6vwo - Speaking

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• Leerjaar 6

6V - Speaking

How come it may be difficult for a Dutch person to speak English? Where do you detect 'difficulties'?

Accent Reduction for Dutch Speakers

6 English pronunciation tips for Dutch speakers who want to improve their English accent:

1) /th/

• This is made by putting the tip of the tongue
by the back of the upper front teeth.
Ensure it is touching the teeth.

• Don’t make a /s/ or /z/ sound, or /t/ or /d/ sound. Compare:

• sin – thin

• Zen – then

• tin – thin

• den – then

Exercise: th

1. earth →

 2. breathe →

3. thirty →

4. these →

5. this →

6. anything →

7. another →

8. thank you →

9. maths →

10. thesis →

Exercise: th

1. earth → [θ] 

 2. breathe → [ð]

3. thirty → [θ] 

4. these → [ð]

5. this → [ð]

6. anything → [θ] 

7. another → [ð]

8. thank you → [θ] 

9. maths → [θ] 

10. thesis → [θ] 

2) How and When to Make R

• In Dutch, the R is either made with the back of the tongue moving upwards – or the tip of the tongue touching the top of the mouth. 

• In English, the tip of the tongue curls back in the mouth without touching the top of the mouth.

• We only pronounce a R sound when there is a vowel sound after it: Really, Tree, Carry

• We don’t pronounce a R sound when there is no vowel sound after it: Car, Learn, Here.

Silent /r/?

1. hear →

2. carrot →

3. carry →

4. German →

5. boring →

6. four →

7. dirty →

8. butter →

9. board →

10. garden →

Silent /r/?

1. hear → silent

2. carrot → /r/

3. carry → /r/

4. German → silent

5. boring → /r/

6. four → silent

7. dirty → silent

8. butter → silent

9. board → silent

10. garden → silent

3) Devoicing

• In Dutch:

->/b/ at the end of a word will sound like a /p/.

-> /d/ at the end of a word will sound like a /t/.

-> /g/ at the end of a word will sound like a /k/.

• In English, the sounds must stay the same. Compare:

- cap – cab

- sheet – she’d

- back – bag

pronounce:

pronounce:

4) “g”

• This sound is usually either /g/ or /ʤ/. Ensure it isn’t like the Dutch ‘g’ sound in groei

• get /get/

• gym /ʤɪm/

5) /e/ and /æ/

• For /æ/, make a /e/ sound and open the jaw more.

• Compare:

-> set – sat

-> bed – bad

-> head – had

6. The pronunciation of the s at the end of words in English /sɪz/

The pronunciation of the final s in plural words and verbs in the 3rd person depends on the final consonant sound before that s.

 1.the ending is pronounced /s/ after a voiceless sound,

 2. it is pronounced /z/ after a voiced sound

 3. and is pronounced /ɪz / or /əz/ after a sibilant sound:

1. the ending is pronounced /s/ after a voiceless sound

p: cups stops, sleeps

t: hats, students, hits, writes

k: cooks, books, drinks, walks

f: cliffs, sniffs, beliefs, laughs, graphs (the -gh and -ph here are pronounced like a F)

th: myths, tablecloths, months (voiceless θ)

2. the ending is pronounced /z/ after a voiced sound

b: crabs, rubs

d: cards, words, rides, ends

g: rugs, bags, begs

l: deals calls, falls, hills

m: plums, dreams

n: fans, drains, runs, pens ng: kings, belongs, sings

r: wears, cures

v: gloves, wives, shelves, drives

y: plays, boys, says,

the: clothes, bathes, breathes

VOWEL SOUNDS: sees, fleas

3. the ending is pronounced /ɪz / or /əz/ after a sibilant sound

c: races (sounds like "race-iz")

s: pauses, nurses, buses, rises

x: fixes, boxes, hoaxes

z: amazes, freezes, prizes, quizzes ss: kisses, misses, passes, bosses

ch: churches, sandwiches, witches, teaches

sh: dishes, wishes, pushes, crashes

ge: garages, changes, ages, judges

Choose between: /s/, /z/ or /ɪz/

1. cakes →

2. cards →

3. cars →

4. clocks →

5. boxes →

6. boys →

7. tortoises →

8. glasses →

9. hats →       

10. lamps →

Choose between: /s/, /z/ or /ɪz/

1. cakes → /s/

2. cards → /z/

3. cars → /s/

4. clocks → /s/

5. boxes → /iz

6. boys → /z/

7. tortoises → /s/

8. glasses → /s/

9. hats → /s/

10. lamps → /s/

Tongue twisters...

Betty Botter bought some butter

But she said the butter’s bitter

If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter

But a bit of better butter will make my batter better

So ‘twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter

Tongue twisters...

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood

As a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood

Tongue twisters...

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?

Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?

I have got a date at a quarter to eight; I’ll see you at the gate, so don’t be late

Tongue twisters...

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers

A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers

Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?