Search results for 'tag:Prefixes tag:Pronunciation' matching tags 'Prefixes' and 'Pronunciation'

Re: Compounds with "non": hyphen or no hyphen?

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:48:28 GMT

I'm afraid that in British English the rule *is* different. We do indeed tend to use hyphens after the prefix "non-" (which avoids the possibility of mispronouncing words such as "nonnative" ["non-native" in BrE]).

As regards other prefixes, "pre-" and "co-" still sometimes take a hyphen (particularly where the second part of the word starts with a vowel and could lead to an erroneous pronunciation, e.g. pre-empt, co-opted). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "micro-organism" is also the preferred form, for similar reasons.

When I have trouble...

Kooyeen — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:17:04 GMT

Hi,
this is a fork of a thread where Jim said:

CalifJim wrote:
I'm not sure what your opportunities are where you live, but the solution, where possible, is to choose someone whose pronunciation you like and whose judgment you trust, and just pronounce everything the way they do. You can choose someone like a news anchor, but that's not practical when you need to ask about the pronunciation of a particular word. It almost has to be some native speaker you come in contact with daily, preferably someone of the same sex and age as you, that is, as much like you as possible!

So I wanted to show you what happens when I have trouble finding the pronunciation of a word.
Yeah, choosing a model to imitate is a good thing, but... I often have trouble with terms that are not so common. I can't ask someone to read everything for me. But anyway, here are a few examples of "me-getting-in-trouble". I'll refer to some dictionaries as OALD (Oxford), LDOCE (Longman), MW (Merriam-Webster), AH (American Heritage). Listed in the same order they are given.

1 - Basil. I look it up. I get:
OALD = bÃ¦zl, beÉªzl
LDOCE = beÉªzl
MW = bÃ¦zl, beÉªzl, bÃ¦sl, beÉªsl
AH = bÃ¦zl, beÉªzl
Then I have to choose. I choose bÃ¦zl. One day I'll hear it, maybe. Only God knows when I'll hear it in context...

2 - Customizable, realizable. Where's the stress?
OALD = realizable
LDOCE = realizable, customizable.
MW = realizable, customizable.
AH = realizable
...and MW is confusing me.

2 - Executable, the noun. Where's the stress and how's it pronounced?
OALD = Éªg'zÉkjÉtÉbl
LDOCE = 'ÉksÉªkjutÉbl
MW = same as above, but only listed as adjective
AH = same as above, but only listed as adjective
...probably no one knows. I am pronouncing it like the adjective.

4 - Underline. Stress?
OALD = underline
LDOCE = underline
MW = underline, underline
AH = underline, underline
...Wow.

5 - Hydrocarbon. Stress?
OALD = Hydrocarbon
LDOCE = Hydrocarbon
MW = Hydrocarbon
AH = Hydrocarbon
...hmm, MW is looking for trouble.

6 - Hydrocarbon again. How's that O in Hydro pronounced? Oh or Uh?
OALD = Uh
LDOCE = Uh
MW = Oh
AH = Uh
...again that damn MW. But anyway, if it's not pronounced Oh, how come it's Oh in "electromagnetism", or "thermodynamics"? Oh's and Uh's in prefixes give me trouble...

And so on. There you go, this is why I go crazy every time. Those are just a few examples, but I have trouble that way on a daily basis

Re: :::::: HOW TO SPEAK AND LEARN EGNLISH ::::

Exclusive — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 04:40:42 GMT

How To Learn English ?

PART 2

Learning a language is mainly based upon self-struggle. Maybe the only thing to be done by the teachers on this subject is to advise a method. Because, in a sense, language cannot be taught but learned. So, itâs suitable that the students are shown ways to increase their capabilities and advised methods that give path to discoveries, instead of being obliged to memorize piles of information.

In language learning process, a target should be made clear at first. What can be expected from a student who cannot answer the question âWhy are you learning this language?â. This point should not be forgotten: Language itself is used to reach some certain aims, to make some certain plans real in the real world. Therefore, one should have a target while s/he study a language.

