03. Learn English with fluent pronunciation of the top English vocabulary words

03. Learn English with fluent pronunciation of the top English vocabulary words

Today you're getting video 3 in the 100 Most Common Words in English list.

We're going over the real pronunciation (发音), not the full pronunciation (发音), but the one that actually gets used in spoken English.

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

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

We start this video with 'this'.

This is number 21 in the most common words in English.

It's not usually going to be pronounced (宣判) THIS. It's usually going to be pronounced (宣判) a lot more quickly than that, unstressed.

This.

This.

"This is what I'm talking about."This, this, this.

Sometimes it's more stressed,"Not that one, this one." It depends on how it's being used.

But much of the time, this word will be unstressed, said very quickly: this.

22: But.

This word is usually going to be unstressed.

In those cases I would probably write it phonetically (发音) with a schwa ([语]非中央元音).

"I wanted to stop in, but I was already running late."But, but, but, but, but I, but I. The T here links (沙丘；沙地；链接（link的复数）) into the next word with a Flap T if the next word begins with a vowel (元音；母音) or diphthong (双元音).

If the next word begins with a consonant (辅音), then it's a Stop T. "We wanted to stop by, but we were already running late."But , but, but we, but we.

There, it's a stop T. Said very quickly.

Unless someone is exaggerating on purpose: BUT!

You won't hear this word with a True T. 23: His.

Oh, this one is fun.

This one does have a reduction (减少).

It's really common to drop the H in this word.

What's his name?

What's his?

What's his?

HIS becomes 'iz'.

Said very quickly, reduced (减少的；简化的；缩减的).

This is much more natural than making it sound stressed, fully pronounced (宣判): What's his name?

What's his name?

Hmm, that doesn't sound right.

"What's his name?"sounds much better.

I have a video on dropping the H reductions, so click here or in the description to see more examples (例子；列证（example的复数形式）).

24: By.

This word doesn't reduce (减少；降低；把…分解；使处于), none of the sounds change or are dropped, but it's usually unstressed and said very quickly: We'll be right by the door.

By the, by the, by the-- unstressed, not too clear.

But we need this contrast (对比；形成对照) of stressed and unstressed to sound natural when speaking English.

25: From.

This is often said very quickly, and I would write the vowel (元音；母音) phonetically (发音) as the schwa ([语]非中央元音): from, from.

When the schwa ([语]非中央元音) is followed by the M, it gets absorbed (一心一意的；被吸收的) by the schwa ([语]非中央元音), so what I'm saying is, you can say the word so quickly that you're not even trying to make a vowel (元音；母音): frm, frm, frm.

I'll be back from work at three.

From, from work.

Very fast.

If I said this sentence with each word being clear, no reductions, what would it sound like?

I'll be back from work at three.

I'll be back from work at three.

Pretty robotic (自动的；机器人的，像机器人的), not natural.

Even though reductions might seem wrong, they might seem lazy, they're right, because they're part of a bigger picture.

Rhythmic contrast (对比；形成对照) in English.

26: They.

Let's just start out with a sample sentence.

They already left.

They already left.

Unstressed.

Said very quickly.

They, they, they.

Sounds don't really change, it doesn't reduce (减少；降低；把…分解；使处于), but it's unstressed.

They, they.

Man, we're on number 26 of the most common words in English and so far, every single one either reduces or is often unstressed.

When will we get to our first real content word?

We'll see.

27: We.

It's just like the pronoun ([语]代词) 'they'.

Not usually stressed in a sentence.

We, we.

We already left.

We, we, we.

Said quickly.

We already left.

Not a reduction (减少), we don't change or drop a sound, but unstressed.

We.

We already left.

28: Say.

Oh my gosh, this is a content word.

This is a verb and it is usually stressed in a sentence.

It took us 28 words to get here.

If this doesn't show you the importance of using reductions and speaking with a rhythmic (间歇的；合拍的；有节奏的) contrast (对比；形成对照), making some words unstressed and less clear, I don't know what will.

The first 27 of the most common words in English are that way.

Say.

Let's put it in a sentence.

What did he say?

He said he's running late.

Say, said.

Stressed, longer, clearer (澄清剂；清洁器).

Up-down shape of intonation (语调，声调): say.

S consonant (辅音), AY diphthong (双元音).

We need jaw drop for that.

Say.

There's something interesting about 'say', 'said', and 'says'.

The diphthong (双元音) changes.

Check out a video I made on that change by clicking here or in the description below.

29: Her.

Okay, we're back to a word that reduces.

It's very common to pronounce (可发音) this word with no H. It becomes 'er'.

What's her name?

Er, er, er.

When we drop the beginning H, we take the word and attach (贴上；系上；使依附；使依恋) it to the end of the word before.

What's her.

What's her name?

There are several words where we drop the H, I have a video on that.

Click here or in the description below to see more examples (例子；列证（example的复数形式）).

30: She.

Unstressed.

You could probably even reduce (减少；降低；把…分解；使处于) it by dropping the vowel (元音；母音), and just making a quick 'sh' sound.

Let me try that in a sentence.

We don't think she knows.

We don't think she knows.

I'd say that works.

So you can put a quick 'ee': I don't think she knows.

Or you can drop the vowel (元音；母音): I don't think she knows.

And it sounds pretty much the same.

She knows.

She knows.

So there.

Our 30 most common words in English are done, and there's only one word, 'say', that is reliably (可靠地；确实地) stressed.

Amazing.

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 or official pronunciation (发音), I mean how the word is actually used in a sentence in American English.

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

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