Think about these questions, or answer them aloud.
An accent is not a problem. Examiners care about how easy you are to understand, and most accents are perfectly clear. Problems start when a sound change makes a different word (I'll collect your essay when you mean correct) or a word that doesn't exist (I sink so, for I think so).
In long words, misplaced stress is often a bigger problem than a wrong sound. Listeners use the stressed syllable to recognise a word, so pho-to-GRA-phy may simply not be understood, even if every sound in it is correct.
In this lesson, CAPITAL letters show the main stressed syllable, and the IPA symbols are the British ones used in learner dictionaries. In IPA, ˈ comes before the main stressed syllable and ˌ before a weaker, secondary stress.
| Sounds | How to make them | Minimal pairs |
|---|---|---|
| /θ/ as in think, /ð/ as in this | Put the tip of your tongue lightly between or just behind your top teeth and push air out over it. /θ/ is voiceless (only air); /ð/ is voiced (your throat buzzes). Don't let the tongue block the air completely, or you'll say /t/ or /d/. | think / sink · thought / taught / fought · thin / tin · path / pass · then / den · breathe / breeze |
| /v/ as in very, /w/ as in well | For /v/, touch your top teeth to your bottom lip and let your voice buzz. For /w/, your teeth touch nothing: round your lips as if you are saying “oo”, then open them quickly into the vowel. | vest / west · vine / wine · verse / worse · vet / wet |
| /l/ as in light, /r/ as in right | For /l/, the tip of your tongue touches the ridge just behind your top teeth, and air flows round the sides. For /r/, the tongue touches nothing: pull it back slightly and round your lips a little. | light / right · collect / correct · glass / grass · cloud / crowd · fly / fry · alive / arrive |
Many long words belong to families: photograph, photographer, photography, photographic. When you add an ending, the stress often moves. Three patterns cover a lot of words:
There are exceptions. The most common one in speaking tests is POL-i-tics, which does not follow the -ic pattern, although po-LIT-i-cal does.
| Word | Stress | IPA (British) |
|---|---|---|
| photograph | PHO-to-graph | /ˈfəʊtəɡrɑːf/ |
| photographer | pho-TOG-ra-pher | /fəˈtɒɡrəfə(r)/ |
| photography | pho-TOG-ra-phy | /fəˈtɒɡrəfi/ |
| photographic | pho-to-GRAPH-ic | /ˌfəʊtəˈɡræfɪk/ |
| economy | e-CON-o-my | /ɪˈkɒnəmi/ |
| economist | e-CON-o-mist | /ɪˈkɒnəmɪst/ |
| economic | e-co-NOM-ic | /ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk/ or /ˌekəˈnɒmɪk/ |
| politics | POL-i-tics | /ˈpɒlətɪks/ |
| political | po-LIT-i-cal | /pəˈlɪtɪkl/ |
| politician | pol-i-TI-cian | /ˌpɒləˈtɪʃn/ |
| democracy | de-MOC-ra-cy | /dɪˈmɒkrəsi/ |
| democratic | dem-o-CRAT-ic | /ˌdeməˈkrætɪk/ |
| analyse | AN-a-lyse | /ˈænəlaɪz/ |
| analysis | a-NAL-y-sis | /əˈnæləsɪs/ |
Say each word aloud. Which version shows the correct stress? CAPITAL letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen again and notice how the speaker handles the problem sounds and the long words:
None of this sounds forced. The speaker doesn't exaggerate the sounds; they are simply clear enough that every word is the right word.
Listen to the eight sentences. In each one, both words would make sense, so you have to rely on the sound. Choose the word you hear.
Listen and repeat each sentence. Say it slowly first, focusing on the th, v / w and l / r sounds and the stress in the long words, then repeat it at a natural speed.
Listen to each sentence, then record yourself saying it the same way. Copy the rhythm, stress and intonation.
1.I think the three of them are with their mother.
2.We visited a village in the west with very good wine.
3.Please collect the forms and correct any errors.
4.She's a photographer who studied photography in Rome.
5.Most economists think the economic situation will improve.
6.Politicians don't always explain their political decisions.
7.It's worth thinking about the weather before you travel.
You have 45 seconds to prepare and 45 seconds to read. In your preparation time, find the long words and decide where the stress goes, and notice the th, v / w and l / r sounds.
Read this announcement aloud:
“Welcome to the Riverside Photography Festival. This year, more than thirty photographers from twelve countries will show their work in the gallery and along the river walk. On Thursday evening, the well-known travel photographer Olivia Ward will talk about her latest project, which explores the relationship between wildlife and local communities. Workshops on photographic techniques run every morning at ten. Please note that tickets for the evening talk are limited, so we recommend booking online in advance.”
45 s preparation · 0:45 speaking
No preparation time. Answer in two to four sentences. Afterwards, listen to your recording and check the sounds and stress in the checklist.
Do you use technology a lot in your daily life?
No preparation time · 0:30 speaking
Save words to review them later with flashcards.
“Light and right are a minimal pair.”
“/v/ is voiced, but /f/ is not.”
“Photography has four syllables.”
“-ness is a suffix that makes nouns from adjectives.”
“Learning word families helps your vocabulary grow quickly.”
“The economist expects prices to fall next year.”
“The politician answered questions from local voters.”
“The national park protects local wildlife.”
“You need to book tickets in advance.”
“The course was expensive, but it was worth every penny.”
“Phones are a big distraction in class.”
