English | Learn English Vowels | 5 Tips for English Speaking | Learn English | Rachel’s English

In this video, you’re going to get my top 5 tips for perfect vowel sounds in American English.

在此视频中，你将能得到美式英语中的5个关于完美元音发音的小技巧

Vowel sounds are critical to making your accent sound more like a native English speaker.

想要你的口音更加接近英语母语者，元音发音至关重要

The tips here build on each other and, in just a few step-by-step minutes,

这些技巧相互依赖，只需要几分钟，

you’ll be sounding more smooth and natural in the way you speak American English.

你的美语发音就会听起来更加流畅和自然

Tip #1: know how the vowels compare to those in your own native language.

技巧 #1：了解元音与你自己母语元音有什么区别

You might not be familiar with the phonetics of your own language, most people aren’t.

你可能并不了解关于自己母语的发音学，大多数人都不了解

I wasn’t familiar with the phonetics of American English until I started teaching it.

直到我开始教授美语发音前，我也并不了解美语的发音学

I suggest you to go Wikipedia and look up all of the vowel and diphthong sounds like this.

我建议你到维基百科去查询所有的过于元音和双元音的发音，就像这样

I'll put a link to this page in the video description.

我会将此页面的链接放在视频描述中

In the vowels section, you'll see all the vowels and diphthongs of American English

在这个元音区域，你会看到所有关于美式英语的元音和双元音

and many of these are clickable.

以及这些很多都是可以点击的

So when you click on a sound,

所以当你点击其中一个音时

it will take you to the page for that sound and what you can do here is click on occurence.

你将会到这个音的页面，然后点击这里的Occurrence

This will take you down to a table where you'll see everytime the sound occurs in a language in the world.

它会带你到这个表中，这个表里包含了世界上各种语言的发音

So scroll, look for your own language and see if the vowel sound is also in your language

查看它，找到你自己的语言以及看这个元音发音是否也在你的母语中

and if so, what is that keyword?

如果存在，那么这个元音的关键字是什么呢？

Do this for all the vowels and diphthong sounds in American English.

对美语中所有的元音和双元音都做这项工作

The vowels are IH as in Sit, EE as in She, UH as in Push,

这些音标是IH as in Sit, EE as in She, UH as in Push

OO as in Boo, the AY as in Say diphthong, the schwa, UH, the OH as in No diphthong, the EH as in Bed vowel,

OO as in Boo, the AY as in Say diphthong, the schwa, UH, the OH as in No diphthong, the EH as in Bed vowel

the UR as in Bird vowel, the UH as in Butter vowel, the AW as in Law vowel, the AA as in Bat vowel,

the UR as in Bird vowel, the UH as in Butter vowel, the AW as in Law vowel, the AA as in Bat vowel

the AH as in Father vowel, and the diphthongs AI as in Buy, OY as in Boy, and OW as in Now.

the AH as in Father vowel, and the diphthongs AI as in Buy, OY as in Boy, and OW as in Now

I also refer to the JU as in Few diphthong in my materials.

在我的材料中，我也将JU称为少数双元音

Do this for all the vowels and diphthongs and note the ones that are in your language, and the ones that aren’t.

对所有的元音和双元音都做这项工作，并注意那些在你母语或者不在你母语中的元音

This will change the way you study them.

这将会改变你学习音标的方式

For the sounds that are not in your language, learn exactly what the positions should be

对于那些不在你母语中的发音，你可以在我的元音和双元音视频列表中

in my Vowel and Diphthong playlist.

学习它的准确发音动作

These videos go over each of the vowel sounds and diphthong sounds in American English.

这些视频包含美语中所有的元音和双元音

There are illustrations, there is up close, slow motion footage.

都是可视化的，有近景和慢动作

They will definitely help you understand the positions so check them out if you haven’t already.

这些都绝对会帮助你理解发音的口型，如果你还有不懂的地方，就看看它吧

Click here, or find the link in the video description.

点击这里或者在视频描述区找到链接

Tip #2: vowels vs. diphthongs.

技巧 #2：元音 vs 双元音

What is a diphthong?

