04. Perfect English | The most important English words!

04. Perfect English | The most important English words!

Today, you're getting video 4 in the 100 most common words in English list.

今天是英语100个最常用单词 视频4。

We're going over the real pronunciation (发音), not the full pronunciation (发音), not the pronunciation (发音) you might have been taught, but the pronunciation (发音) that Americans actually use in spoken English.

我们现在说的是在生活中真实的发音，不是单词本身完整的发音，不是你在书本上学来的发音，而是美国人在口语中使用的发音。

If you didn't see video one, click here to watch it now.

如果您没有看到本系列的视频1，请点击此处观看。

It is important to understand what we're doing here studying reductions.

在美国口语中，略音的情况随处可见。

We start this video with number 31, and yes, it's a great reduction (减少).

我们继续从31号开始，继续讨论略音。

The word OR.

单词 OR。

You might have learned that the pronunciation (发音) of this word is 'or', like it would rhyme (韵脚；押韵词；韵文；韵律) with 'more' or the number 'four'.

你可能已经知道这个词的发音是'or'，就像用'More'或'Four'。

But 'more' and 'four' are content words.

但是'More'和'Four'是内容字。

That means they will often be stressed in a sentence, given more time.

他们通常在句子中重读。

'Or' is a function word.

'Or'是一个功能字。

That means it's not stressed in the sentence.

在句子中要轻读。

It's not one of the most important words, and it's said very quickly.

不是重要的单词，读的时候轻快短。

Remember, English is a stress-timed (时控) language.

英语是一种重读语言。(译者注：中文叫音节语言)

That means all syllables are not equal in length.

这意味着音节的长度不像中文那样都是相等的。

We have long syllables and short syllables, and speaking with that contrast (对比；形成对照) is really important in sounding (音响；试探；测探水深) natural in American English.

我们有长音节和短音节，了解这个非常的重要会让你说的美国英语听起来更自然。

So 'or' isn't pronounced (宣判) 'or' in conversation, that's too long, it's too clear.

所以'or'要轻读在谈话中如果发全音 /Or/就太长太清楚了。

We need it to be shorter.

我们需要它更短。

It's actually 'or', said very quickly, low in pitch.

它实际上是'or'，说很快，很轻。

It can also be reduced (减少的；简化的；缩减的).

要使用略音。

Then it's pronounced (宣判) 'or', the vowel (元音；母音) reduces to the schwa ([语]非中央元音).

然后它发音为'or'，元音减少到中元音。(译者注：也叫元音央化)

You don't have to try to make the schwa ([语]非中央元音), it gets absorbed (一心一意的；被吸收的) by the R sound.

不必特意读成中元音，因为这里它会被R的声音吸收掉。

Just make an R. Rr--

只要做一个R.Rr--

Let's put it in a sentence:

我们把它放在一个句子中：

Would you like white or brown rice? White or brown? Would you like white or brown rice? White or brown? white-rrr rr-- rr-- rr-- rr-- Just an R sound linking (连接；耦合) these two words.

在这两个词之间只发R的声音。

I'm leaving Monday or Tuesday. Monday-rr. Monday-rr. Rr-- rr-- Monday or Tuesday. Just an extra R sound between.

只是在中间一个额外的R音。

Great rhythmic (间歇的；合拍的；有节奏的) contrast (对比；形成对照).

注意节奏的不同。

If you're just jumping into the series, you may be thinking, how important are reductions, how frequent (时常发生的；频繁的；惯常的) are reductions?

如果你是首次收看这个系列视频，你可能会想，略音是有多重要，略音有多频繁？

Out of the 31 most common words in English that we've studied so far, only one is always stressed.

在迄今为止，英语中最常用的31个单词中，只有一个总是重读。

Thirty are usually unstressed or reduced (减少的；简化的；缩减的).

三十个都有不同程度的略音。

So there's your answer.

你懂了么？

Most common words: What's 32?

最常用的单词 32

The indefinite (不定) article 'an'. An.

不定冠词“an”。

Unstressed, it reduces to the schwa ([语]非中央元音), an-- an-- we actually already covered that one when we learned about the indefinite (不定) article 'a' or 'a' back in video one of this series. 33: Will. If this is the only verb in the sentence --

功能词，略音到中元音，an - an--我们实际上已经在前面的视频中提到了它在讲不定冠词“a”或“a”的时候您可以回到前面的视频复习一遍。如果这是句子中唯一的动词 -

I will. He will. –then it's stressed.

