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Pronunciation

​There are many more vowel sounds in English than the 5 (and sometimes 'y'!) vowel letters.  Explore them here.

Just like those vowels, consonant sounds aren't always the same as consonant letters.  For instance, did you know that the 'sh' sound is one consonant sound represented by two letters?  And the letter 'x' is actually a blend of 2 consonant sounds.  Explore the consonant sounds here!

Stress and intonation make a big different in comprehension!  Not only that, but they help us convey emphasis and feelings.  Learn more about them here.

Why is pronunciation important?

Pronunciation is about so much more than accent!  Many of the features that play a role in pronunciation also are important in reading and writing.

  • Understanding how to make specific sounds and how sounds are similar helps with spelling and decoding (sounding out) unfamiliar words.  This understanding of phonetics can help teachers and parents understand kids' spelling and reading errors, too.

  • Understanding stress and intonation helps speakers be more understandable.  It also helps readers develop their reading fluency.

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