Words and sounds
The rules for pronouncing the ending are the same in all functions:
- Plural: dogs – cats – houses…….
- Genitive: Peter’s – John’s……
- Third person of singular (present simple): speaks – tells – misses…
The /s/ is pronounced:
- /s/: after /th/ / h/ /p/ /f/ /k/
Example: baths, boots, helps, roofs, works, laughs…
- /z/: after /r/ /l/ /g/ /y/ /n/ /i:/ /v/ /m/ /th/ /d/
Example: bears, bottles, dogs, eyes, trains, seas, lives, clothes…
- /iz/: sh/ /s/ /g/ /dg/ /z/
Example: watches, houses, garages, bridges, quizzes.
Some consonant are not pronounced: We call them "silent letters"
silent letters | examples |
b (b after m) |
climb - lamb - bomb… |
b (before t) |
debt - doubt… |
/c/ |
muscle - science - yacht… |
/d/ |
handsome - sandwich - Wednesday -grandfather…
|
g (initial /g/ followed by “n” Final /g/ in the "ing" form In the middle words followed by /h/ or /ht/ |
Gnaw - gnome… Listening - writing… bought- might- though… |
/h/ initial “h” |
honour - hour- honest… |
/i/ |
fruit - juice… |
/k/ initial /k/ followed by ”n” |
Know - knowledge - knife… |
/l/ before /k/ /f/ /d/ |
walk - should - half… |
/n/ finale /n/ after “m” |
column - autumn… |
/p/ initial” before ”s” or “n” |
Psychology- pneumonia… “p” is also silent in these words: recept- cupboard…
|
/r/ silent “r” before all consonants and Final “r" |
farm - bored - bark - horse - dark… Teacher - doctor - humour…
|
/t/ words ending in “sten” or “stle” |
Listen - castle… |
/w/ initial /w/ before “r” |
Write - wrong…
|
/w/ is followed by “ho” |
whose - whom - whole… /w/ is also silent in these words: sword-answer-two… |