- 那么需要重读。

But most of the time it's not the only verb, it's used to indicate (指出；表明；象征；预示) something in the future.

但大多数时候它都是作为助动词存在，用于表示将来时。

I like fishing. That's right now, present.

这是一般现在时。

I'll like fishing when I learn more about it. This is the future.

这是将来时。

The word 'will' is usually written and spoken in a contraction (收缩).

'will'这个词通常会被缩写。

I'll like fishing when I learn more about it. "I will" becomes "I'll", but I reduced (减少的；简化的；缩减的) it. I'll-- I'll--

“I will”变成“I’ll”,然后略读。I'll-- I'll--

I'll like fishing— just like the word "all", said very quickly.

听起来就像“all”一样，轻快的念出来。

I'll, I'll, I'll. I'll like fishing when I learn more about it. What other WILL contractions might you hear?

当you和will连读得时候？

You'll, we'll pronounce (可发音) this more like 'yull'.

You’ll, 听起来像'yull'发音。

He'll, in a sentence, this will sound more like 'hill' or 'hull'.

He’ll, 听起来 'hill' or ‘hull’.

He'll be coming by at three. He'll. She will. She'll. This can be reduced (减少的；简化的；缩减的): she'll or shull.

略音为: she'll or shull.

She'll have the report ready soon. She'll. "It will" becomes "it'll", with a Flap T.

“It will” 变成 “it’ll”,T变成闪音。

This is just like the word "little" without the L.

就像“little”这个词里没有L。

These are both tough words, and I have a video on the word 'little' which might make this contraction (收缩) easier to pronounce (可发音).

这两个词都比较难，我专门有一个讲'little'这个词的视频可能对您有帮助。

I'll put a link here and in the description below.

这里有跳转的链接。

This schwa ([语]非中央元音)-L ending, the contraction (收缩) of WILL, can go at the end of any third person singular ([语]单数的；单一的；非凡的；异常的) noun: "the dog" becomes "the dog'll":

这里以中元音L结尾，可以在任何第三人称单数名词的末尾加‘ll：“the dog” 变成 “the dog’ll”:

The dog'll need to be walked soon. "Tuesday" becomes "Tuesday'll".

“Tuesday” 变成 “Tuesday’ll”.

Tuesday'll be better. "John will" becomes "John'll".

“John will” 变成 “John’ll”.

John'll be here soon. Note: in writing, these might show up as a misspelling (拼错), as not a word.

注意：在写作时，这些可能会显示为拼写错误，因为不是一个字。

But this is how we speak.

但是我们就是这么说的。

This contraction (收缩), this reduction (减少) of will.

will的略音。

If it's a pronoun ([语]代词), like "she'll", then it's not considered a misspelling (拼错).

如果它是一个代名词，比如“she’ll”,就不会被认为是拼写错误。

But this is a case where how we speak English is different from how we write it.

但是在口语中。

It's common to reduce, and say: John'll.

通常会略音：John'll。

"John'll be here at three" rather than "John will be there at three."

而不是“John will be there at three.”

We will, "We'll", You might here this as: we'll or wull.

你可能会听到：we'll 或 wull.

Two different reductions.

两种不同的略音。

We'll be late. We'll be late. "They will", "they'll", often reduce and sound like "thull".

一般会略音，听起来像“thull”.

They'll be hungry when they get here. Third person plural (复数的), again, if you write this as a contraction (收缩), it will show up as a misspelling (拼错), but speaking this way is very common.

第三人称复数，如果你这样缩写，它会被显示为拼写错误，但这种方式很常见。

"The kids will" becomes "The kids'll".

“The kids will” 变成 “The kids’ll”.

The kids'll be tired. The kids'll be tired. A dark L at the end of the word.

Dark L 结尾。

Wow. There was a lot to talk about with the word "will" because of the way it contracts and reduces with so many different words!

哇。“will”讲的不少了。will的略音应用十分广泛！

Number 34: My.

第34：My。

A possessive (所有格；所有的) pronoun ([语]代词).

物主代词。

This is my boyfriend. My shirt's too big. We don't reduce it, we don't change or drop one of the sounds, but it is unstressed.

