About Pronunciation

It is so heartening to see that you are taking these Communication exercises so

seriously. I am sure that if you continue with the same enthusiasm, you will soon
see excellent results.
In the context of pronunciation, it is important be aware of two terms Syllable &
Stress.
Let me explain:

Syllable
A word is built up of one, two or several syllables. A syllable is defined as the
shortest vocal impulse. Therefore, a long word can be divided into smaller parts
i.e. syllables. Take the example Father when you pronounce it, we can feel the
two syllables fa & ther. Words like me, he, you are monosyllabic and cannot
be broken down. Many words in the English language are bi-syllabic Music,
Today etc. Words like administration are polysyllabic (more than two syllables).

All dictionaries show the syllables but may have different symbols for them. The
most common one is just periods between the syllable fa.ther; or mu.zic .

Stress Most mispronunciations happen because of the misplaced stress. Also, the
main difference between the British English and American English is the
placement of stress. We know people pronounce different words differently. To
some extent, it is OK but when the pronunciation interferes with comprehension
and people cannot understand what you are saying, it is not OK and can be very
damaging. Please read this very carefully!

In bi or polysyllabic words, one syllable is spoken slightly louder than the others.
That syllable is said to be stressed. For example, in fa.ther, the stress is on the first
syllable (fa). In ad.mini.stra.tion, the stress is on third syllable (stra). When the
words are really long, you have another syllable with secondary stress but we dont
want to get into all that detail.

Dictionaries have different ways to indicate the stress the stressed syllable can be
in bold or indicated by an apostrophe BEFORE the syllable. Check what system
the dictionary you are consulting uses.

I think, this information will make your effort at improving pronunciation more
effective. Now, you will not learn the pronunciation just physically (by repetition)
but intellectually (by understanding the phonetic structure of the word). May be I
should have given this information earlier but its never too late!!

Given below are the words for this module. Please look
up the pronunciation of each of the words below
and practice several times with the online audio. If this
word is not in your active vocabulary, please check the
meaning and usage and try to use it when possible.
1. Appalling
2. Immaculate
3. Scaffolding
4. Iridescent
5. Ostentatious

6. Prodigious
7. Lucid
8. Fortitude
9. Lacuna
10. Enduring