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Tips, insights, and updates about English learning
cats, dogs, buses: The Three Pronunciations of -s (Master Plurals and Third-Person All at Once)
Despite all adding -s, cats is pronounced /s/, dogs is pronounced /z/, and buses gets an extra syllable /ɪz/. The logic behind it is the exact same as with -ed; mastering it will help you handle plurals, third-person singular, and possessives all at once, so you'll never have to hesitate over every word again.
Don't Swallow Your Endings: How to Clearly Pronounce English Final Sounds and Consonant Clusters
Since Chinese words rarely end in consonants, it is very easy for us to swallow English final sounds—best becomes bes, and asked becomes ask. By learning to retain final consonants, you can clearly pronounce even words like texts that pack three or four consonants together, making your English instantly much easier to understand.
bad or bat? A single vibration at the end makes it a completely different word
The only difference between leave and leaf, and bad and bat, is whether the final consonant vibrates. Chinese speaking habits often cause us to 'devoice' voiced final consonants, making bag sound like back, which completely changes the meaning. Learn how to keep the vibration in your final sounds, plus a hidden clue used by native speakers, so your meaning won't be misunderstood.
walked, played, wanted: Master the Three Pronunciations of -ed Once and for All
Even though they all add -ed for the past tense, the endings of walked, played, and wanted sound completely different. In fact, there are only three pronunciations, and you don't need to memorize them—just touch your throat, and your tongue will choose the right one on its own. Learn one key distinction, and your past tense will instantly sound natural.