My 不会被略音，但它并不需要重读。

This is the word's most common use.

这是该词最常用的用法。

But, it can be used another way.

但是，它还有另一种用发。

It can be used as an expression or an interjection (感叹词) to show surprise:

它可以用作表达或感叹惊喜：

Oh my! Maybe it's even showing a little disapproval (不赞成).

甚至可以表达一点反对意见。

My! In these cases, it would be stressed, it would be longer, it would have the up-down shape of stress.

在这些情况下，会重读，发音更长，并伴有升-降调。

Number 35 in the 100 Most common words list: one.

100个最常用单词列表中的第35个：one。

It's a little word, but it has a lot of different uses.

这个词有很多用法。

As a noun or an adjective (形容词), it will probably be stressed.

作为名词或形容词，大部分情况下重读。

For example:

例如：

We're looking for one teacher to join our team. One. But it can also be used as a pronoun ([语]代词), and in that case you might hear it reduced (减少的；简化的；缩减的).

它也可以用作代名词，在这种情况下，就会略音。

Instead of "one", it will be 'un'.

'un'，而不是“one”。

I need a new phone, this one's going to die. This un— this un— this un— This one's going to die. This one's going to last longer, but that one's cheaper (成本更低，比较便宜的). That un—this un-- Did you notice the pronunciation (发音)?

你有没有注意到发音？

This un—that un— nn—nn—nn-- The apostrophe (省略符号，撇号；呼语，顿呼) S is for the contraction (收缩) IS.

‘s用于简写is。

This 'uns', that 'uns'. Now, you don't have to pronounce (可发音) this this way, you can say "this one's, that one's".

现在，你不必这样发音，你可以说“this one’s, that one’s”。

But you'll definitely hear Americans occasionally reduce the word to 'un'.

你经常会听到美国人把这个词略音为'un'。

Number 36. The word 'all'.

第36。“all”。

This one, I would say, is usually going to be stressed and a little longer.

通常all这个词都会被重读，而且会稍微拉长音。

It's most commonly (一般地；通常地；普通地) used as an adjective (形容词), or a noun, or an adverb (副词).

它最常用作形容词，或名词，或副词。

Did you eat all the cake? We've been having all sorts of problems. So here we are, number 36.

现在是36。

The 36th most common words in English, and this is only the second word that doesn't have a reduction (减少), or isn't unstressed in some cases.

英语中最常用的第36个单词，这只是第二个不会被略读的词，或在某些情况下不重读。

Wow.

哇。

The other one was "say" back at number 28.

另一个是第28：“say”。

What does this mean?

这是为什么呢？

Many of the most common words in English are words that are unstressed or reduced (减少的；简化的；缩减的).

英语中最常用的单词大多数是轻读或略读的词。

If you ignore these, you can never sound natural, because they are everywhere.

如果你没注意到这个问题，你可能永远听不懂本地人说话，因为它们无处不在。

And chances are, when you learned the words, you did not learn the reductions, and you did not learn how to make them unstressed.

当你学单词的时候，你没有学会略音，和如何轻读。

So we're trying to fix that now.

我们现在正试图解决这个问题。

Let's keep going, number 37. The word "would".

让我们继续，编号为37.单词“would”。

I'm actually going to also work on 67 at the same time, the word "could".

我会同时讲第67个单词，“could”。

And I'll throw in as a bonus, a word that's not on the list, the word "should".

我会再加上一个，不在列表上的单词“should”。

Actually, as with many of the reductions on this list,

实际上，与这份列表上的许多略音一样，

I've made a video that goes over these pronunciations.

我在早些时候制作了一段视频，专门讲这些发音。

Should I just put it in here? Would you like to see it? Should. Would. It is a good one, it's useful! Let's watch!

我们来看我以前录得视频！

These words all rhyme (韵脚；押韵词；韵文；韵律).

这些词都是押韵的。

The pronunciation (发音) is simpler (更简单的（simple的比较级）) than it looks.

发音比看起来简单。

The L is silent.

这里 L 不发音。

So they all have their beginning consonant (辅音), the OO as in Book vowel (元音；母音), and the D sound.

所以他们都直接读前面的辅音，Book中的元音OO再加上D的发音。

Should. Would. Could. They rhyme (韵脚；押韵词；韵文；韵律) with 'good', 'hood', and 'wood'. Yes, 'would' and 'wood' are pronounced (宣判) the same.

