Task 1. Discuss the following issues with regard to English vowels.

1. Vowel length
2. Tenseness
3. The relationship between the frontness/backness of vowels and lip-rounding.

Task 2. The words below differ in terms of one vowel only. Define the difference.

1. book/bark

2. bird/board 3. cup/carp

4. ban/bun

Task3. Provide three examples of English words which contain.

1. Only low vowels
2. Only back vowels
3. Only rounded vowels
4. Vowels pronounced with spread lips
5. Only central vowels
6. Fully long vowels
7. Shortened vowels
8. Unstressed but unreduced vowels

Task 4. Compare the pronunciation of vowels in the words given below.

English

Polish

1. book

buk

2. sock

sok

3. ten

ten

4. learn

len

5. tore

tor

6. son

San

Task 5. Polish learners of English often have problems mastering the vowels of English.

a. How are vowels in the words below usually distorted?
b. What factors are at work in individual instances?
1. carpet E/

A˘/ is substituted with P /A/ which is shorter and more front.

2. bad
3. animal
4. bird
5. cotton

Task 6. Discuss the difference in the pronunciation of vocalic elements in some English words and
their Polish equivalents:

English

Polish

1. goal

gol

The English word is pronounced with the rising (closing) diphthong

/

´U /

The Polish word is pronounced with the mid back vowel

/

ç /

2. radio

radio

3. stereo

stereo

Task 7. In which of the following words is the vowel the longest and the shortest?

1. law, naught, lawn
2. worm, shirt, fir
3. tight, tide, tie

Task 8. Here are 19 one-syllable words: act

bald

blame clay

crisp

dog

drip

dwarf

edge flaw

grasp home screw skin

snow splint spring stretch twin

(a) Which words have a zero onset?
(b) Which have an onset of one consonant (C- )?
(c) Which have an onset of two consonants (CC- )?
(d) Which have an onset of three consonants (CCC- )?
(e) In words with a CCC- onset, what is the first consonant?

Task 9. Analyse the following words. Identify the syllables, then strong and weak ones, also their
peaks, onsets and codas.

salad

balloon

bulletin

remember

measure

command

Canada

contagious

value

result

elephant

develop

yellow

supply

harmony

annoyance

Examples of vowels in stressed and unstressed syllables and in reduced syllables.(from Ladefoged,
page97)

Vowels

Stressed syllable

Unstressed syllable

Reduced syllable

/

i˘/

appreciate

creation

deprecate

/

I/

implicit

simplistic

implication

/

ç˘/

cause

causality

/

U/

hoodwink

neighbourhood

/

√/

confront

umbrella

confrontation

/

Œ˘/

confirm

verbose

confirmation

/

aI/

recite

citation

recitation

/

çI/

exploit

exploitation

Task 10. Give examples of:

1. Onsets which are permissible in English
2. Onsets which are not permissible in English
3. Codas which are permissible in English
4. Codas which are not permissible in English