The Challenge of Learning English: It’s Not a Phonetic Language
The Way It’s Written Isn’t Always the Way It’s Pronounced
Learning English can be confusing, especially when it comes to pronunciation. Unlike many other languages, English is not phonetic. This means that the way a word is spelled doesn’t always tell you how it should be pronounced. While spelling is crucial, it can often mislead learners when trying to figure out the correct pronunciation.
What Is Phonetic Spelling?
Phonetic spelling involves writing a word the way it sounds. In languages that are phonetic, like Spanish, Russian, German, and Korean, there’s a strong relationship between how words are written and how they are pronounced. In these languages, words are usually pronounced as they are spelled, making it easier for new learners to accurately guess pronunciation based on spelling.
English, however, is different. It has 44 phonemes, or individual sounds, and nearly all of them can be spelled in various ways. This lack of consistency makes English a challenging language to learn, especially when it comes to pronunciation.
The Odds Are Against You
Some studies suggest that only about half of English words can be sounded out phonetically. However, further research indicates that the actual percentage might be as low as 20%. This means that trying to “sound out” words in English can feel like a guessing game, with a low chance of success.
Examples of English Pronunciation Challenges
Take the letter “s,” for example. It can be pronounced in several ways:
- Like an “s” in “seat” or “history”
- Like a “z” in “his,” “disease,” or “does”
- Like “sh” in “pressure”
- Like “zh” in “leisure” or “pleasure”
- Or it can be silent, as in “island”
Letter pairs can also be tricky. The pair “gh” is particularly notorious:
- It’s pronounced like a “g” in “ghost” or “spaghetti”
- It’s silent in words like “straight,” “high,” or “through”
- It’s pronounced like an “f” in “enough” or “cough”
- It can be part of a larger sequence, as in “longhand”
Even sequences of more than two letters, such as “ough”, can be pronounced in different ways. For instance:
- In “though” the sequence is pronounced like the “o” in “go”
- In “through” it’s pronounced like the “oo” in “too”
- In “cough” it’s pronounced like the “off” in “offer”
- In “rough” it’s pronounced like the “uff” in “suffer”
- In “plough” it’s pronounced like the “ow” in “flower”
- In “ought” it’s pronounced like the “aw” in “saw”
Strategies for Navigating English Pronunciation
Given the complexities of English pronunciation, it’s important to develop strategies that can help you master the language:
- Use an Online Dictionary or an app: Online dictionaries and apps often provide phonetic transcriptions and audio recordings, which can help you learn how to pronounce words correctly.
- Look for Phonetic Patterns: Over time, you’ll notice that certain letter combinations have consistent pronunciations. For example, the letter pair “kn” at the beginning of a word typically has a silent “k,” as in “knife” or “knight.” Similarly, “gh” at the end of a word is usually pronounced as an “f,” as in “tough” or “enough.”
- Create Your Own Word Lists: Pay attention to common letter sequences and how they’re pronounced. For example, the suffix “tial” is often pronounced “shul,” as in “essential,” “substantial,” and “confidential.” Keep a list of these patterns and add to it as you learn more words.
- Be Open About Your Learning Process: English pronunciation can be tough, and it’s okay to ask for help. Let others know that you’re working on your pronunciation and that you welcome feedback. Hearing a native speaker pronounce a word and then repeating it can help reinforce the correct pronunciation. Add these words to your list to practice regularly.
Learning English pronunciation is challenging, but with the right strategies, you can make significant progress. Remember, the goal is to communicate clearly, and with practice, you can achieve that.
Looking for an accent coach to help you with your American-English accent? Get in touch with Naomi.
References: Some of the content in this article is adapted from “Why English Is So Hard to Spell” by EnglishClub. For more details, you can access the original article here.
