Unit 11: Pack your bags /p/ and /b/
A. How to make the sound /p/
Look at the diagrams. Listen and say the sound.
Stop the air behind your lips.
Open your lips to release the air. If you hold a piece of
paper in front of your mouth when you open your lips,
the paper moves. Target sound: /pə/
B. Sound and spelling
/p/ is spelled p or pp. Listen and say these words.
- pen: /pen/
- push: /pʊʃ/
- stop: /stɑːp/
- happy: /ˈhæp.i/
- stopping: /ˈstɑː.pɪŋ/
Listen and say these phrases.
- a piece of paper /ə piːs əv ˈpeɪ.pər/
- Push or pull? /pʊʃ ɔːr pʊl/
- a deep sleep /ə diːp sliːp/
- a cheap trip round Europe /ə tʃiːp trɪp raʊnd ˈjʊr.əp/
C. How to make the sound /b/
Look at the diagrams. Listen and say the sound.
Stop the air behind your lips.
Open your lips to release the air.
/b/ is different from Ipl in two ways:
1. If you hold a piece of paper in front of your mouth
when you open your lips, the paper does not move.
2. There is voicing (vibration from the throat).
Target sound: /bə/
D. Sound and spelling
/b/ is spelled b or bb. Listen and say these words.
- big: /bɪɡ/
- best: /best/
- rob: /rɑːb/
- robber: /ˈrɑː.bər/
- verb: /vɜːrb/
b is silent at the end of a few words. Listen and repeat.
- climb: /klaɪm/
- comb: /koʊm/
- thumb: /θʌm/
- bomb: /bɑːm/
Listen and say these phrases and sentences.
- big business /bɪɡ ˈbɪz.nɪs/
- When was the baby born? /wen wəz ðə ˈbeɪ.bi bɔːrn/
- It’s better to bake your own bread than to buy it. /ɪts ˈbet̬.ər tə beɪk jər oʊn bred ðən tə baɪ ɪt/
- What’s that big building between the bank and the library? /wɑːts ðæt bɪɡ ˈbɪl.dɪŋ bɪˈtwiːn ðə bæŋk ənd ðə ˈlaɪ.brer.i/
Now listen and say these sentences with /p/ and /b/
- Pamela’s got a new job. /ˈpæm.ə.ləz ɡɑːt ə nuː dʒɑːb/
- Paul’s got big problems with his neighbours. /pɔːlz ɡɑːt bɪɡ ˈprɑː.bləmz wɪð hɪz ˈneɪ.bərz/
- Can you remember Pete’s phone number? /kən ju rɪˈmem.bər piːts foʊn ˈnʌm.bər/
- Pack your bags and bring your passport. /pæk jər bæɡz ənd brɪŋ jər ˈpæs.pɔːrt/
