Hints on Pronunciation for Foreigners

Beauties of English Index


Hints on Pronunciation for Foreigners :



I take it you already know

of tough and bough and cough and dough?

Others may stumble, but not you

on hiccough, thorough, laugh and through?

Well done! And now you wish perhaps

to learn of these familiar traps?

Beware of heard, a dreadful word,

That looks like beard and sounds like bird,

And dead: it's said like bed, not bead,

For Goodness' sake, don't call it deed!

Watch out for meat and great and threat,

They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.

A moth is not a moth in mother.

Nor broth in brother, broth in brother,

And here is not a match for there,

Nor dear and fear, bear and pear,

And then, ther's does and rose and lose

Just look them up : and goose and choose,

And cork and front and word and ward

And font and front and word and sword.

And do and go and thwart and cart -

Come, come, I've hardly made a start!

A dreadful language? Man alive,

I'd mastered it when I was five!

Anonymous