Under the light of these facts, what must your target be? The decision seems to depend on you.
Success in learning a foreign language is closely related to the studentâs knowledge of his/her native language (But, unfortunately, because of the variety of materials in ELT, English is taught in better ways than the native language). A student adds the information s/he knows about his/her native language to the language s/heâs learning at present. Sometimes just the opposite is also possible. A foreign language can make understanding of the native language easy. The student realizes that his/her native language is another language among the others and becomes much more aware about the activities s/he carries out about his/her native language. As Goethe says âOne cannot know his/her native language if s/he does not know his/her native language.â

Repetitions and using the language are vital in language learning. Itâs very easy to learn something if you really need it. Therefore, âmotivation,â which has a main role in learning, should not be ignored.
A language seems to be a pile of infinite rules, but you do not have to know all of them. Once you learn the basic rules, you start to analyze and realize the other rules with ease. The important thing is to understand where these rules are applied, not to memorize them, anyway. Using a language sufficiently is more important than knowing a lot about it.

Learning a language requires talent as well as knowledge; and talent is gained only through practice. You may know how to drive a car, but you have to have much practice to be a good driver.
Practicing with simple examples is not a good idea. Everybody should try to use the language in complexity to gain the ability to think and express him/herself fast.

Memory
Repititio est mater studiorum. (Repetition is the basis of learning.)
The things you remember are the ones to which you pay attention to. Itâs vital to repeat in order not to forget. The secret in not being able to forget the things of great importance to us is repeating them.
The more you know about something, the easier it is to remember it. The more you know about somebody you have met recently (i.e., his/her country, fatherâs name, occupation, school, etc.), the easier it is to remember his/her name, for instance. Addressing him with his name several times, establishing connections between his attributes and the others you have known already makes remembering his name easy. Because, if newly learned information is based upon the old ones, they will not be forgotten with ease.
To learn a new word is similar to meeting a new person. To have information about this new word in detail (itâs written form, pronunciation, word type, base, affixes, etc.), using it orally and in written form several times, establishing links between our past and present knowledge can make remembering easy. This fact must always be on your mind: To remember something, you must recall a clue about that invoke your feelings.
Systematic information may easily be acquired. The opportunity to make a comparison among the arranged sections gives strength to the message and meaning of the text. Only the meaningful things can be remembered.
Another obstacle waiting for the students is to digest the unfamiliar information getting familiar with them in time. Itâs the teacherâs duty to arrange this unfamiliar information and present it to the students.
â¢    Knowledge about language can be divided into three main groups:
1. Knowledge of Vocabulary
Words in target language may be divided into two:
a. Words we recognize: They are the ones we understand passively as if we work out their codes while reading or listening.
b. Words we use: They are the ones we produce actively as if we write a code for them.
(A warning: Communication mustnât be understood that simple. The network of concepts in the brain is in a very complex relationship.)
In understanding process, we follow a way that is from sounds and images to meanings. In oral or written forms, this way is from meanings to sounds and images. Perception is based upon analysis, recall and memorization. Usage is related to synthesis and reproduction. In language learning, perception must precede using the language. If the studies are directed to writing in the target language, learning should take place from a word in the source language to its equivalent in the target language; if directed to reading, this should happen from a word in the target language to its equivalent in the source language.
Researches about memory have shown that words are memorized by connotations. There is also a close relationship between recognizing a word in different texts and using it sufficiently. Therefore, to comprehend the word, it should be put in the middle of a firm network of connotations knitted by preliminary knowledge.
Words in our memory are in a relationship with each other not only in the viewpoint of sound, part of speech and meaning but also in the viewpoint of âshapeâ. We link the words alike in our memory. This link also exists among the words in a text. Coherence, that is the relationship between the concepts, reinforces the connection of meaning. For that reason, reading on a specific subject systematically, that is to say directed to a specific aim, increases the knowledge of vocabulary.
Fries, a linguist, divides knowledge of vocabulary into four:
1. Fundamental words necessary for recognition the structure of the language.
2. Words necessary for forming new words.
3. Words necessary for recognition while reading or listening.
4. Words necessary for special.
Essential points that must be focused on in choosing words for memorizing can be summarized as:
1. Frequency
2. Extensivity
3. Usability
4. Suitability for learning
Continuous listening and reading are the best ways to increase the knowledge of vocabulary. In more contexts you meet a new word the more it is easy to digest it. However, it is possible to make use of some methods before proceeding into this condense reading phase.
You can find the most appropriate method for you trying the ones about memorizing words below:
a. Try to use the newly learned word not only in one sentence but also in a context formed by several sentences. You may use some new words together and even write a short story with them. So, the number of links in your ânetwork of connotationsâ will be increased. This network of connotations is very important in improving the talent of communication.
People think with the help of frames of concepts. For instance, there is a mental frame of Lincoln in an Americanâs mind, and inside the frame are full of information piles. As an example, pronoun âheâ is used when heâs mentioned for that heâs male, he was the sixteenth president, he was assassinated and killed, etc. These piles of information differ accordingly with experiences. The frames in a new studentâs mind are not full at the beginning. Then, as the experiences increase, the frames get filled. These frames are not in an order as one after the other, but they are in a complex network. This complex network, formed by the frames of concepts in relationships, plays a great role in comprehending the multi-directional and delicate meanings in texts.
b. Record the words and their meanings on a cassette and listen to them.
c. Write the difficult words in another color so that it draws your attention.
d. One of the biggest problems of vocabulary is memorizing the abstract words. Therefore, start with the concrete ones.
e. Make use of the words borrowed from the target language. (e.g. system, method, information etc.). But be careful with the change of meaning on some words.
f. Try to remember the words with the resemblance of the sounds with your native language.
g. Memorize the words dividing them into classes. (e. g. colors, fruits, vegetables, etc.)
h. The connotations increase if you memorize the words that are similar in written forms together. (e.g. stationary - stationery)
