How to Say 20 Business English Verbs CORRECTLY! Pronunciation Lesson

Hey there I'm Emma from mmmEnglish.

Today I'm going to help you to practise

your pronunciation, I've got twenty English verbs that

my students often mispronounce

and these are all essential business English verbs,

ones that are really useful in the workplace.

But most of them are actually really common in

everyday English as well.

You'll read them in the newspaper,

you'll hear them in films or in podcasts,

even if it's not specifically about

business or work right.

If you stick with me throughout this whole lesson,

you will definitely be sounding more professional,

communicating more clearly.

I think we should just get into it.

As I said, I have twenty business English verbs

to go through with you today

and the reason that many of my students have trouble

pronouncing these words

is syllable stress, where to put the stress in the word

which vowel sound is the strongest and the clearest.

And I wonder how many of them

you've been mispronouncing without realising it.

The good news is it takes a little practice,

some regular practice

to break your pronunciation habits so that you can

finally start pronouncing these words correctly,

communicate clearly and effectively and successfully.

So I'm going to go through all of them one by one

but later on in the lesson, we're going to practise

using them together in longer sentences

because this is often where things get tricky

when you start pushing other sounds and other words

together around these words.

So let's start really simple with share.

Share.

So we start with that

consonant sound but that vowel sound

may be a little different than you think right? It's not

it's not

but

so it's that

as in hair vowel sound.

In my Australian accent you don't hear that

sound at the end. It's just finishing on that vowel sound.

Another really common verb is answer.

Now notice that that W is silent right it's not

and that's where some of my students

get a little stuck right? That W is silent.

Answer

which makes it a little easier than

trying to pronounce that sound, right?

We're going to get into some more advanced verbs

very soon but it really is quite common for my

English students, even my advanced students

to still be making pronunciation mistakes like these.

Pronunciation habits are tricky ones to break

so don't feel bad if you're

just realising that you've been making some mistakes

with your pronunciation.

Today is an awesome day

because you get the chance to fix them.

Let's keep going!

Accept.

So these two consonants here

are exactly the same right but

they're pronounced differently so it's not

but

So there's a stop on that sound

to help you ease into the next syllable, accept.

The first syllable is unstressed right so it

reduces down to that schwa sound

The second syllable is the stronger one, it's clearer.

You can hear it very clearly right?

Accept.

A quick note,

if you would like to learn a little bit more about

syllable stress in English

then I will definitely link to a great lesson of mine

at the end of this video.

You can catch it up there if you need it.

Focus.

You don't want to mess up the pronunciation here.

Kind of like share, the vowel sound might be a little

different to what you think okay?

It's a long diphthong sound

as in go, right?

Not

as in hot. okay? It's not

which sounds a little rude okay? It's not

It's focus. So see the movement in my mouth

when I make that sound?

There's movement in my mouth

as I'm making that one sound.

Focus.

Present.

So when you're using the verb form of this word,

you really need to focus on syllable stress right

because it's also common to hear present

with the stress on the first syllable. It can be a noun

or it can also be an adjective, present.

But when you're using the verb form, you really need to

shift that stress onto the second syllable, right?

Present.

Produce.

So notice where that stress is there as well?

It's on the second syllable.

Produce.

There are some slight variations in how native speakers

pronounce this word. You will hear some

Americans saying produce

which might be a little easier

but in my accent, produce

like in jam.

Purchase.

So with this one, we really do need to focus on

syllable stress all right because many of my students

pronounce or they put the stress on the second

syllable which is incorrect. It's not

That's incorrect.

That's pronouncing both syllables with

equal amount of stress right and of course this

rarely happens in English.

We usually have one syllable that is

stronger than another.

So here the correct pronunciation is

Can you hear that weaker syllable in the second syllable

We use that schwa vowel sound.

Purchase.

Risk.

And finally, a one syllable word where we don't

need to worry about syllable stress, right?

But now we've got a different problem, we've got a very

tricky set of consonants. We've got

It's really, really tricky to push those

two sounds together, right?

As always, when you have two consonant sounds

or even three together in English words,

the best way to practise

is to slow right down and practise the two sounds

next to each other as closely as you can

without adding any extra sounds, just

pausing between them.

Try and bring them closer together,

make them a little closer.

Consider.

This is a really great, more advanced word to use

instead of think. It's a great way to sound more

professional and to upgrade your English.

Consider.

Can you hear the stressed syllable? Where is it?

It's in the middle, consider.

But it's not

all right it's that short vowel sound

there it is.

Consider.

So even though it's a stressed syllable,

that vowel sound is still short

though it's the strongest one okay

and naturally the other two syllables either side,

they reduce down all right?

They're unstressed so they are lower in pitch,

they're softer.

You don't hear them as loudly as the middle one.

Consider.

Measure.

Probably the trickiest thing about this word is that

consonant sound in the middle.

You know the

consonant sound right?

Well this sound is the voiced

pair to that sound

which means that we need to activate

our voice box in order to make it, right?

is made with air.

You can feel that air coming out but

is made with your vocal cords back here.

Less air, more vocal chords and vibration.

Measure.

Now listen to the difference between the two

vowel sounds in these different syllables.

Okay so there is a difference in the way that

the vowel sound is pronounced as well.

Measure.

Identify.

That stress is on the second syllable, right?

The others are short, they're quick.

Identify.

Multiply.

So take a look at the stressed vowel sound, right?

It's short, it's that sound as in up not

not

but multiply.

Multiply.

Develop.

Now this one is tricky for my Indian, Ukrainian,

Russian students, anyone who doesn't have the

consonant sound in their native language, right?