什么是双元音

It’s a combination of two vowel sounds within the same syllable.

在一个音节中包含两个元音发音

Because there are two different sounds, that means we have to have a movement.

因为它是两个不同的发音，这就意味着我们需要做到嘴部移动

For vowels, it’s one position: aaaaaaa.

对于元音，只有一个动作：aaaaa

Nothing moves.

没有移动

But for diphthongs, something has to move.

但是对于双元音，需要移动

AI, aiii-- the jaw goes from being more dropped to less dropped, ai.

AI,aiii--下巴位置从下到上，ai

It’s also important to note: some resources will call diphthongs a ‘long vowel’

还需要注意的是：一些资料将双元音称为“长元音”

like the AI diphthong might be called the ‘long I’ vowel.

像AI双元音可能被称为'long I'元音

It’s the same thing.

这都是一样的

Tip #3: beware of placement.

技巧 #3：注意发音部位

What is placement?

什么是发音部位

It’s one of the hardest things for me teach and for my students to get.

这对我的教学以及学生们的理解都是最难的事情

It has to do with where in the body the voice is resonating.

这与声音在体内的共鸣有关

And placement greatly affects if you sound American or not.

对于你的发音是否接近美国人起着至关重要的作用

I’m going to say the AH as in FATHER vowel with different placements.

我将会说几个关于AH as in FATHER元音的不同发音部位

I am sure you will notice that they sound different.

我相信你会注意到它们的区别

Ah, ah, ah.

Ah, ah, ah

One was really nasal.

其中一个是鼻音

American placement is really low, and I find that most students that I work with, aahh, place them too high.

美国人的发音部位会很低，但我发现我的很多学生的发音部位太高了

ah, ah. ah, ah. ah, ah.

ah, ah. ah, ah. ah, ah.

And that does change the way the vowel sounds even if the sounds are otherwise good.

尽管这些元音发音在其他方面没有问题，但是这也的确改变的声音

So keep this in mind when you’re working on tip #1.

所以当你在进行技巧1的同时记住这件事

Even sounds that you have in your own language might need adjusting,

每一个关于你母语的元音发音都有可能需要改进

you might need to find a lower placement for them. to truly sound American.

有可能是降低它们的发音部位，从而变成真正的美式发音

I’m still trying to find the best way to teach placement.

我仍在努力寻找一个最好的办法去教授发音部位

I’ve put together a playlist of some of the videos that I’ve made on this topic that I think will help you.

我整理了一些我制作的视频列表，希望对你有所帮助

Click here, or in the video description.

点击这里或者在视频描述区找到链接

Tip #4: Minimal pairs.

技巧 #4：最小对照组

Lots of my students have word pairs that sound the same to them or that are confusing.

我的很多学生都有一个单词对照组，其中包含了那些对他们来说听起来一样或者让他们困扰的单词

For example, bitch - beach, or bat - bet.

例如，bit-beach，bat-bet

Hot - hut.

hot-hut

A minimal pair is a pair of words where only one sound is different.

最小对照组的意思是一对单词只有一个发音不一样

In these cases, it was the vowel.

在这个例子中，都是元音不同

What do you do when they sound the same to you?

在听起来读音一样的时候，你会怎么做？

I’ve worked with lots of students on this.

我和许多学生处理过这个

I always tell them, don’t panic,

我总是告诉他们，不要慌

there is absolutely a way to master these sounds even though you can’t hear the difference.

绝对有办法去区分这些单词的发音，即使你现在并听不出来

They start off with listening practice.

他们开始听力练习

Put no pressure on yourself other than listening.

除了听之外，不要有仍何压力

Listen for a week.

听一周

Listen to what?

听什么？

Well, I can’t recommend my Academy highly enough, because I’ve done all the work for you.

好吧，我不得不推荐下我的学院了，因为在我的学院中已经为你做了所有的工作

I’ve put together audio files of every minimal pair.

我已经把所有最小对照组的音频文件整理到了一起

Each word is said with the same intonation: Bad, bed.

每个单词都是相同的语调：bad, bed

Make sure you don’t listen to audio where the intonation is different: bad, bed.

