|
[i] | [eɪ] | [ɔ] | [oʊ] | [u] | [aɪ] | [aʊ] | [ɔɪ] | [ju] | [ʌ]/[ə] |
bl
|
-bly |
bla- |
blah |
blow |
blue |
Bligh |
----- |
------ |
----- |
----- |
br |
-bre- |
bray |
bra |
bro- |
brew |
----- |
brow |
-broi- |
----- |
-bra |
ch |
chee- |
----- |
cha |
cho- |
chew |
chai |
chow |
----- |
----- |
----- |
j |
Gee |
jay |
jaw |
Joe |
Jew |
----- |
----- |
joy |
----- |
----- |
cl |
----- |
clay |
claw |
clo- |
clue |
cli- |
----- |
cloi- |
----- |
----- |
cr |
Cree |
cray- |
craw |
crow |
crew |
cry |
----- |
Croy- |
----- |
----- |
fl |
flea |
flay |
flaw |
flow |
flew |
fly |
flow- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
fr |
free |
fray |
----- |
fro- |
fru- |
fry |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
gl |
glee |
----- |
glau- |
glow |
glue |
gly- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
gr |
-gree |
gray |
-Graw |
grow |
grew |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
pl |
plea |
play |
plau- |
plo- |
Plu- |
ply |
plow |
ploy |
----- |
----- |
pr |
pre- |
pray |
pro- |
pro- |
pru- |
pry |
prow |
----- |
----- |
----- |
shr |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
shrew |
Shri- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
sk |
ski |
sca- |
----- |
Sco- |
scu- |
sky |
scow |
----- |
skew |
----- |
skr |
scree |
----- |
----- |
----- |
screw |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
sl |
----- |
sleigh |
slaw |
slow |
slew |
sly |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
sn |
----- |
----- |
----- |
snow |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
sp |
spe- |
spay |
spa |
spo- |
----- |
spy |
----- |
----- |
spew |
----- |
spl |
----- |
splay |
----- |
-splo- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
spr |
spree |
spray |
spro- |
----- |
----- |
spry |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
sq |
squee- |
----- |
squaw |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
st |
stee- |
stay |
----- |
stow |
stew |
sty |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
str |
-story |
stray |
straw |
----- |
strew |
stri- |
----- |
-stroy |
----- |
----- |
tr |
tree |
tray |
----- |
-tro |
true |
try |
trow- |
Troy |
----- |
-tra |
thr |
three |
----- |
----- |
throw |
threw |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
sh |
she |
shay |
Shaw |
show |
shoe |
shy |
show- |
----- |
----- |
-sha |
th |
thee |
they |
thaw |
though |
----- |
thigh |
thou |
----- |
-thew |
the |
There are different ways to divide and group consonant combinations.
Although I have used the title "initial blends," I have tried to stay
with a more traditional linguistic approach, based on features of each
consonantal sound.
All entries are either whole words or syllables. Syllables are shown
as -x,
x-, or -x-. A square with"-----" means I could not think of a word or
syllable in English with these sounds, but there may be one.
Capitalized entries are either proper names, or interjections.
"j" is a single consonant, but as an affricate, is
two sounds [dʒ]
stop plus fricative. "sh" and "th" are spelled as two consonants, but
are single sounds (digraphs),
so I have isolated them at the bottom of the chart. I have not included
the
voiced version of [ʃ] ("sh"),
[ʒ] ("z" as the s in measure).
The entries for "th" include words with
a voiceless "th" [θ ] and a
voiced "th" [ð]. A few entries
are three
consonantal sounds in a cluster, "skr," "spl," "spr," "sq," "str."
The list may be
read across or down in groups. Reading down by columns, every word in
the column should have the same vowel sound. I have left out some
archaic
words but included the more common "thee" and "thou."
Some dialects of
English may have an alternate pronunciation for [ɔ]
as [ɑ ] or [ɒ]
. I have not made a distinction here, since I pronounce the words
"father,"
"bother," "hawed," and "caught" with the same vowel.
Instead of leaving you wondering what the complete words for
syllables shown are, here they are line by line: crumbly, blatant, abbreviate,
broken, embroider, candelabra, cheetah, chosen, closure, climate,
cloister, crayon, Croydon,
flower, frozen, frugal, glaucoma, glycol, agree, McGraw, plausible,
plosive, Pluto, premature, promise,
promote, prudent, Shriver, scalene, Scotia, scuba, spelunker, spoken,
explosion (-splo-), sprocket, steeple, history, strident, destroy, metro,
trowel, extra, shower, Elisha, Matthew.
If you are teaching all sounds without regard to viable words you can,
of course, fill the empty squares with "fake" syllables.
For a simpler minimal pairs pronunciation exercise, with mp3 audio, go to:
Speak Read Write Minimal Pairs
For a much more fun(!) excercise with minimal pairs, and other word sets, go to:
Speak Read Write Fun with Fiddle Faddle and Other Pronunciation Pairs
Last, but not least, if you want real tongue twister exercise, go to:
Speak Read Write Tongue Twisters Pronunciation Practice One
Speak Read Write Educational Resources
Speak Read Write Home
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