Unit 7. Carrot, Cabbage.

Unstressed Vowels /∂/ and /i/

Unit 7; Part A

In words with rwo or more syllables, at least one syllable is weak (does not have stress).
Listen to these words which have two syllables, and the second syllable is weak.
carrot cabbage

In weak syllables, native speakers of English very often use the weak vowel sounds /∂/ and /i/.

Listen again to the rwo words above: the О in carrot is pronounced /∂/ and the A in cabbage is pronounced /i/.

Unit 7; Part B

Look at the mouth diagram to see how to make the sound /∂/

Listen to these examples and repeat them. The weak vowels in the unstressed syllables in bold are pronounced /∂/.
weak A: awaу; banana; woman; sugar
weak E: garden; paper; under 7.2.jpg

weak O: police; doctor; correct
weak U: support; figure; colour

Important for listening!
In words like paper, sugar, colour, the final R is not pronounced in many accents, so vista /vist∂/ rhymes with sister/'sist∂/, for example.

Many speakers of English (especially non-native speakers) do not change vowels in weak syllables to /∂/.

Unit 7; Part C

Look at the mouth diagram to see how to make the sound /i/.
Listen to these examples and repeat them. The weak vowels in the unstressed syllables in black are pronounced /i/. 7.4.jpg

weak А: оrangе       cabbage
weak E:   dances       wanted     begin     women
weak I:   music       walking
weak U: lettuce    minute

Unit 7; Part D

Spelling

Notice in the examples above that nearly any vowel spelling may be pronounced as a weak vowel.

Note: Often, whole words are pronounced as weak syllables, with a weak vowel.
For example: half an hour, going to work, Jim was late. See Unit 33.

Exercises

1 Listen to the poem. Circle the words which rhyme.

Listen to the poem. Circle the words which rhyme.

7.5.jpg

Mr Porter loves his pasta.
No one else can eat it faster.
Mr Porter'ssister Rita,
Buys the pasta by the metre.
Mr Porter's older daughter,
Boils it all in tubs of water,

2 Listen.

Listen. In each sentence or phrase there are two vowels which are not /∂/. Underline them.
Example:
an apple and a banana
1    from Canada to China
2    The parrot was asleep.
3    The cinema was open.
4    the photographer's assistant
5    a question and an answer
6    a woman and her husband
7    a pasta salad

3 Write the words in the correct part of the table.

Write the words in the correct part of the table. Then listen and check. Key∂:woman collect asleep salad letter sofa quarter
i: orange return market begin visit teaches needed peaches women

~~orange~~ ~~woman~~ return collect market begin visit asleep salad teaches needed letter sofa peaches quarter women

vowel in weak syllable = /∂/

vowel in weak syllable = /i/

woman

orange

4 Listen and circle the word you hear.

Listen and circle the word you hear.

1    Woman or women?    What time did the woman / women arrive?
2    Dress or address?    Where's Kate's dress address?
3    Manager's or manages?   The team managers / manages well.
4    Teacher's or teaches?   The German teacher's / teaches English.
5    Weight's or waiter's?    The weight's / waiters heavy.
6    Dancer's or dances?    The woman dancer's / dances fast.
7    Officer's or office's?   The officer's / office's here.
8    Away or way?   Take that away / way.
9    Driver or drive?   What a nice driver / drive!
10   Racer's or races?   The racer's / races finished.

Follow up: Record yourselfsaying the sentences in 4, choosing one of the two words. Make a noteof which words you say. Then listen to your recording in about twoweeks. Is it clear which words you said?

Unit 6 Unit 7 Unit 8