In this episode, we explore the most common vowel sound in British English, the schwa, with a focus on how the letter E behaves in unstressed syllables. You’ll learn why the schwa isn’t a real vowel but a weak transition sound, how word stress controls pronunciation, and why native speakers often seem to skip vowels altogether. We cover reliable patterns at the ends of words such as er, en, and el, tricky unstressed E in the middle of words, and why initial E can shift between /ɪ/ and /ə/. If you want your pronunciation to sound more natural, fluent, and rhythmical, this lesson will change how you hear English.

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https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Put theory into practice! This follow-up episode helps you master the four pronunciations of the letter Y in British English through targeted exercises and common error corrections. Learn how to avoid over-articulating "yes," distinguish between short and long E sounds in words like "gym" and "happy," and properly pronounce the diphthong /aɪ/ in words like "my" and "fly."

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Transcript:

/j/ - yes - year - young - yacht, beyond, canyon, you, yellow, yoke, yet.

Short /ɪ/ — short i: symbol, lyric, typical, crystal, syrup, mystery, gym, rhythm.

Long i: happy, funny, city, puppy, busy, baby, story, pretty

/aɪ/ — diphthong: my, try, fly, sky, cry, reply, apply, rely, satisfy, terrify, tyre, dynamite

Scenario 1: /j/ - yes, year, young, yacht, you, yellow, yoke, yet.

Minimal pairs:

yes - chess

year - cheer

yellow - cello

you - chew

yoke - choke,

yam - jam

yet - jet

Yale - jail

yoke - joke

yard - guard

year - gear

yum - gum

Scenario 2 (Minimal pairs):

gym - gene

myth - meet

symbol - seem

rhythm - read

crystal - cream

lyrics - leaks

Scenario 3: /ai/: my, try, fly, shy, cry, why, reply, apply, satisfy, terrify

Why does the letter Y sound completely different in "yes," "gym," "happy," and "my"? This episode unravels the mystery behind Y's four pronunciations in British English: the consonant /j/, the short vowel /ɪ/, the long vowel /iː/, and the diphthong /aɪ/. Discover the patterns (and exceptions) that govern when Y makes each sound, and learn about common pronunciation pitfalls for learners from French, German, Romance, Slavic, and Chinese language backgrounds. From over-articulating "yes" to flattening diphthongs in "fly," understand why these errors happen and what they reveal about the quirks of English pronunciation. Essential listening before the hands-on practice episode!

Find me on italki: https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274