More Diphthongs and Affricates
In the previous lesson, you explored diphthongs and their role in pronunciation, learning about vowel combinations like /eɪ/, /aɪ/, and /aʊ/.
Now, let’s build on that knowledge and focus on additional diphthongs /eə/, /ɪə/ and /uːə/and another important feature of English pronunciation: affricates, which are unique consonant sounds /dʒ/ and /tʃ/ (as in jeer and cheer).
| Pier | /pɪə/ | Bear | /beə/ |
| Cheer | /tʃɪə/ | Air | /eə/ |
| Jeer | /dʒɪə/ | Sewer | /suːə/ |
Exercise 5A
Now, it’s time to focus on some more complex diphthongs and affricates. Your task is to match each phonetic transcription to the correct word. Pay special attention to the diphthongs, as they represent two vowel sounds combined in one syllable.
Also, practise identifying the affricate sounds /dʒ/ and /tʃ/, which are important for clear and accurate pronunciation.
Completing this exercise will help you fine-tune your pronunciation and become more comfortable with these advanced sounds.