BE Pronunciation II oder Rules and Practice
/s/ so
all s at the beginning of words: see; side
all ss: cross, fussy
exceptions: scissors; possess
all s+consonant: stay, last
most:
ce: centre
ci: science
cy: cycle, juicy
some s in the middle of words: basic; mason
some se at the end of words: mouse, cease
some s at the end of words: bus, gas
all plural and 3rd person singular s after voiceless sound: cats, writes
/z/ zoo
all z: zoo, freeze
some s in the middle of words: music, pleasant
some se at the end of words: choose, ease
some s at the end of words: was, has
all plural and 3rd person singular s after voiced sound: dogs, adds
/ʧ/ chin
most ch: chin, rich
all tch: match, butcher, kitchen
all t+ure: future, nature, picture
/ʤ/ judge
all j: jam, job
all g before e: general, manage, agent
all dge: judge
some g before i: ginger, imagine
/ʒ/ pleasure
some s before endings with i or u: measure, usual, vision
ge endings in words of French origin: beige, garage
/ʃ/ shop
common:
all sh: shop, wish, bishop
endings with ti+vowel or ci+vowel: education, initial, musician, delicious
less common:
ch in words of French origin: machine, champagne
s: insurance
Distinguish:
Sue/zoo
said/Zed
seal/zeal
lacy/lazy
fussy/fuzzy
sip/zip
rice/rise
loose/lose
race/raise
advice/advise
once/ones
lice/lies
We're hoping for peace/peas.
The price/prize was wonderful.
It was full of lice/lies
Be careful, don't zip/sip it too fast.
She heard a bus/buzz
He only has a few pence/pens left.
chin/gin
cheer/jeer
choke/joke
chain/Jane
rich/ridge
search/surge
H/age
larch/large
Look out. He's choking/joking.
The audience cheered/jeered at her speech.
It's not a little fir tree, it's a large/larch tree.
What happened to your chin/gin?
see/she
sell/shell
said/shed
save/shave
mess/mesh
Paris/parish
ass/ash
fist/fished
sock/shock
saw/shore
sew/show
Sue/shoe
sort/short
puss/push
rust/rushed
crust/crushed
She's always giving me socks/shocks.
The sack/shack is full of rubbish.
That seat/sheet is dirty.
They're sifting/shifting the flour.
We took a sip/ship.
Could you sign/shine this please?
ship/chip
sherry/cherry
shoes/choose
sheep/cheap
share/chair
shops/chops
washing/watching
cash/catch
mash/match
wish/which (=witch)
crush/crutch
dishes/ditches
Small shops/chops are often more expensive.
The dishes/ditches need cleaning.
I couldn't mash/match these things up.
She enjoys watching/washing the children.
A yellow jumper
a European judge
a young journalist
a useful journey
a bridge in Yorkshire
a large university
a damaged yacht
a strange youth