Unit 4: Father and mother /ɑː/ and /ʌ/
A. How to make the sound /ɑː/
/ɑː/ is a long sound. Look at the diagram. Listen and then say the sound. Open your mouth wide. Target sound: /ɑː/
B. Sound and spelling
/ɑː/ is usually spelled a or ar. Listen and say these words.
- after: /ˈɑːf.tər/
- afternoon: /ˌɑːf.təˈnuːn/
- ask: /ɑːsk/
- answer: /ˈɑːn.sər/
- bath: /bɑːθ/
- bathroom: /ˈbɑːθ.ruːm/
- can’t: /kɑːnt/
- class: /klɑːs/
- dance: /dɑːns/
- fast: /fɑːst/
- father: /ˈfɑː.ðər/
- glass: /ɡlɑːs/
- tomato: /təˈmɑː.təʊ/
- bar: /bɑːr/
- car: /kɑːr/
- card: /kɑːd/
- far: /fɑːr/
- park: /pɑːk/
- star: /stɑːr/
- start: /stɑːt/
Listen and say these sentences.
- How far’s the car park?: /haʊ fɑːrz ðə kɑː pɑːk/
- We went to a large bar full of film stars.: /wi went tu ə lɑːdʒ bɑː fʊl əv fɪlm stɑːz/
- We’re starting in half an hour.: /wɪər ˈstɑː.tɪŋ ɪn hɑːf ən ˈaʊ.ər/
C. How to make the sound /ʌ/
/ʌ/ is a short sound. Iook at the diagram. Listen and then say the sound. Open your mouth wide. Target sound: /ʌ/
D. Sound and spelling
/ʌ/ is usually spelled u, but sometimes ou or o. Listen and say these words.
- bus: /bʌs/
- colour: /ˈkʌl.ər/
- come: /kʌm/
- cup: /kʌp/
- front: /frʌnt/
- London: /ˈlʌn.dən/
- much: /mʌtʃ/
- luck: /lʌk/
- Monday: /ˈmʌn.deɪ/
- month: /mʌnθ/
- mother: /ˈmʌð.ər/
- nothing: /ˈnʌθ.ɪŋ/
- number: /ˈnʌm.bər/
- run: /rʌn/
- study: /ˈstʌd.i/
- sun: /sʌn/
- uncle: /ˈʌŋ.kəl/
- under: /ˈʌn.dər/
Listen and say these phrases and sentences.
- Good luck with your exam next month!: /ɡʊd lʌk wɪð jɔːr ɪɡˈzæm nekst mʌnθ/
- Take the number one bus.: /teɪk ðə ˈnʌm.bər wʌn bʌs/
- I said ‘Come on Monday’, not ‘Come on Sunday’.: /aɪ sed kʌm ɒn ˈmʌn.deɪ nɒt kʌm ɒn ˈsʌn.deɪ/
- My brother’s studying in London.: /maɪ ˈbrʌð.əz ˈstʌd.i.ɪŋ ɪn ˈlʌn.dən/