确保你不会听到不同语调的单词：bad, bed

Then it’s not really a minimal pair anymore because the intonation is different too.

不同语调的单词并不能算最小对照组

My students download these files and listen to them a couple of times a day for a week or so.

我的学生下载这些文件，一天听几次，一周左右

Then they start to hear the difference.

他们就能开始听出不同

Here's a look inside the Academy and the kinds of audio that you could work with here.

这里是学院内部页面和一些你可以用来训练的音频

This soundboard compares AH as in Father or AW as in Law with the UH as in Butter sound.

这个音板比较了AH as in Father 或 AW as in Law 同 UH as in Butter 的声音

Bunk, bunk.

Bunk, bunk

As you listen to audio like this over and over, you will start to hear the difference.

随着你一遍又一遍的听，你将会发现区别

Pop, pop.

Pop, pop

Student are also able to download longer audio files of all of the minimal pairs together

学生们当然也可以下载这个长音频文件，里面包含了所有最小对照组

to listen to at times when you're on the go like commuting.

当你在路上，比如上下班的时候，你可以听它

Isn’t that amazing?

这是不是很棒

They couldn’t hear the difference, and then they start to just by repetitious listening, just by exposure.

他们本来听不出区别，然后开始通过重复的听，通过接触

When they do this they get to know the sounds so well that they end up sounding native.

当他们这么做时，他们就会很好的了解这些声音，最终他们的声音将听起来像本地人

They learned from native audio.

他们从本地人的语音中学习

After you hear the difference in the minimal pairs, you repeat out loud.

在你听到最小对照组的区别后，大声的重复朗读

You do this over and over to break your habits,

反复去做，打破自己旧的习惯

and you come out on the other side of all of this work sounding fabulous and avoiding misunderstandings.

当你完成了这项工作中后，你将听起来美妙极了，而且避免了很多尴尬

Working with minimal pairs is a key to clarifying your American English vowel and diphthong sounds

练习最小对照组是使你的美式英语元音和双元音

to sound natural.

听起来自然的关键

And tip #5: the color vowel chart.

技巧 #5：彩色元音图标

What is that?

那是什么？

I didn’t make it up, it was created by other teachers,

这不是我做的，是其他老师做的

and they have come up with a color and a noun for each vowel or diphthong.

他们为每个元音和双元音都想出了一种颜色和一个名词

When you learn words, you think about what vowel or diphthong sound is in the stressed syllable,

当你学习单词的时候，你会想到重度音节中的元音和双元音是什么

and you categorize it that way in your mind.

并在你的脑海中用这个方法分类

Maybe you even visualize the color.

或者想象一下颜色

Why not?

为什么不呢？

Bring in another part of the brain.

带入大脑的另一部分

Every time you learn a new word you can learn the pronunciation and assign it a color.

每次你学习一个新的单词，你可以学习它的发音，并给他分配一个颜色

This will help it stick in your head.

这能够使你加深印象

I’ll put a link to some color vowel chart resources in the video description.

我在视频描述区会放一些彩色元音图标的资源链接

If you work with these tips you truly will improve your ability

如果你按照这些技巧练习，你的能力将会得到大幅提升

to say the vowel and diphthong sounds of American English naturally.

美式英语的元音和双元音发音也会更加自然

And that will help you speak with confidence.

这会使你说话更加自信

Again, be sure to check out my playlist that goes over the details of how to pronounce

同样，请查看我的视频列表

each vowel and diphthong sound in American English.

其中详细介绍了美式英语的元音和双元音的发音

You can do this.

你可以做到的

Please let me know in the Comments which of these 5 tips was most important for you.

请在评论中告诉我这5个技巧中哪儿一个对你来说最重要

What did you learn?

你学到了什么

How will you make the changes that you need to make?

你如何做出你需要做出的改变

Writing to me in the Comments helps me understand your process

在评论中告诉我，帮助我理解你的方法

and helps me continue to improve as a teacher!

并帮助我作为一名教师不断提高

Thanks in advance for leaving me a note.

提前谢谢你给我的留言

That’s it, and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.

感谢观看Rachel's English