because there are so many other stressed words that are more stressed in a sentence.
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First, let's study word stress.
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It's a two-syllable word, with stress on the first syllable,
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the EE vowel. Ee. Even, ee.
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The tongue tip is down, touching the back of the bottom front teeth,
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and the top front part of the tongue arches towards the roof of the mouth, ee.
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The corners of the lips may pull out a bit.
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Ee. Even.
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Then we have V, schwa, N.
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When the schwa is followed by N, it's absorbed by it, so you don't need to try to make a schwa sound,
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then an N sound.
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You can think of just going straight from V right into N, vn, vn, vn.
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It's flat, low in pitch, and said very quickly.
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It's an unstressed syllable.
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Even in our stressed words, unstressed syllables are fast, less clear.
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Even, even.
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Let's look at some sample sentences.
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I didn't make much money, but I did break even.
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Even numbers can be divided by two.
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Even, even.
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In both of these sentences, the word was longer and clearer.
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But let's look at two other sentences.
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This one's even better.
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Here, THIS and BETTER are more stressed, the flow goes UH-uh-UH.
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This one's even better.
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BETTER is much more important than EVEN,
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so I stress that more.
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This one's even better.
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This makes 'even' feel unstressed.
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This one's even, even, even.
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This one's even better.
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Do you hear how it's flatter and doesn't have the up-down shape?
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This one's even, even, even, even, even, even, better.
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That means it's unstressed.
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I don't even know what to do.
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I don't even know what to do.
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Even, even, even.
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I don't even know.
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I don't even, even, even, even.
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Unstressed, less clear than KNOW and DO.
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I don't even know what to do.
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Even, even, even.
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This makes EVEN feel unstressed.
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The contrast with the longer, up-down shape of those stressed syllables.
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So when should you make sure to make it stressed?
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I would say when it's a verb or a phrasal verb.
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But if it's an adverb describing a verb, or an adjective describing another adjective,
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then you can make it unstressed.
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Because the verb or adjective it's describing will be more stressed.
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Stressed or unstressed:
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Even, even.
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Even, even.
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Number 92. The word NEW.
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This is an adjective.
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It’s a content word, it’s stressed.
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If you look it up, depending on the dictionary, it might say that this word has two pronunciations.
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That’s not really true.
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We only use one, and it’s N consonant and oo vowel new, new.
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The dictionary might give an alternate pronunciation, new, with the EW diphthong like in ‘few’,
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new,
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but I really have not heard anyone use that pronunciation
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in conversational or business or even more formal English.
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New. New.
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You don’t want to start with your lips in a tight circle for OO, nooo, nooo, that’s not quite right.
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Start with your lips more relaxed, then bring them in for the OO vowel.
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New, new, new.
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Let’s look at some sample sentences.
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There's a new idea.
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I lost my new camera.
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She has a new book coming out.
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New, new, up-down shape of stress, a little longer, it’s one of the more clear words in the sentences.
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Number 93, the word ‘want’.
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Now, we mentioned this when we were looking at number 58, the word him, in the sample sentence,
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“We want him to succeed.”
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So when do re-visit that sample sentence.
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But first, let’s talk about is it a content word or a function word.
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Will it generally be stressed, or unstressed in a sentence.
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It’s, a verb, or it can also be a noun.
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Those are content words, so this word is usually stressed in a sentence.
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With stressed words, we don’t really reduce, we don’t drop or change a sound.
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But every once in a while we do, and ‘want’ is one of those words.
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It’s a content word, it’s stressed, but still, it’s not uncommon to drop the T at the end.
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Let’s look at our sample sentence, We want him to succeed.
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Want him, want him.
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Want is stressed, but there’s no T.
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I’m dropping the H in him, a very common reduction, and we link the two words together,
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want him, want him, want him.
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It’s common to do this when the next word begins with a vowel or diphthong:
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I want everyone to be there.
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No T.
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Want everyone, want everyone.
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We want her to do to better.
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Want her, want her.
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Dropping the H, ‘want’ is now followed by a vowel, and so I dropped the T.
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Want her, want her.
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I want another one.
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Want another, want another.
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Dropped T.
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In all of these sentences it was stressed, longer, with the up-down shape of stress.
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But, at the same time it was reduced.
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The T was dropped.
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What if the next word begins with a consonant?
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Then we make that a Stop sound.
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Just like with N’T endings, it’s a nasally stop sound because of the N, want, want, nt, nt, nt, nt, nt.
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So as you’re making the N, you make an abrupt stop by the air stopping airflow.