i. You can use some mnemonics while memorizing words. E.g. in the above-mentioned example, âstationaryâ is an adjective. The only difference between the two words is on the last third letter. The one with this last third letter âaâ is the adjective. (That is âstationaryâ)
j. Words starting with the same letters (or sounds) can be memorized together (e.g. when, which, who, where, what, etc.)
k. Remembering becomes easy if a relationship is established between the word and its physical attributes such as color, sound, smell, etc. (E.g. fruits)
l. Some other relationships such as the words and their functions are also useful. (E.g. furniture that is used for sitting, sleeping, etc.)
m. Memorizing the words with their pronunciation makes remembering easy.
n. Words with the same roots can be memorized together. (E.g. white, whiten, whitish)
o. Connections between the words and the texts can be established.
p. Practicing on texts with some words excluded, guessing the words not written or written partly are also good study for learning the words in context.
The elements causing connotations between words can be ordered as:
a. Synonyms (e.g. flower = blossom)
b. Antonyms (e.g. wet X dry)
c. Classifying as sub-groups (plant > rose)
d. Classifying as upper-groups (spinach < vegetable)
Or: Some other links may be organized between a word against two words.
giving X receiving    = taking
old X new     = young
good X bad    = poor
Elements helpful for guessing the meanings from the context are:
a. Title: Calls up the words related to the subject since it determines the subject
b. Repetition: It is easy to guess the meaning of the word that is repeated in different sentences.
c. Logical correlation: To guess the meaning of a word you can look for logical correlations such as the cause and result relations of the word with the other words.
d. Definitions
e. Examples
f. Similarities
g. Synonym and antonyms
h. Summary: The summary of a text may have clues about meanings of words since itâs a repetition in a sense.
2. Pronunciation
a. Repeat a word carefully after hearing it.
b. Record your own voice on a cassette and compare it with a native speaker.
c. Try to say a sound first on its own, then in words or even in tongue twisters.
d. Make a list of âdifficultâ words for you and study them more carefully.
e. Choose a dictionary and try to get familiar with its transcription system.
3. Grammar
a. Decide on which areas are you successful at, such as changing the tenses of sentences, filling in the blanks, translations, answering the questions, writing a composition etc.
b. Use the tenses not in different sentences but in the same one.
c. Make sure if you are good at oral or written exercises.
d. Decide if an exercise is more useful with rules given beforehand or after.
e. You can notice the exceptions if you put every new grammar rule into an empty grammar table in an orderly fashion. Do not forget to add extra information for unclear points while repeating.
Basic Skills
1. Listening
One learns to understand and speak the target language imitating and listening to a native speaker. Listening to the target language not only improves your reasoning but also helps your pronunciation and speaking.
Choose the listening material according to your aim. If you have started recently you may improve your memory by listening to the cassettes of a text and your pronunciation by repeating what you listen to. Further on, you may increase your perception, grammar and vocabulary by listening to cassettes of conferences, stories and interviews.
The obstacles while listening to something in the target language are:
a. Not being able to remember the long texts
b. Fast speaking of native speakers
c. Unknown vocabulary
The biggest mistake of a student while listening is that s/he tries to understand each and every word. On the other hand, as it is the same in our own language, we usually understand someone not according to what s/he says but according to his/her intention. (Thatâs why we listen to him/her as nothing happened when s/he says something wrong not on purpose). Once we understand his/her intention we do not pay much attention to every word s/he says. Hence, we hear what we hope to hear in a sense. Because, we face with familiar structures and expressions continuously. (Even the ones we are surprised at are within a limit of familiarity, but when this limit is exceeded we react. For instance, we laugh when we hear a child talking like an adult, or an adult talking like a child.) Perception requires choosing the âimportantâ; but if we try to concentrate on every word we hear we cannot talk about perception because of the weight-load of the mind. We need time to get used not to pay attention to the extra information.
A successful communication depends on understanding the person you are speaking to by reasoning with the help of his/her sayings. Besides, talent of communication improves not only with being expertized in language but also with the increase of experiences in society. It is hard to keep the sentences in mind in a foreign language. So, it is suitable to classify them briefly in order to remember them.
Repeating what you listen both reinforces the memory and helps you comprehend the logic of that language listening to something to talk about it later helps you concentrate on that subject. Gestures and mimes also make understanding easy. Body movements, facial expressions, instant changes in breathing, stress and duration of pauses are âbeyond languageâ clues of that kind.
2. Speaking
Speaking about a subject requires some conditions.
a. Meaning
b. A correct grammar
c. Correct pronunciation
d. Suitable words
Mistakes in speaking tend to increase since you have to express yourself faster than in writing. Other conditions are not usually so distinct because meaning is important. Few mistakes of the speaker are accepted because examining each sentence of his/her is too hard for the one s/he is speaking to. The important thing is to notice the repeated mistakes. There is a âtolerance of mistakesâ in each language. Knowing the limit of this assures you speak in a more comfortable way.
Social English (How do you do, see you around, etc.) is also necessary for a fluent and sufficient speaking.
Memory plays a great role in dialogs. Responding the one you are speaking to depends on using the memory adequately. Answering a question of someone relies on comprehending the intention of him/her and guessing his/her allusions.
The importance of knowledge of vocabulary is unquestionable in fluent speaking. But, it is wiser to reach the level of talking about what you mean briefly instead of trying to memorize every word you meet. Because language is for communication. A parrot repeats words but it cannot speak.
3. Reading
Do not look up each word you meet in a text, so be careful while choosing the texts you will read. Look up the words you do not understand after reading the text several times. Do not lose time with the ones you are able to guess. Increase the number of pages and the level of texts as days pass. Choose texts on your favorite subjects. Do not forget to study the magazines and newspapers as well as books. Pictured materials are more comprehensive with the clues they contain. âWho,â âwhere,â âhow,â questions are very useful to perceive the flow of the events and the gist of the text. If you do not understand some words do not give up. Go on reading. Some ambiguity prevails in our native language as well, but we do not give up reading hoping the text will be clearer after a while. This is the same for a foreign language.
Dialogs are easy to remember since they contain real communication among people and are social units. Therefore, they are more important than written texts; and the best way is to stay in the country in which the target language is spoken.

