STRESS > REDUCE > MERGE Don’t forget to sound

out the individual

Teaching Points: syllables syllables syllables syllables and the
sentence at each step!
Practice Sentence 1 (Easy)
1. * going is a main verb (present participle in present continuous tense) 1.
* shop is a noun
I’m going to the shop.

2. * Only going has more than one syllable 2.

* The word is broken between the verb go and the suffix ing
* I’m is pronounced as one syllable, not as I am 6
I’m go ing to the shop.

3. * go is stressed because it is a main verb 3. / /

* suffixes are not usually stressed in English; ing is never stressed I’m go ing to the shop.
* shop is a one-syllable noun, so the whole word is stressed
4. * eu is a diphthong; o is a short vowel sound 4. eu o
* The stress pattern in this sentence is: o O o o o O I’m go ing to the shop.
5. * I’m is already a contraction 5.
* The words I’m, to, and the all have their vowel sounds changed (reduced) to a contractions: 0 I’m go ing to the shop.
schwa sound. If we pronounce these words with strong vowel sounds, i.e. Aim,
schwa sounds: 3 uh uh uh
Too, and Thu, these syllables become too strong and the stress pattern doesn’t
work. For stressed syllables to stand out, the other syllables must be weaker – there short i sounds: 1 i
are no mountains without valleys! glottal stops: 0
* There is one short i sound, but no glottal stops, because no syllables end with t

6. * The only bad connection is the vv connection between go and ing 6.

* The rest of the sound connections are either vc or with friendly consonant sounds I’m go ing to the shop.
(F)
F 1 vv F vc vc
7. * We always use intrusion with vv sound connections 7.
* In this case w is the sound that occurs naturally when you finish saying go
I’m go ing to the shop.
I (w)

8. * shop is a phonetic word – it looks like it sounds 8.

* There is an embedded schwa sound after t and th. We don’t need to write it in
Clear Alphabet, because it is pronounced naturally when we say each sound
* Try saying each syllable separately, enjoying every sound slowly uhm Geu wing t th Shop.
Fold Æ STRESS > REDUCE > MERGE Don’t forget to sound
out the individual
syllables syllables syllables syllables and the
sentence at each step!
Practice Sentence 2 (Easy)
1. Read the sentence out loud. Underline the content words:

We wanted to see some gorillas. Î

2. Write the sentence split into syllables (vc / F connections where possible). Number of syllables:

Î

3. Mark the stressed syllables (above)
Î
4. Write the stressed vowel sounds (above) using the Clear Alphabet. This is the sound spine
Î
5. Looking mainly at the unstressed (weak) syllables, how many of these reductions can you make:

contractions: ____ write the contracted form, e.g. they are = they’re
schwa sounds: ____ mark with uh (strong vowel sounds on weak syllables are usually reduced)
short i sounds: ____ mark with i (as above) Î
glottal stops: ____ mark with _ (when a syllable ends with t, followed by a consonant sound)

6. Mark the sound connections (above): VC, CV, VV, CC, or F (friendly consonant sound)

Circle bad sound connections. Number them 1, 2, 3, etc. Î

7. Think of ways of fixing the bad sound connection(s). Write your ideas below (number them 1, 2, 3, etc.)
(Remember: if a voiced consonant sound moves forward in FCL, it can change to unvoiced)

Fold Æ
Î

8. Considering what you have learned, write the sentence – syllable by syllable – using the Clear Alphabet:

Sound out each syllable, then the whole sentence. Pay attention to stressed, reduced, and merged
syllables. Try to say why each syllable looks like it does, e.g. x sound has moved forward, etc.

Compare Step 1 (written English) with Step 8 (spoken English). What do you notice?
 STRESS > REDUCE > MERGE Don’t forget to sound
out the individual
Teaching Points: syllables syllables syllables syllables and the
sentence at each step!
Practice Sentence 2 (Easy)
1. * wanted is a main verb (past simple) 1.
* see is a main verb (infinitive)
* gorillas is a noun We wanted to see some gorillas.

2. * wanted is split after the n sound, because it is a friendly consonant sound. This 2.
means that we can ‘rest’ on the n sound before moving to the next syllable
* gorillas is split twice, both times after a vowel sound, to give two easy vc sound 9
We wan ted to see some go ri llas.
connections

3. * wanted is stressed on the verb part not the suffix 3. / / /

* see is a one-syllable verb, so the whole word is stressed We wan ted to see some go ri llas.
* gorillas is stressed on the middle syllable
4. * o and i are short vowel sounds; ee is a long vowel sound 4. o ee i
We wan ted to see some go ri llas.
* The stress pattern in this sentence is quite regular: o O o o O o o O o

5. * Past simple positive verbs can’t be contracted, because there is no auxiliary verb 5.
* The words to and some have their vowel sounds reduced to a schwa sound. contractions: 0 We wan ted to see some go ri llas.
The suffix ed contains a schwa sound. The weak syllables on either side of the
schwa sounds: 5 uh uh uh uh uh
stressed syllable in gorillas have schwa sounds, rather than the strong o and a
* The vowel sound in We is reduced to a short i sound, making the weak form wi short i sounds: 1 i
* We don’t need glottal stops, because no syllable ends with t followed by a glottal stops: 0
consonant sound

