Chinese

Consonants

The /n/ sound

This consonant sound is one of the biggest problems for Chinese speakers, who tend to either completely drop the /n/ or pronounce it incorrectly when it is at the end of the word as in “phone” or before another consonant as in “nonsense.”

Linking the final /n/ of a word to the vowel of the next word automatically solves this problem. So, when “can eat” becomes “c/æ/ + neat,” the problem is solved. You should always practice linking words since this will fix other consonant problems that occur at the end of the word, particularly with the letters m, r, d, t, and th.

If there is not a vowel sound following the difficult consonant, it’s a bit more challenging. You will need to really make an extra effort to clearly pronounce this sound and other consonant sounds that never occur at the ends of Chinese words.

The /n/ sound is never a problem when it is in the beginning of the word because the Chinese n in this position is the same as the American n. The American n sound is always produced in the front of the mouth, with the tip of the tongue touching the gum ridge which is behind the upper teeth. The Chinese /n/ sound is produced in the back of the mouth, with the back of the tongue touching the upper part of the mouth, similar to the “ng” sound in English. This is why some Chinese speakers of English tend to pronounce thin and thing the same way.

Practice Words

When the tip of your tongue makes contact with the gum ridge, make sure that you are continuing to produce sound by allowing air to come out through your nose. Otherwise your n will be silent, and will not sound like the American /n/.

1. one
2. invent
3. financial
4. man
5. convent
6. attention
7. nine
8. pronounce
9. mention
10. nineteen
11. content
12. consonant

Practice Sentences

1. He came to London in nineteen ninety nine.
2. He gained ten pounds in one month.
3. The sun shone after the rain.
4. That town is known for its fine wine.

The /l/ sound

All explanations and exercises for this /l/ sound are in Chapter Four. Make sure you learn to correctly produce a strong American l. Otherwise you will end up pronouncing code and cold, and too and tool, the same.

As you are raising the tongue for the /l/, don’t raise the jaw with it. Look in the mirror and try to make your tongue move up without the jaw moving. This will strengthen your tongue and help you to create a better sounding l.

Confusing /n/ and /l/

Make sure you do not confuse n and l, especially with words that contain both of these sounds, as in analysis or only. The primary difference between the two sounds is the location of the air flow. For n the air is coming out through your nose, whereas for l the air is coming out through the sides of your mouth. The tongue position is very similar for these two sounds. The tip of the tongue is a bit flatter for the n. With the l the jaw needs to open more to create space for the air to come out through the sides of the mouth. Practice keeping the jaw open while only moving the tongue for the l.

The /r/ Sound

All explanations and exercises for pronouncing r are in Chapter Four. Make sure that you clearly pronounce the final r at the end of words and before another consonant.

The /v/ Sound

Native Chinese speakers have a tendency to drop /v/ in the middle or at the end of words. If you are speaking quickly, make sure that you don’t drop the v. All explanations and exercises for this sound are in Chapter Four.

Practice Sentences

1. I have to have five.
2. He will prove that he can improve the government.
3. I have been involved with them for eleven or twelve years.

Also pay close attention to words with w. Do not make the common mistake of confusing the /v/ and /w/ sounds. All explanations and exercises for /v/ versus /w/ sounds are also in Chapter Four.

The /z/ Sound

Sometimes Chinese speakers skip the /z/ sound. Make sure you have a strong /z/ sound in the middle and end of words. note that this sound is often spelled with an s. Also, be careful when there is a th and an s in the same word or near each other.

Practice Words

1. position
2. business
3. because
4. easy
5. thousand
6. these

Consonant Clusters

Consonant clusters (two or more consonants together) don’t occur in Chinese words, so there’s a tendency for Chinese speakers to pronounce only the first consonant of the group. Therefore card can sound like “car” and extra can sound like “estra.” Remember, the letter x represents two sounds: /ks/. When there are two or more consonants next to each other, make sure that you pronounce every consonant. Review the “consonant clusters” section in Chapter Four for more information.