4. Writing
Writing helps us make established to expressions we learn In the target language more lively and remember them. Keeping a diary, writing a short story, summarizing the daily news can contribute to us in acquiring a writing habit. Writing about your ideas of a book you have read, extracting some passages, taking notes on some aphorisms may be beneficial.
5. Translation.
Though it seems as an outdated method, translation is a helpful element that helps students improve their basic skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking). Especially, students can acquire conscience about language through the knowledge of Text-linguistics which studies the elements of a text. Besides, students will have a general information about the subjects they translate. While making a literal translation a method mentioned below may be used. First you read the text several times. You can talk about the ambiguous points in consultation with others. The unknown words are looked up in a dictionary. Then, with the help of a Thesaurus you find these words in the target language that draws the border of the semantic field of the one in the source language. After learning this frame of concept of the word you can find the exact word in an English to English dictionary (if you are making a translation into English). Using a dictionary that gives details about the conceptual fields of a word and its usage is very helpful. (e.g. Collins Cobuild Dictionary.) You choose the best word with the aid of your intuition. Then, you may check which verbs, objects, adverbs, etc. to use with the word in a dictionary such as BBI Combinatory dictionary of English.
Translating on technical fields is also attractive for students; and in that way they can memorize the terminology of a specific field.
Practice is essential
Language should not be a pile of rules but a skill. The points mentioned below may be some of the exercises in the target language.
a. Grammar exercises
Students generally accept a rule as it is and do not try to use it in a different way. The rules should be used as flexible as possible.
b. Vocabulary exercises
When you hear a word try to use it with different objects (E.g. to finish, to finish a school, to finish a work, etc.)
c. Exercises on suffixes, affixes and prefixes
If you know the suffixes, affixes and prefixes in forming words you may memorize words very easily (E.g. reader, rider, teacher, etc.)
d. Speaking exercises
The easiest way to practice is to make repetitions silently, because there is no need for a specific place, time and book. For instance, you can try to say the names of things around, or translate the dialogs during shopping, etc.
e. You can make use of word games, puzzles, etc.
Conclusion
The ability of understanding and using a language is improved not only by learning the meanings of words but also with social experiences, different relations initiated with several people and with continuous studying. As your ability is improved you start to think in the target language. Meanwhile, understanding the jokes and dreaming in the target language are proofs of your progress.
While learning a foreign language a successful student does not claim that he does not know anything about that language. On the contrary, s/he tries to save time finding the similarities and differences between the two languages in the fields of vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar. With constant practice he tries to acquire a firm thinking and an effective communication ability.
Do not forget:
âPractIce makes perfectâ