Often you will mispronounce this word as

Okay?

This can get you into trouble

so really spend some time focusing on that sound okay.

We want the bottom of your top teeth here

to be touching on your bottom lip.

Of course this sound is voiced so we need to activate

your vocal cords.

Develop.

We want to see those teeth all right? We don't want

Get those teeth out touching that lip.

In fact, while we're at it let's also talk about value.

All right?

Value as a verb is a useful one to use professionally,

it helps you to talk about

things that are important to you, your team,

your organisation. You can also use it to talk about

financial value as well.

So it's

not

Keep practising if you're finding it a little tough.

Value. Can you also hear that

sound in the end there as well, right?

Not

Determine.

Not

all right? That last syllable is unstressed.

The vowel sound is short, reduces right down.

Determine.

Exchange.

There are quite a few crazy looking

consonants going on there, aren't there?

Let's just break it down a little. That first syllable is

unstressed so it's lower in pitch and it's quick.

Just like six but without the

Then our second syllable is our stressed syllable right

so it's stronger, it's clearer, it's louder

than the first one and that vowel sound is the

diphthong sound

as in day right? Same sound

but either side of that sound, we've got an interesting

consonant pair right? These two sounds are related

the consonant sound.

See how my lips are flaring out to make

that sound, my teeth are together.

This sound is unvoiced okay? It's made with

air coming through your mouth and making that sound.

But if we keep our lips and

everything in the same position,

we change that unvoiced sound to be a voiced one

using our vocal chords.

These two sounds are the ones either side of our

stressed vowel sound.

Exchange.

Analyse.

So we're starting with a really strong

stressed syllable here.

But then the schwa sound, an unstressed syllable

follows.

Then we add that

voiced sound at the end

to finish things off.

Analyse.

Sometimes this verb is mispronounced because

it's quite similar to the noun, analysis right?

Analysis is the result of

this action right? To analyse.

So when you say it make sure you feel and you hear

that final consonant sound.

Analyse

right? For all my Vietnamese speakers

make sure you hit that final consonant sound okay?

Same with authorise.

Starting with

as in door followed by

the TH sound.

right? It's the unvoiced TH sound made with air

followed by the schwa.

Authorise.

Distribute.

Say it with me. Distribute.

Can you notice where the stress is?

It's in the middle right? It's on the second syllable.

That first syllable is unstressed.

Distribute.

And the last trickiest one

negotiate.

The end of the word is really tricky, right?

It doesn't really look like how it should sound.

Really it's pronounced,

if you close your eyes and you just listen

Negotiate.

So those are all of the words for today's lesson.

If you want to go back over those words

before we practise them together,

no problem! You're in control. Just rewind,

watch them through again.

But right now I want to put those words

into longer sentences to help you practise them

more quickly right, practise them at pace

and this is often where you get stuck right?

So as you speed up your speech and you start adding

extra words and sounds around these words,

that's where things get a little tricky and that's

exactly what we're about to practise.

I'm gonna read it out first.

You can listen but then it's your turn okay?

Make sure you're somewhere where you can

practise out loud.

After you do it, I'm gonna say it one more time again.

Don't forget that you're in control of this video okay?

If you need to pause, listen again, rewind a little,

play it again, it's totally up to you.

Take your time, do what you need to do to practise.

In fact, you can even slow down the speed of this video

by using the controls down there, slow it down

to help you really focus on my pronunciation.

Listen to if you're pronouncing it in the same way,

make some adjustments.

There is absolutely no problem. You're in control.

Right so you're ready to try with me?

I don't want to risk losing this customer.

Perhaps we should consider a different option.

I don't want to risk losing this customer,

perhaps we should consider a different option.

If we don't measure our growth,

how will we determine if we're profitable?

If we don't measure our growth

how will we determine if we're profitable?

The company distributes profits based on the

deal negotiated by each stakeholder.

The company distributes profits based on the

deal negotiated by each stakeholder.

I would have never authorised that payment

without the contractor accepting our terms.

I would have never authorised that payment

without the contractor accepting our terms.

Are you happy to answer a few questions

about your experience?

Are you happy to answer a few questions

about your experience?

Amy identifies new cultural trends and exchanges ideas

with researchers at the university.

Amy identifies new cultural trends and exchanges ideas

with researchers at the university.

Before we present the new strategy to the board,

we need to determine the resources needed to deliver it!

Before we present the new strategy to the board,

we need to determine the resources needed to deliver it!

Whenever we purchase new property,

we analyse the market to ensure the value is justified.

Whenever we purchase new property,

we analyse the market to ensure the value is justified.

Since developing a new master plan, the number of new

residents has multiplied every month.

Since developing a new master plan, the number of

new residents every month.

Let's focus on strategies to produce new

content to share on our website.

Let's focus on strategies to produce new content

to share on our website.

How'd you do? I know a couple of them were

a little bit like a tongue twister

but you did really well to get all the way through them.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

I hope that you enjoyed the lesson,

that you enjoyed the practice.

And I want to know which of those words

were especially difficult for you to pronounce?

Make sure you spend a little bit of extra time this week

practising those tricky sounds and those

tricky words right?

Bookmark this video, come back to it when you need to.

It's always going to be here to help you practise

your pronunciation of these tricky English verbs.

All of my English lessons can be found over on the

mmmEnglish blog and the link to the blog is just

down in the description below.

You can also subscribe to my channel

right over there. I make new English lessons every week

so if you want to find out about them, make sure you

turn on that notifications bell

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a new one ready for you.

Speaking of new English lesson,

have you checked out that one yet?

I'll see you in there!