in this American English pronunciation video we're going to go over how to
pronounce the a as in sit vowel
this vowel can be a challenge for non-native speakers the tendency is to
replace it with the e vowel
but for the a vowel the jaw drops more so the tongue isn't as close to the roof
of the mouth
let's study the mouth position
there's a relaxed jaw drop the tip of the tongue stays for word lightly
touching the back of the bottom front teeth
the top front part of the tongue arches up towards the roof of the mouth
let's see this vowel up close and in slow motion
relax jaw drop tongue tip forward top front part of the tongue arches up
towards the roof of the mouth this vowel is stressed in the word fix same mouth
position
when this vowel is in a stressed word or syllable like fix it has an up-down
shape it fix
it when it's in an unstressed syllable
it will be flattered and lower in pitch quieter
it it it's unstressed in the word office it
let's take a look the mouth position is the same but a little more relaxed
let's compare the stressed it in a fix on top to the unstressed in office
notice that the jaw is more dropped for the stressed syllable for the unstressed
if the jaw is less dropped
this is typical unstressed vowels are shorter
so there isn't as much time to make the full mouth position stressed it fix it
unstressed in office
it is a it a bit example words
repeat with me witch a witch
instead it instead begin a begin divorce divorce busy a busy
print a print
this video is one of 36 in a new series the sounds of American English videos in
this set will be released here on YouTube twice a month
first and third thursdays in twenty sixteen and twenty seventeen but the
whole set can be all yours
right now the real value of these videos is watching them as a set as a whole to
give your mind the time to take it all in and get the bigger picture
most of the materials you'll find elsewhere
just teach the sounds on their own in isolation
it's a mistake to learn them this way we learn the sounds to speak words and
sentences not just sounds move closer to fluency in spoken English by the video
set today
visit Rachel's English . com / sounds available as a DVD or digital download
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