Friday 30 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #25

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.
credit: http://idioms1-c1.blogspot.co.uk


25. /ə ˈbɜːd ɪn ðə ˈhændz ⎥ ˈgəʊɪŋ tə ˈpuːp ɒn ju/

Wednesday 28 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #24

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.
credit: modern-proverbs.blogspot.co.uk

24.  /wen ðə ˈblaɪnd ˈliːd ðə ˈblaɪnd ⎥ ˈget aʊt əv ðə ˈweɪ/

Tuesday 27 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #23

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.

23. /ju ˈget ˈaʊt əv ˈsʌmθɪŋ ˈəʊni wɒt ju ⎥ ˈsiː ɪn ðə ˈpɪkʧə ɒn ðə ˈbɒks/

Monday 26 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #22

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.

22. /ɪf ət ˈfɜːst ju ˈdəʊnt səkˈsiːd ⎥ ˈget ˈnjuː ˈbætriz/

Sunday 25 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #21

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.
credit: fundacioncadah.org

21. /ˈʧɪldrən ʃəbi ˈsiːn əˈnɒt ⎥ ˈspæŋkt ɔː ˈgraʊndɪd/

Friday 23 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #20

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.

20. /ðərə ˈnʌn sə ˈblaɪnd əz ⎥ ˈstiːvi ˈwʌndə/

Wednesday 21 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #19

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.

19.  /ˈlɑːf ən ðə ˈhəʊl ˈwɜːld ˈlɑːfs ˈwɪð ˈjuː ˈkraɪ ən ⎥  ju ˈhæf tə ˈbləʊ jə ˈnəʊz/

Tuesday 20 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #18

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.
credit: midgardediting.com


18. /ˈdəʊm ˈpʊt ˈɒf tɪl təˈmɒrəʊ wɒt ⎥ jə ˈpʊt ˈɒn tə ˈgəʊ tə ˈbed/

Monday 19 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #17

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.
credit: digitaldatingstories.wordpress.com

17.  /ˈtuːz ˈkʌmpəni ˈθriːz ⎥ mʌskəˈtɪəz/

Sunday 18 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #16

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.

credit: sevastopol.su
16. /ə ˈpeni ˈseɪvd ɪz ⎥  ˈnɒt ˈmʌʧ/

Saturday 17 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #15

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.

credit: Ian Currie
15.  /ˈhæpi ðə ˈbraɪd u ⎥ ˈgets ˈɔːl ðə ˈpreznts/

Friday 16 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #14

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.
credit: learningenglishonmyown

14.  /weə ðəz ˈsməʊk ðəz ⎥ pəˈluːʃn/

Thursday 15 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #13

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.

13. /ən ˈaɪdl ˈmaɪndz ⎥ ðə ˈbest ˈweɪ tə rɪˈlæks/

Wednesday 14 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #12

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.
credit: www.grammar.zone

12. /ðə ˈpenz ˈmaɪtiə ðən ðə ⎥ ˈpɪgz/

Tuesday 13 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #11

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.

 11.  /ˈlʌv ˈɔːl ˈtrʌst ⎥ ˈmiː/

Monday 12 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #10

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.
credit: pinkelephantroom.com

10. /ɪf ju ˈlaɪ ˈdaʊn wɪð ˈdɒgz jul ⎥ ˈstɪŋk ɪnə ˈmɔːnɪŋ/

Friday 9 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #9

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.
credit: www.lhpaws.com

9. /ju ˈkɑːn ˈtiːʧ ən ˈəʊld ˈdɒg ˈnjuː ⎥ ˈmæθs/

Thursday 8 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #8

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.
credit: ??

8. /ə ˈmɪs ɪz əz ˈgʊd əz ə ⎥ ˈmɪstə/

Tuesday 6 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #7

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.
credit: greymadder.net

7. /ˈnəʊ ˈnjuːz ɪz ⎥ ɪmˈpɒsɪbl/

Monday 5 March 2018

Accent and Communication Breakdown

Oxford House Language School in Barcelona describes five tools to perfect one's pronunciation. In the introduction the anonymous writer opines:
Pronunciation only becomes a problem when it causes a breakdown in communication between you and the people you’re talking with. Perfecting your English pronunciation is about making yourself understood.
Well, I don't quite agree because incomprensibility is not the only problem; aesthetics is another one. If you as a non-native speaker aim high, you want your accent to sound pleasant; the listener should not be distracted from the contents because you frequently replace
- the dental fricatives by /s, z/ or by
- d/;
replace
- /v/ by /w/
- word-final voiced obstruents by their voiceless counterparts;
use
- clear l throughout
etc.
So, yes, a bad pronunciation may lead to incomprehensible speech, but it may also distract the listener.

Proverbs transcribed - #6

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.
credit:evilenglish.net

6. /dəʊm ˈbaɪt ðə ˈhæn ðət ⎥ ˈlʊks ˈdɜːti/

Sunday 4 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #5

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.
credit: Mark Ewbie

5. /ju kən ˈliːd ə ˈhɔːs tə ˈwɔːtə bət ⎥ ˈhaʊ/
5. /ju kən ˈliːd ə ˈhɔːs tə ˈwɔːtə bətʃu ˈkɑːnt ˈmeɪk ɪt ˈdrɪŋk/

Saturday 3 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #4

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.
credit: www.quotes.in

4. /ˈnevər ʌndərˈestɪmeɪt ðə ˈpaər əv ⎥ ˈtɜːmaɪts/
4. /ˈnevər ʌndərˈestɪmeɪt ðə ˈpaər əv ə ˈwʊmən/

Friday 2 March 2018

Proverbs transcribed - #3

Twenty-six English first-graders were presented with the first half of several proverbs and were asked to provide the second half. I'd like you to come up with the correct one (enjoy the children's version). The vertical line indicates the end of the first half.

credit: gl30.deviantart.com
3. /ɪts ˈɔːwəz ˈdɑːkəst bɪfɔː ⎥ ˈdeɪlaɪt ˈseɪvɪŋ ˈtaɪm/
3. /ɪts ˈɔːwəz ˈdɑːkəst bɪfɔː ðə ˈdɔːn/

Pun for fun - #3

(The first 'pun for fun' is to be found here, the second here.)

3. /ɪf ə ˈʤʌʤ ˈlʌvz ðə ˈsaʊnd əv ɪz ˈəʊn ˈvɔɪs ⎥ ɪkˈspekt ə ˈlɒŋ ˈsentəns/