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Want, want.
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And that the stop sound.
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I want that.
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Want that.
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I want that
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I want this one, want, nt, nt, nt, want.
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Ok, we’ve talked about the ending a lot, what about the rest of the word?
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It begins with the W consonant, then you have your choice of two vowels,
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AH as in FATHER or AW as in LAW, according to the dictionary.
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Let’s try them out, AH, Father, AH, wa-, want. Want. Or AW, LAW, want, want.
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Want or AH, LAW, AH, Want, Want, want.
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Those both work, but I also hear a lot of Americans saying ‘want’, ah, law want.
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this is what I do, with the UH as in BUTTER vowel.
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Waa--, want, want.
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I don’t want that, want, waaa--, want.
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Want.
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So you have your choice of three vowels.
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You’re also probably familiar with the reduction ‘wanna’.
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This is want + to, and we drop the T.
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I think in this reduction, it’s especially common to use the UH vowel, wanna, wanna.
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I know, they ‘wanna’ see you.
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Wanna.
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So a stressed word, but we might reduce it.
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Number 94, a function word that does often reduce, the word ‘because’.
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Just like with the word ‘want’ the stressed syllable here might be pronounced with the AH as in FATHER vowel,
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because, the AW as in LAW vowel, because, or the UH as in BUTTER Vowel, because.
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Because, because, because.
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But this words is a conjunction, a preposition, that is, a function word, and so we often reduce it.
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We say it really quickly and not too clearly, and we change it, even the stressed syllable, to be the schwa.
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Because, because, because, because, because, because.
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OR we go even further, and we drop the first syllable, cuz, cuz.
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You’ve probably seen people write C-U-Z,
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I don’t like that. I don’t like writing reductions, though it’s really common.
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But speaking reductions, that’s great.
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That’s wonderful English.
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Let’s look at a few example.
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We’re late ‘cuz’ there was a traffic jam. Cuz, cuz.
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Late cuz.
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Or I could say, we’re late because there was a traffic jam.
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Because, because, because.
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Either way, one syllable or two, it’s unstressed, reduced, not fully pronounced.
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They’re staying home ‘cuz’ of the storm.
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She’s grounded ‘cuz’ of her grades.
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‘Grounded’ means in trouble, facing restrictions, usually this is something parents
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do teenagers for breaking rules or bad behavior.
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The ‘cuz’ or because reduction.
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Number 95, the word ‘any’.
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This word can be stressed or unstressed in a sentence, but it doesn’t reduce.
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We don’t drop or change a sound, we just make the quality different to make it stressed or unstressed:
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ANY vs. any.
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Any.
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We would stress this word when using it as an adjective describing a noun:
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any kid would love that.
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What kind of kid?
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Any kid.
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At any rate, that’s a good deal.
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Any kid, any rate.
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Otherwise, it can sound unstressed: Do you feel any better?
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FEEL any BETTER?
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Feel any, any, any, any, any.
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There it’s not that up down shape here compared to FEEL and BETTER: Feel any better?
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any, any, any, any.
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Lower in pitch and flatter.
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Unstressed
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We also use ‘any’ for an unknown amount.
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Then it sounds unstressed: Do you have any money?
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Have any, any, any, any.
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Do you have any time?
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Any, any, any, said quickly, flat and low in pitch.
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Any, any.
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The pronunciation: We have the EH as in BED vowel, EH, eh-n, the N consonant and an unstressed EE.
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Any, any.
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Any or any.
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Number 96, wow, we’re getting close to the end!
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Number 96 is ‘these’.
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This word can be stressed or unstressed, depending on how it’s being used, but we don’t reduce it.
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Voiced TH, EE vowel, weak ending these.
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I want to point out that when this word is unstressed, I’ll even say any time it doesn’t begin a thought group,
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it’s common to cheat the pronunciation of the TH a little bit.
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It still sounds like a TH to us, but we’ll make it without bringing the tongue tip through the teeth:
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These, these.
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We make it like this. These, these, these.
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The tongue tip is just behind the teeth, the, the, the, these, then it pulls down for the E vowel.
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You might see my tongue behind the teeth, the --, these, these, but I’m not really bringing it out.
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tttttthhhhese, these.
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Instead It's these, these, these.
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This is an important shortcut for non-native speakers
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since so many of them struggle with the full pronunciation of the TH sound.
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Th, th, th, thse, these, the tongue tip isn’t at the roof of the mouth, and it's not pointing down.
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It’s pressing the backs of the teeth and then pulling away.