Re: Who or wHom?

Mister Micawber — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 10:57:28 GMT

Who the charity help? -- Wrong

Whom the charity help? -- Wrong

Who does the charity help? -- OK, but considered informal.

Whom does the charity help? -- OK and formallly correct.

The only word with more than one syllable here is charity. The stress falls on the first syllable: / 'cheir i ti /. There are no overall pronunciation rules. English is vaguely iambic: two-syllable words usually stress the first syllable. Prefixes and suffixes generally do not take stress.

Re: prefix

rvw — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 06:48:18 GMT

There are many rules governing the writing of compounds, and many exceptions to the rules. I would say that you should always first consult a good dictionary to see if the compound has an established form. From Webster's Third New International Dictionary, here are some of the rules governing prefixes:

1. Prefixes in borrowed compounds. A hyphen is often used between duplicated vowels: co-operate, but usually the form is solid: cooperate. If the letters (vowels or consonants) are different, the word is usually solid: coalesce, coerce, collect, diagram, anarchy.

2. Prefixes in compounds formed within English. Open styling is usually not used. "Some combinations are usually close-styled (in- and un-, as in inexpressible, untenable), some are usually hyphened (ex- in ex-president), some are frequently styled either way (anti-, co-, extra, non-, pre-, semi-)." Hyphens are used to avoid vowel duplications: anti-intellectualism. Hyphens are less common if the vowels are different: deadjectival, foreoath. Solid styling is usual for junctures with consonants: nonmetallic, nonalcoholic, extralegal.