他们的'ood'押韵，是的，"would"和''wood"发音相同。

They're homophones.

他们是同音字。

So this is the pronunciation (发音) of these words in full.

所以这就是这些词语的发音。

But as you know, Americans like to reduce less important words in a sentence to make the important words stand out more and these are three words that can be reduced (减少的；简化的；缩减的).

如你所知，美国人喜欢省略一句话中不太重要的词使重要的词更加突出这些是可以减少的三个词。

As with many reductions, we change the vowel (元音；母音) to the schwa ([语]非中央元音) and speed up the word.

与许多略音一样，这里的的元音弱化并加快了这个词的语速。

Should. Should. Would. Would. Could. Could. You'll hear Americans go further though and drop the D.

你会听到美国人把D音也给省略了.

I noticed I did this when I was doing a Ben Franklin exercise on some of my own speech.

我注意到当我在自己的一些演讲中做本富兰克林演习时，我也略音了。

Should we get dinner? Yeah! Should we get dinner? One of the things I noticed is I'm dropping the D sound.

我发现我把D音省略了。

Shou we— shou we-- Should. Should. Just the SH sound and the schwa ([语]非中央元音).

只留下SH音和中元音。

The lips are flared (向外展开的（裙、裤）) and the teeth are together. Sshhh— the tongue tip is pointing up to the roof of the mouth but it's not touching it.

嘴唇张开，牙齿并拢。 Sshhh-舌尖指向上颚，但不碰到。

Sshhhuuu—shhu— Then, for the schwa ([语]非中央元音), everything relaxes and you go into the next sound: shuh-- shuh-- shuh we--

然后，一切都放松发中元音然后进入下一个声音：shuh-- shuh-- shuh we--

Should we call her? Should we. Should we. I should go. Should go. Should go. I should go. Now, if the next sound is a vowel (元音；母音) or a diphthong (双元音),

如果下一个音是元音或双元音，

I wouldn't drop the D.

就不要省略D音.

It would be too unclear (不清楚的；不易了解的) to go from the schwa ([语]非中央元音) into another vowel (元音；母音).

从中元音换到另一个元音是不用发的很清楚的。

So for: Should I? Should I?

所以：Should I? Should I?

For example, I make a really quick flap of the tongue for the D.

例如，舌头快速的发一个D。

Should I. Should I. Should I say that? Should I try it? Should I call him? If dropping the D seems like too extreme of a reduction (减少) for you, you certainly don't have to do it.

如果你觉得省略掉D音太别扭了，你也可以不省。

Just keep 'should' unstressed, really quick: should, should, should.

只要让 'should' 轻读，轻快的读：should, should, should.

Now, let's look at 'could'.

现在，咱们来看'could'。

The K sound is made when the back part of the tongue comes up and touches the soft palate (鉴赏力；[解]上颚) in the back.

K声音是在舌头的后部形成的出现并触及背部的软腭。

K, k, k, k. Could we try later? Could we? Could we? Again, just dropping the D.

再次，省略掉D.

K sound, schwa ([语]非中央元音), next word.

K声，中元音，下一个字。

Could we? Could we? Saying it with a D when the next word begins with a vowel (元音；母音) or a dipthong .

当下一个单词以元音或双音符开始时，D发音。

Could I? Could I come back later? Could I? Could I? So just a nice, short, could.

轻快短的，could.

Finally, would.

最后，would.

For the W sound, the lips are in a tight circle, and the back part of the tongue lifts.

对于W音，嘴唇收紧到一个圈，舌头的后部抬起。

Ww—ww—wuh-- Would we want to do that? Would we? Would we? Would we want to do that? Or with a really quick D sound.

或者用一个非常快速的D声音。

Where would I go? Would I-- Would I-- Would I-- So you can reduce these words by changing the vowel (元音；母音) to the schwa ([语]非中央元音).

你可以把元音央化成中元音。

You can reduce them further by dropping the D, unless the next sound is a vowel (元音；母音) or a diphthong (双元音).

进一步可以省略D音，除非下一个声音是元音或双元音。

Number 38. Actually, we're going to do 38 and 39 at the same because they're homophones!

其实，我们打算把38和39放在一起讲，因为他们是同音词！

What are homophones?

