Congratulations!

Barbara Lerner Blumberg of Baltimore, MD, was the contest winner for July-August.

The vowel sound UH is a very easy sound to make, but it can be spelled many different ways. So, it is hard to know from the spelling of a word that it has the UH sound. You may know it is the sound in “sun” and “what” but did you know it is also in “machine,” “double,” and “nothing”?

Now here’s the contest:

Which words have the UH sound?

but
the
dollar
rough

Congratulations!

Tricia Hanson of Truman State University in Missouri was the contest winner for January-February.

Each American English vowel sound may be spelled many different ways. This can make pronunciation confusing. That's why it is important to listen carefully to how a word is pronounced and not depend on the spelling to know how to pronounce it.

Now here’s the contest:

We have been talking with a lot of healthcare providers and know that pronouncing common illnesses can be difficult. If Joan gets a cold and Lou gets the flu, by matching the vowel sounds, pair these names to an illness.

1. Lisa	a. a cough
2. Judd	b. sore throat
3. Nolan	c. the mumps
4. Bobbie	d. the measles

Congratulations!

Tricia Hanson of Truman State University in Missouri was the contest winner for January-February.

Some words have two forms — a noun form and a verb form. They are spelled the same but are they pronounced the same? Consider these words:

object: It's a wooden object. I object to what he said.
present: I gave her a birthday present. Will you present your report?
contract: Employees must sign a contract. The sidewalk contracts when it's cold.

Now here’s the contest:

What is the difference in pronunciation between the two forms of these words?

1. There is no difference. The words are pronounced the same whether used as nouns or as verbs.

2. When the words are used as nouns, the syllable stress is on the first syllable. When the words are used as verbs the stress is on the second syllable. There is no difference in the consonant or vowel sounds.

3. When the words are used as nouns, the syllable stress is on the first syllable. When the words are used as verbs the stress is on the second syllable. There is also change in pronunciation of some vowel sounds.

Rosalyn Sega from Coconut Creek, FL, is the October winner – Congratulations!

You will hear people using expressions that are the names of letters, such as:
“Please do this ASAP” (as soon as possible)
“This is FYI.” (for your information)
“I went to the ATM.” (automated teller machine)

Now here’s the contest:

There is a rule about syllable stress for these expressions. Which syllable is stressed in abbreviations like these?

the first letter
the last letter
the middle letter
all letters are equally stressed

Rosalyn Sega from Coconut Creek, FL, is the October winner – Congratulations!

Pronouncing numbers may be challenging for non-native English speakers.

Here is a tip. When saying a 10-digit phone number, such as 503-713-3468, we usually say the area code as separate digits: "five, zero (or O), three" (although there are some exceptions such as "310" which may be pronounced "three ten"). Then we pause briefly, and say the first three digits individually: "seven, one, three." That is also followed by a brief pause. The last 4 digits may be said separately: "three, four, six, eight" or in pairs "thirty-four, sixty-eight" but don't mix these up, such as "three, four, sixty-eight." Note: Many native speakers do not pause adequately and it is often difficult for the listener to understand the number.

Now here’s the contest:

What is the pronunciation (syllable stress) difference between the numbers “15” and “50”?

a. fif TEEN', FIF' tee
b. fif TEEN', fif TEE'
c. FIF' teen; FIF' tee
d. FIF' teen, fif TEE'