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Here we show you several basic English pronunciation rules to help you during your classes at your ESL School and in your practice time alone. Make your practice a dynamic and effective one by looking for new words these rules apply to:

1. Pronunciation of the �Y�

�Y� is pronounced as �ai� or �i:�.

- In one-syllable words, �Y� is pronounced as �ai�. For example: my, by, fly, shy, sky, dry, cry, fry, and try.

- In two-syllable words, �Y� is pronounced as �i:�. As example: happy, funny, baby, bony, puppy, party, tiny, city, candy, berry, penny, and turkey.

2. Pronunciation of the �C�

�C� is pronounced as �s� or �k�. For example: city, cider, circle, and country.

- When an �E� or �Y� follow the �C�, it is pronounced as �s�. Good examples are: cellar, center, cent, ice, cycle, cell, cypress, and cyclone.

- When an �O�, �U�, or �A� follows the �C�, it is pronounced as �k�. Some examples are: cold, country, computer, couple, cup, curb, cut, cap, can, and cat.

Read these sentences aloud and compare both sounds:

_ The city is cloudy.

_ The center is covered.

_ We cycle in the city but drive the car in the country.

3. Pronunciation of the �G�

- When an �E�, �I�, or �Y� follows the �G�, it is pronounced as �ʤ�. Examples are: gym, giant, gem, gorgeous, and George.

- When a �U� or �A� follows the �G�, it is pronounced as �� or ��. For example: gun, gum, gas, garden, and gap.

4. Pronunciation of vowel letters

- The long �A� and the short �A�, for example: cape and gap.
-at: bat, cat, hat, fat, sat, rat
-ad: bad, had, mad, sad
-ag: tag, wag, rag, bag
-an: fan, pan, can, ran
-am: jam, ham, ram, yam
-ap: map, tap, nap

When the word ends in �E�, the �A� is pronounced as a long vowel. Examples of this are: rake, gate, face, base, cage, wave, and take.

When the word ends in �R�, the �A� sound is as in: tar, jar, car, and far.

- The long �I� and the short �I�.
-id: bid, kid, lid, did
-ig: big, rig, wig, pig, dig
-in: pin, fin, tin, win, bin
-ip: tip, lip, hip, rip, dip
-it: kit, hit, fit, sit, pit

When the word ends in �E�, the �I� is pronounced as a long vowel. For example: kite, bike, dime, ride, and vine.

- The long �O� and the short �O�.
-og: fog, hog, dog, jog, log
-op: mop, pop, hop, top
-ot: hot, pot, got, not
-ob: mob, cob, job, sob

When the word ends in �E�, the �O� is pronounced as a long vowel. As examples: rose, pole, and hope.

- The long �U� and the short �U�.
-ut: pup, cup, put, up, rut, hut, cut, nut
-ub: cub, tub
-us: bus, pus
-un: fun, sun, run, bun, gun
-ug: mug, bug, tug, hug

When the word ends in �E�, the �O� is pronounced as a long vowel. Examples: tune, cube, and cute.

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Rachel Clarkson
Rachel Clarkson is an English teacher at LCI English ESL Programs and blogger at the ESL Blog.
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LCI offers the best ESL classes through experienced teachers and high quality programs in Denver, Colorado. Check out great ESL resources and articles at www.englishlci.com/blog

[Lorikeet]

I think you forgot to add "i" after "c" to make an "s" sound, but I was afraid to edit your comment in case you left it out on purpose.