那么什么是同音词呢？

Words that are spelled differently and have different meanings (含义；价值（meaning的复数）) but that are pronounced (宣判) exactly the same. 38 is 'there' and 39 is 'they're'.

拼写不同，意思也不同的两个词但发音完全一样。38是 ‘there’39是‘they’re’.

If homophones seem confusing to you, you're not the only one.

如果同音词让你感到困惑，没关系，不止是你一个人。

I actually have a very long video that goes over many homophones in American English, you can click here to see it, or check the video description.

我另外有一个很长的视频专门讲在美国英语的许多同音词，您可以点击这里查看，或查看视频说明。

There, they're. Fully pronounced (宣判), we have "there".

完整发音 ’There‘

But, both of these can reduce.

其实，这两者都可以略音。

The word 'there' can be used lots of different ways, and a common way is the phrase "there is" or "there are".

'there'这个词有很多用法，常见的是“there is” 或 “there are”.

These phrases will often be in contraction (收缩), "there's" and the "there're".

这些短语通常会简写为，“there’s” 和 “there’re”.

But these contractions can reduce when we say them.

在口语中，这些略音更加明显。

Then it becomes "thurs" and "thur".

然后它变成“thurs”和“thur”。

There's a good reason why I can't tell you. There's a good reason-- There's, there's, there's. It has the schwa ([语]非中央元音) rather than the EH vowel (元音；母音).

多数情况下发中元音而不是EH元音。

It's said more quickly.

它说得更快。

The contraction (收缩) "there are" gets even less clear, it's really just one syllable "thur".

“there are” 的略音变得简略，它实际上只剩下一个音节“thur”。

R reduces, and we lose it.

R 被省略掉。

It has the same sounds as the reduced (减少的；简化的；缩减的) "there", so it blends (混纺，混纺纤维；混合物（blend的复数形式）) in.

略音以后发音与“there”相同。

There're lots of reason why I can't tell you. There're lots. There're. There're. There're lots of reasons. What about the contraction (收缩) "they are", "they're"?

“they are”到 “they’re”?

Yes, that also reduces.

是的，这里也略音了。

It might not be pronounced (宣判) "they're", but instead, "thur", with the schwa ([语]非中央元音).

它可能不会发音为 “they’re”,而是略音为“thur”。

They're in the kitchen. Thur, thur. They're in the kitchen. And the last word for this video, number 40, "what".

本视频的最后一个，第40，“what”。

This word can reduce.

这个词可以略音。

Fully pronounced (宣判), it's "what", and the T is a Flap T if the next word begins with a vowel (元音；母音) or diphthong (双元音): what are you going to do? What are, what are. Rrrr— Flap. The T is a Stop T if the next word begins with a consonant (辅音):

完整发音 “what”,如果下一个单词以元音或双元音开始，则T是闪音T：如果下一个单词以辅音开始，则T是Stop T：

What were you thinking? What were, what were. Stop T.

阻音 T.

But, if the next word begins with a D, then we can reduce the word 'what' by dropping the T.

但是，如果下一个单词以D开头，我们就可以直接去掉T的发音。

Make the vowel (元音；母音) a schwa ([语]非中央元音).

元音央化为中元音。

So the word 'what' becomes a very quick "wuh, wuh".

‘what’这个词变得非常快，“wuh，wuh”。

"What did" and "what do" are common word combinations (组合) where we do this.

“What did” 和 “what do”是最常见的词汇组合。

What do you think? What do, what do, what do. The word 'what' is simply 'wuh'.

‘what’ 简化为 ‘wuh’.

What did you say? What did, what did, what did. Again, the word 'what' is simply 'wuh', wuh.

再说一遍，‘what’ 简化为 'wuh'，wuh。

So there they are, words 31-40, we had a lot of reductions in there.

以上就是第31到40个英文常用字，略音几乎无处不在。

Let's keep going down this list of the 100 most common words in English to study the pronunciation (发音), and I don't mean the full, official pronunciation (发音),

我们会继续沿着英语中最常用的100个单词列表来学习发音，不是指完整的官方发音，

I mean how the word is actually used in a sentence in American English.

而是这个单词在美国英语的句子中是如何发音的。

Look for the next installment (分期付款) in this series, coming soon.

即将推出的本系列的更多部分。

That's it, and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.

今天就讲到这里，非常感谢收看Rachel’s English教学视频.