Learn how to pronounce the words EGG, ACT, AT with this American English Pronunciation Lesson.
Definitions:
EGG is an oval object from a bird.
ACT means to take action.
AT is a preposition expressing location or time.
Pronunciation:
EGG is EH-G or /ɛg/
ACT is AH-K-T or /ækt/
AT is AH-T or /æt/
Sentence:
The egg is at the center of the magic act.
Transcript:
Hey everyone this is Jennifer from Tarle speech with your question of the week. So let’s take a look at these words so we have egg act and add.
So let’s start with egg the difference between these words that we’re going to be focusing on today is this e the short e is a little more closed and the short a is more open.
So if you think about those two things I think that’s really going to help you differentiate these vowels. So for the short eh sound eh you can see my mouth is open EH EH EH and you can see the tip of my tongue between my top and bottom teeth. It is not a short i ih with my mouth more closed it is a little more open EH EH EH
The vowel for the short ah is very wide open. Your mouth is in a wide circle that is going to allow your tongue tip to get way down here in the bottom of your mouth and the back of your tongue will be pulled up – ah so let’s look at the difference between those again. EH EH EH AH AH AH
You can see just by opening my mouth that helps my tongue pop down. Now let’s talk about the g and the k same position for these sounds. Tip of the tongue is going to be down back of the tongue is going to be pulled high up. We have G G G –
your voice box is on and moving. For the k your voice box is off K K K
So this sound will be a little harsher G G G
and this will be a little softer K K K
Okay so let’s try to put this together
egg egg egg
I’m gonna open my mouth more here
ah K ah K ah K
Then from here from this k with the tip of my tongue down I’m going to pull my tongue up to the back of my top front teeth AH K T
AH K T
act act act
Now for at just going to take that k out and move from low for the ah to behind the top front teeth for the t at at at
When you hear this word at in conversation you might hear at and that is the air is just stopping, the tongue is staying in the same place behind those top front teeth, it’s just not pulling down and the air is not puffing out. So you might hear that. If you say at with more um air puffing out that’s totally fine. Okay so let’s try all of these words
egg egg egg
act act act
at at at
egg act at
And now for a sentence
The egg is at the center of the magic act.
Give it a try people are going to notice the difference. Please give us a like and a share and a subscribe. If you need more help check out our products on google play itunes and our classes at tarle speech.