The first thing a person starting to learn English is faced with is the difficulty in reading most of the words. In this regard, there are many jokes among even the native speakers of this language, let alone those for whom it is not native. One Dutch linguist even wrote a poem containing the most difficult and contradictory cases of English phonetics - it is difficult to read it without errors even to someone who knows the language well.
But jokes are jokes, and we must learn to pronounce the words correctly. This helps reading rules in English. For beginners, they will be a little complicated, but this is only out of habit. Having understood them and well fixed the theory with examples, you will see how much they will make your life easier.
What are these rules for?
Without knowing them, learning to read will be difficult. Of course, you can memorize the transcription of those words that you meet. But in this case, your reading abilities will be very limited. And if you meet a word with a familiar root, but an incomprehensible reading suffix or prefix? Or a proper name? In such cases, mistakes are inevitable if you do not know the rules of reading in English. For beginners, they are especially important because they allow you to feel and understand the logic of building a language at all levels, starting with phonetics.
Next, we will explain how to read various sounds and their combinations, how to present English rules to children and what exercises you can use to learn how to read and remember transcription symbols.
Reading consonants
Let's start with the simplest, and then we will move on to the complex. Most consonants in English differ little from Russian. But still the difference is felt. In general, one can distinguish such characteristic features:
- always firmly pronounced;
- voiced sounds are not deafened at the ends of words;
- after the sounds [p, t, k] there is a gasp, because the lips open faster than in the pronunciation in Russian;
- the sound [w] is pronounced pronouncedly with two lips;
- when pronouncing the sound [v], on the contrary, only the lower lip is involved;
- many sounds [t, d, s, z, n, l, tʃ, dʒ] are made with the touch of the tip of the tongue on the alveoli, and not on the teeth (as in the Russian pronunciation).
Vowel reading: 4 types of syllable
We continue to analyze the reading rules in English. For beginners with examples, it is better to submit material. Then it will be more clear how to pronounce this or that sound.
There are only six vowels in the English alphabet , but the difficulty of reading them is due to the presence of four different types of syllables:
- open;
- closed;
- vowel + r;
- vowel + r + vowel.
Consider them all in order, without forgetting about the examples.
In the open syllable, the vowel is read as it is called in the alphabet: O is read as “oh (eh)”, U is read as long “y”, etc. The only exception is the letter Y, which is pronounced as “ah”. How to determine that a syllable is open? It should end in a vowel that can stand:
- at the end of the monosyllabic word (me, go);
- at the beginning or middle (game, time, music);
- next to another vowel (suit).
In a closed syllable that ends in a consonant (sometimes doubled), vowels are truncated:
- Aa [æ] turns into something between Russian sounds [a] and [e], for example: cat, apple.
- Uu [ʌ] is similar to Russian sound [a], for example: rubber, jump.
- Ii [i] is read as a short Russian sound [and], for example: sit, finger.
- Ee [e] is read by the sound [e], for example: pen, egg.
- Oo [ɔ] is read in a short sound [o], for example: shop, fox.
- Yy [i] under stress should be read as a short sound [and], for example: mystery, myth.
This is a minimum that includes reading rules in English for beginners. With exercises for all 4 types it is better not to rush, but first it’s good to learn the differences between closed and open syllables. Then you can move on to more complex cases.
The syllable type “vowel + r” is read as follows:
- -ar pronounce a long sound [aaa];
- -or reads like a long [oooh];
- -ur, -ir, -er are similar to the sound [o], but only pronounced by the throat.
The syllable type “vowel + r + vowel” turns the sound into a special two-part phenomenon of English phonetics - diphthong:
- Aa reads [ɛə], example: dare.
- Ee is read [iə], example: mere.
- Ii reads [aiə], example: fire.
- Uu reads [juə], example: cure.
- Yy is being read [aiə], example: tire.
The exception is the letter Oo, which in the fourth type of syllable is read not by diphthong, but simply by a long one [ɔ:]. For example: more.
Reading letter combinations
Reading rules in English (for beginners and continuing to study) can not do without explaining the various combinations of consonants and vowels. Let's start with the first.
The combination of wr at the beginning of the word: the sound [w] is not pronounced. Examples: write, wrist, wrong.
The combination of wh at the beginning of a word: the sound [h] is not pronounced. Examples: why, what, white. But there is an exception: if the letter -o follows -wh, then the sound [w] “falls out” when reading. So the words sound: who, whole, whose and others.
In the combinations of kn and gn at the beginning of the word: only the sound [n] is read. Examples: knot, gnat.
The ng combination at the end of the word sounds like a [ŋ] sound being pronounced through the nose (going), and the middle of the word is simply [ŋg], for example: hungry, singer.
The combination ch is read [tʃ], like the Russian sound [h '], soft. For example: cheese, coach.
The combination sh gives a sound [ʃ], similar to Russian [sh] in a soft pronunciation. For example: she, push.
The combination of letters qu is read [kw], for example: queen, quite.
The unstressed combination -our is read [ə]: color, favorite.
The -ous combination at the end of words should be read [əs]: dangerous, famous.
The letter -sion after the consonant is pronounced [ʃn], for example: mission. And after the vowel , voicing occurs before [ʒn], example: decision.
Before the letters e, i, y: the consonant C is pronounced with the sound [s], G is pronounced [dʒ]. In other cases, it reads like this: C - [k], G - [g]. Compare: cell - cat, gym - game.
Vowel combinations: -ee and -ea give a long sound [i:], the combination -ai is read [ai], the combination -oo transmits a long sound [u:]. For example: bee, seal, moon.
True, there are sometimes exceptions. For example, blood: in this word double O reads like a sound [ʌ]. But there are few such cases. They are easy to remember, and they do not particularly complicate the rules of reading in English.
For beginners
For children and adults, the explanation of the rules will be different. Young "English" will learn knowledge well if presented with elements of a game and a fairy tale. For example, one can explain type 1 and type 2 of reading as “open” and “closed” doors, where in the first case the letters feel free and shout their name (from the alphabet) loudly, and in the second they are almost inaudible. In a similar way, you can compose a kind of grammar tale and tell it to your child. An interactive element can be a task: to "spell" words by reading them correctly. So much easier and more interesting to remember the rules of reading in English.
For elementary school
The small table below includes rules for reading vowels in two types of syllables. For the convenience of a child who is new to transcription, next to the sound is placed about his reading, written in Russian letters. In any case, the table must be read aloud with an adult who knows the language: you need to pay attention to how the same letter behaves in different types of syllables, and understand the suggested examples of words.
Primary school students are often asked to learn transcription icons at home. You can make a set of cards and work out like this: you read a short word where there is a certain sound, and the child shows a card with its designation. In group work, everyone had to have their own set.
Read without hesitation
How to quickly and better remember the rules of reading in English? For beginners, exercises will be the best option. It’s great if you can combine 2 types of classes: listen to samples and read on your own. However, this approach may soon become boring, so it would be nice to connect elements of the game and competition. For example, take two different lists of words for a variety of rules - one for you, the other for a friend - and check who reads faster and with fewer errors. The game option may be this: using mixed cards with individual words and with transcription icons, find and put out matches.
Who needs reading rules in English? For beginners to study it (this goes without saying), for those who continue to study it, and for those who have forgotten, to remember the knowledge that has not been used for a long time.