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These, these.
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Let’s look at some examples.
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First, sentences where they’re not stressed:
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Everyone wants one of these.
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These, these, these.
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We need these to be cut in half.
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These, these, these.
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Simple TH pronunciation where the tip does not come thru.
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Now lets make it stressed, like at the beginning of the sentence:
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These are great.
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These people need help.
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These, these, tongue tip is coming thru and we have that up-down shape, a little longer, a little clearer.
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These.
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Number 97, give.
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This is a verb, and verbs are content words, which means they’re stressed and they don’t reduce.
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Except certain ones can reduce, and this is one of them.
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Give, G consonant, IH vowel, V consonant.
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I’ll give you that for your birthday.
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Give.
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I'll give you.
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Stressed, fully pronounced.
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We’re going to give her a discount.
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Give, give, again stressed and fully pronounced.
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But with ‘me’, it’s common to reduce this.
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It’s still a verb and it’s still stressed, but we drop the final V sound:
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Gimme that.
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Gi-- stressed, but no V.
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Gimme, Gimme that.
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In fact, sometimes you might see it written GIMME.
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Gimme, gimme, gimme.
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Gimme that.
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Can you gimme more time?
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So the G-I syllable is still stressed, gi -- even though we’re dropping the final V.
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This is just like ‘want’.
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It’s a content word, a stressed word, and yet, in certain cases, we drop the final sound.
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Isn’t it interesting?
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As you study how Americans really speak,
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you see that the full pronunciation often isn’t the most natural or common pronunciation.
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If all you learned was the book pronunciation, you’d have a pretty hard time putting sentences together naturally.
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That’s what this video series is about.
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Getting you to see it’s not always about a full, clear pronunciation in English.
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Let’s keep going.
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Number 98, the word ‘day’.
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This is always a noun, and it is always stressed. We don’t reduce it!
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Out of all of the most common words that we’ve studied so far, almost 100, this is only number 25
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that is never unstressed or reduced.
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Wow!
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D consonant, AY as in SAY diphthong.
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First drop your jaw, a-, then arch the top front part of the tongue towards the roof of the mouth.
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and the jaw relaxes up.
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Ay, day, day.
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I need another day to finish.
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What day is he coming back?
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Let’s call it a day.
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Day, day, up-down shape of stress, longer clearer.
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That last sentence, let’s call it a day, is an idiom that means, let’s stop doing what we’re doing.
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It usually refers to work.
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For example, if I’m working late at night, David might come up to my office and say,
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Rachel, why don’t you call it a day?
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Number 99, the word ‘most’.
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This can be several different parts of speech, but all uses are content words.
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So this word is generally stressed.
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But it still might get a small reduction, and that’s because of the ending cluster.
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This is just like number 88, first, or number 57, just.
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When the word is followed by a consonant, it’s common to drop the T.
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Most people like it.
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Most people.
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Most people.
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It’s the most challenging part.
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Most challenging
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Most challenging
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Most people, most challenging.
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We drop this T because it comes between two consonants
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17:57
and sometimes we do that to make speech smoother.
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To make the transition between two words smoother.
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18:05
If the word is followed by a word that begins with a vowel or diphthong, or at the end of your thought group,
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then do make the T: I got most of the questions right.
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Here it's followed by a vowel.
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Most of the, most of the, most, and I'am making a T.
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Most. Most.
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M consoant, OH diphthong, mo-.
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Jaw drop then lip rounding Mo-, most.
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Then the ST cluster.
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Most.
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Number 100! The final word! Us.
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This word is a pronoun, a function word, and so it’s not normally stressed.
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It’s unstressed.
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They took us to the movies.
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Took us, us, us, us.
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They gave it to us for our anniversary.
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Gave it to us, us, us, us, us.
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You could write this in IPA as schwa-S.
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Fully pronounced, it’s UH as in BUTTER – S.
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US, but unstressed, us, us, us.
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If it’s the last word in a sentence, I would stress it: This belongs to us.
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Us, up-down shape of stress.
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But usually, us, us, us, unstressed.
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Flat in pitch said very quickly.
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Wow. There it is, the whole list, the 100 most common words in English, how Americans pronounce them.
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I started this project to show students how frequently we reduce words,
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and the contrast of stressed and unstressed words.
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I feel like we still have a lot to learn from this list.
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Let’s do one more video together, where we look at the list as a whole
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and come up with your pronunciation strategies.
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Join me for the last video in this series, which will coming up next week, Tuesday morning eastern time.
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That’s it, and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.
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