Vowels

It is recommended that you study all of the American vowel sounds in detail. (See Chapters One and Two.) However, pay special attention to the vowel sounds highlighted below which are the most problematic ones for Chinese speakers of English.

The /eɪ/ sound

For native Chinese speakers the /eI/ sound creates by far the biggest vowel error when it is followed by n, m, or l. The formation of these consonants sometimes prevents the tongue from moving correctly for the /eI/ sound. Generally this /eI/ tends to be pronounced as /ɛ/ or /æ/ making the pronunciation of pain, pen, and pan sound similar or the same when Chinese speakers pronounce them. Also, sale and sell will often sound the same. Here’s a technique for fixing this problem.

Chances are you say rain and ran similarly or the same. To fix this problem say the word ray, then slowly add the /n/ sound. Seeing them as separate in your mind will help you to fully pronounce both of the vowel sounds before you begin to move your tongue into the n position.

The /eI/ sound is easier for Chinese speakers to produce if it is at the end of the word or when it is followed by any other consonant. It’s generally only a problem when it’s followed by an n, m, or l.

Words for Practice

Let’s practice the technique described above by saying some common words that have /eɪ/ + /n/, /m/, or /l/. First say the word that ends in /eI/ and then slowly add the consonant sound.

Words Contrasts for Practice

Make sure you pronounce the two words in each pair below differently.

Confusing /ɛ/ and /æ/

Confusing these two vowel sounds will cause you to pronounce men and man the same way. Review Chapters One and Two to fix this type of error.

Confusing /i/ and /eɪ/

Make sure you pronounce these vowel sounds differently. Pay special attention to words that end with the /i/ sound: very, actually, really, me, and we. Make sure the /i/ is long.

Word Contrasts for Practice

Sentence Pairs for Practice

Longer Words

Since all Chinese words consist of only one syllable, there is a tendency for speakers of Mandarin and Cantonese to reduce English words with longer syllables. Make sure you pronounce every syllable of longer words. Also, pronounce every consonant and don’t lose vocal energy toward the end of the word. Pay special attention to this if you tend to speak fast. Don’t take any short cuts! Below are some examples of English words typically cut short by native Chinese speakers.

Practice Sentences

The correct number of syllables is indicated above each word. Count them as you read the words, then try to say them more quickly making sure you are not skipping any syllable.

1. The scientist³ is enthusiastic⁵ about artificial⁴ intelligence⁴.
2. I am confident³ that this advertisement⁴ will be meaningful³ to the customers³.
3. It is unimaginable⁶ that the Europeans⁴ lost the championship⁴.
4. The foreigner³ had a powerful³ vocabulary⁵ and communicated⁵ confidently⁴.
5. The executive⁴ assistant³ primarily⁴ negotiated⁵ for the president³.
6. We are investigating⁵ the developmental⁵ processes³ of our biggest² competitors⁴.
7. I primarily⁴ practice the pronunciation⁵ of the difficult³ sentences³.
8. The entertainment⁴ industry³ is concentrated⁴ in Hollywood³.
9. He is seriously⁴ investigating⁵ a career in technical³ consulting³.
10. There is a spectacular⁴ exhibition⁴ at the museum³.

Word Ending Errors

The endings of words can sometimes cause problems for the native Chinese speaker. For example, since plural forms don’t exist in Chinese, there is a tendency to omit them when speaking English.

Another difficulty sometimes arises with the third person singular. The form of the verb doesn’t change in Chinese so you may tend to omit the final s.

Finally, many native speakers of Chinese, even those who are very proficient in English, tend to randomly interchange the present and past tenses. Since these tense differences don’t exist in Chinese it is understandably confusing.

Linking

Chinese speakers of English tend to pronounce each word separately, which makes the section on linking in Chapter Eight one of the most important aids in helping you sound more American. You will definitely want to review that chapter, but to summarize: don’t release the final consonant if it’s “a stop.”

This mistake can be prevented by holding the final consonant and immediately saying the next word with no air created between pronouncing the two words. Study the section related to linking consonant + consonant in Chapter 8 for more practice.