6. * The only bad sound connection is the cc connection between wanted and to 6.
* The rest of the sound connections are either vc or with friendly consonant sounds
nd th We wan ted to see some go ri llas.
(2 and 6 )
vc F 1 cc vc vc F vc vc
7. * We use elision to remove the first consonant sound: d 7.
* By changing the cc connection to a vc connection, we make the phrase much
easier to pronounce We wan ted to see some go ri llas.
* There is no need to put a glottal stop, because the sound before d is a vowel E
sound (schwa), so a vc sound connection remains after elision

8. * Stressed syllables always begin with a capital letter in the Clear Alphabet 8.
* The “s” of plural nouns is always pronounced z in Clear Alphabet
* Try saying each syllable separately, enjoying every sound slowly
* Enjoy saying the weak syllables together: t t and sm g. They all have an wi Won t t See sm g Ri lz.
embedded schwa sound, as does lz
Fold Æ STRESS > REDUCE > MERGE Don’t forget to sound
out the individual
syllables syllables syllables syllables and the
sentence at each step!
Practice Sentence 3 (Easy)
1. Read the sentence out loud. Underline the content words:

I do not like wasting time. Î

2. Write the sentence split into syllables (vc / F connections where possible). Number of syllables:

Î

3. Mark the stressed syllables (above)
Î
4. Write the stressed vowel sounds (above) using the Clear Alphabet. This is the sound spine
Î
5. Looking mainly at the unstressed (weak) syllables, how many of these reductions can you make:

contractions: ____ write the contracted form, e.g. they are = they’re
schwa sounds: ____ mark with uh (strong vowel sounds on weak syllables are usually reduced)
short i sounds: ____ mark with i (as above) Î
glottal stops: ____ mark with _ (when a syllable ends with t, followed by a consonant sound)

6. Mark the sound connections (above): VC, CV, VV, CC, or F (friendly consonant sound)

Circle bad sound connections. Number them 1, 2, 3, etc. Î

7. Think of ways of fixing the bad sound connection(s). Write your ideas below (number them 1, 2, 3, etc.)
(Remember: if a voiced consonant sound moves forward in FCL, it can change to unvoiced)

Fold Æ
Î

8. Considering what you have learned, write the sentence – syllable by syllable – using the Clear Alphabet:

Sound out each syllable, then the whole sentence. Pay attention to stressed, reduced, and merged
syllables. Try to say why each syllable looks like it does, e.g. x sound has moved forward, etc.

Compare Step 1 (written English) with Step 8 (spoken English). What do you notice?
 STRESS > REDUCE > MERGE Don’t forget to sound
out the individual
Teaching Points: syllables syllables syllables syllables and the
sentence at each step!
Practice Sentence 3 (Easy)
1. * do not is stressed because it’s a negative form 1.
* like is a main verb (present simple)
* wasting is a gerund and time is a noun; together they form a noun phrase I do not like wasting time.

2. * Only wasting has more than one syllable 2.

* The word is broken after the first vowel sound, to make a vc connection
7
I do not like wa sting time.

3. * The three stresses together on do not like make a strong emphatic statement 3. / / / / /
* wasting is stressed on the first syllable, because ing is a suffix I do not like wa sting time.
* The stress pattern is: o O O O O o O
4. * Say only the stressed vowel sounds in order: oo, o, ai, ei, ai 4. oo o ai ei ai
I do not like wa sting time.
* The mix of long vowels, short vowels, and diphthongs in this sentence means your
mouth has to move around a lot!
5. * Although they are stressed syllables, do not would normally be contracted to 5.
don’t contractions: 1 I don’t like wa sting time.
* There are no schwa sounds, perhaps due to the large number of stressed
schwa sounds: 0
syllables (although in very fast speech the first word I could be reduced to a schwa)
* There is one short i sound – on the suffix ing short i sounds: 1 i
* A glottal stop replaces t at the end of the second syllable glottal stops: 1 _

6. * There are two bad cc sound connections, which we need to change to vc or 6.

friendly connections (F) I don’t like wa sting time.
vc 1 cc 2 cc vc F
7. 1. We delete the problematic t sound (elision) and replace it with a glottal stop, 7.
which leaves a friendly sound connection. We add a glottal stop to give this
important keyword a stronger emphasis I don’t like wa sting time.
2. We can’t delete the k sound, so we move it forward (FCL). It’s already an E/GS FCL
unvoiced consonant sound, so we don’t need to change it

8. * sting is a phonetic syllable – it looks the same in both normal and CA spelling 8.
* Try saying each syllable separately, enjoying every sound slowly
* Practise saying the sentence with the first syllable reduced: uh instead of ai
ai Deun_ Lai Kwei sting Taim.