3. "When the base word begins with a capital, a hyphen is usual: un-American."

4. Some "prefixes" function as adjectives when they are open before a noun: a pseudo liberal, quasi independence.

5. Sometimes, the hyphened word has a different etymology, pronunciation, and meaning:
    recover: to get back
    re-cover: to cover again.
    recreation: play.
    re-creation: a creating again.

Re: verb to a noun

CalifJim — Sat, 01 Oct 2005 06:38:15 GMT

As Mr. Micawber has mentioned, this transform is no longer productive in modern English.
There are hundreds of such Latin roots which occur in such pairs. It would probably be impractical to try to learn all the patterns. Nevertheless, if that sort of thing interests you, you might try keeping a list of verb-noun-pair patterns together with the particular verbs which fall into each pattern.

Some roots remain the same, simply adding "tion" (compact, compaction), but there are many possible patterns.
You may find these interesting. Some add a syllable with "a" before adding "tion"; some add the "tion" or "sion" right after the verb root. Most often all the verbs with the same root, but different prefixes, all form the noun the same way.

direct, direction (correct)
translate, translation (promote)
combine, combination (exhale, commute, permute)
condemn, condemnation (affirm, transport)
receive, reception (deceive) (eiv > ep)
redeem, redemption (eem > emp)
decide, decision (d > s)
erode, erosion (d > s)
conclude, conclusion (d > s)
expand, expansion (d > s)
exclaim, exclamation (ai > a)
pronounce, pronunciation (ou > u) (announce, denounce)
conjoin, conjunction (oin > unc)
reduce, reduction (produce, deduce, induce)
expel, expulsion (repel, compel, propel) (el > ul)
admit, admission (it > iss) (permit, commit, submit) [dismiss, dismissal!]
repeat, repetition (ea > e) (adds "ition", not the more usual "ation")
apply, application (y > ica) (comply *, reply *, imply) (*The verb and the noun have little in common where meaning is concerned!)
acquire, acquisition (r > s) (require)

How many more can you find?

CJ

Re: Ó (the unstressed schwa) vs. Î (the stressed schwa)

CalifJim — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 03:02:29 GMT

I don't know how many schwas there are when those of all languages are considered.
In my opinion there are five in my own American English. IPA does not transcribe sounds quite so narrowly, as far as I know, so IPA would have only two symbols for all five, either the upside-down e or the lax i symbol. All are always unstressed and are said so quickly in normal conversation that it is difficult to be completely sure of the exact quality of each sound. The same syllable of the same word can sometimes contain one quality of schwa and sometimes another, even in the same speaker.

1. Nearly equivalent to lax i. ticket, waited, average
     Common before t and d.

2. Nearly equivalent to lax u. about, profess, theology
      Common in an initial unstressed syllable.

3. Part way between lax i and lax u. wagon, bonus
     Common before n and s

4. Nearly equivalent to lax oo, as in book (or u as in push) evil, table, circulate
     Almost exclusively before l, but also in the 'prefix' to-: today, tomorrow

5. A weakened tense e, nearly lax i: preserve, reply, erase
      Almost exclusively in the prefixes e-, be-, de-, pre-, re-

This is from my own American English pronunciation. Transcriptions of the speech of other Americans will vary, sometimes considerably, from these.

CJ

Re: negative prefixes

Bozena — Thu, 27 Jan 2005 13:21:04 GMT

Are only these prefixes (a-, non-, in-, dis-, un-) negative one? What about anti-, contra-, counter-, de-, ex-, and extra-? Aren't they sometimes negative, too? Do negative prefixes have influence on pronunciation?

Re: How and where to use negative prefixes like un-,dis,non-,etc?

praveenkbox — Wed, 04 Aug 2004 15:46:08 GMT

Hi micawber,
Thanks for your information.
Meanwhile, do you know the reasons for their present usages like dis- in disappointment,un- in unimportant,etc.Are there any rules for their usages or just they are employed inaccordance to better pronunciation.
praveen.