ENGLISH VOWEL AND CONSONANT SOUNDS

CLASS: FORM ONE

ORAL SKILLS: LISTENING AND SPEAKING 

TOPIC: ENGLISH VOWEL AND CONSONANT SOUNDS

Objective

By the end of the lesson, the learner should be able to:

1. Demonstrate awareness that spelling in English may or may not be related to pronunciation.
2. Pronounce vowel and consonant sounds correctly.

INTRODUCTION

In this lesson, we will study English vowel and consonant sounds.

Note: There is a difference between a vowel or a consonant sound and a letter in the alphabet. 

The English alphabet has 26 letters. We will study 44 sounds of the English language.

While pronouncing English words we should be careful since the spelling may not be related to pronunciation. We use phonetic symbols to represent the sounds. Always use a dictionary to confirm the pronunciation of sounds and words.

 

VOWEL SOUNDS

A E I O U

These letters are vowels in English. They represent 12 vowel sounds in English. There are more vowel sounds than letters. 

MONOPHTHONGS 

Single vowel sounds are called monophthongs. The chart below shows the monophthongs (vowels) in the English language.

DIPHTHONGS

This is a combination of two different vowel sounds. One vowel sound turns into another sound as you say them. 

Examples of diphthongs:

English diphthongs 

CONSONANT SOUNDS

It's important to note that the English language he both consonant sounds and consonant letters. In this section, we focus on the sounds. The chart below shows the consonant sounds In the English language.

English consonant sounds

Watch the video below to learn how to pronounce different sounds

SAMPLE KCSE QUESTIONS ON ENGLISH VOWEL AND CONSONANT SOUNDS

KCSE ENGLISH 2022 PAPER 1

For each of the following words, provide two other words that are pronounced the same way. (6 marks)

(i)by
(ii)gnu
(iii)pare 

KCSE ENGLISH 2021 PAPER 1

In each set of word given below, identify the odd one out according to the pronunciation of the underlined part of the word. 

(i) breath, breadth, breathe 

(ii) pole, poll, pool

(iii) four, fowl, for 

(iv) pear, pier, peer 

KCSE ENGLISH 2020 PAPER 1

For each of the following words, give a word that is pronounced the same.

(i)  Blue 

(ii) Flower 

(iii) Air

(iv) One

(v) know 

(vi) Would 

KCSE ENGLISH 2019 PAPER 1

 3 (c) For each of the following words provide another that is pronounced in the same way. (6 mks)

            i.        Whale

          ii.        Need

        iii.        Seem

         iv.        Queue

           v.        Rain

         vi.        Pair

KCSE ENGLISH 2018 PAPER 1

 3 (b) Paying attention to the vowel sounds in each of the following words pick out the odd one out. (6 mks)

                            i.        Scene, ship, these, bean, be

                          ii.        One, sun, put, ton, but

                        iii.        Hard, hut, firm, earn, but

                         iv.        Rode, coat, port, sew, know

                           v.        Sit, mine, fight, eye, hide

                         vi.        Soup, food, sue, root, good

3 (c) For each of the following, provide another word which is pronounced in the same way but spelt differently. (5 mks)

Mite

Rest

Waist

State

Rain

KCSE ENGLISH 2017 PAPER 1

 3 (c) Group the following words according to the pronunciation of the underlined letters. (4 mks)

guide    fluid juice cruise biscuit

anguish built quite suitable equipment

guilt

KCSE ENGLISH 2016 PAPER 1

3 (a) Write down another word with a similar pronunciation, for each of the ones given below (5 mks)

blew

serial

cite

nun

some

3 (b) In each group of the words below underline the word that is pronounced differently from others.

1. bread     bleed     bred
2. arch        arc        ark
3. hair        heir         air                                                                                      

KCSE ENGLISH 2015 PAPER 1

Examine the sets of words below and on the basis of pronunciation of the vowel sounds that have been highlighted, pick the odd one out.

(i)  leopard                                              (iv)  neither 

      jeopardy                                                    either 

      deodorant                                                  neighbour 

(ii)  audience                                           (v)   gone 

       haunt                                                        tone 

       loud                                                          bone 

(iii)   said                                                  (vi)  food 

         paid                                                         fool 

         laid                                                          book  

KCSE ENGLISH 2014 PAPER 1

For each of the following words, provide another word that is pronounced the same; 

Aren't

You

Here

For

Days 

KCSE ENGLISH 2013 PAPER 1

Identify any five pair of words that are pronounced the same from the list below. (5 marks)

phloem         mad 

floors            flaws

berry            coarse 

clause           mud

course          cause 

close             cloze 

bold              bald 

floss              flame

phlegm         bury 

KCSE ENGLISH 2012 PAPER 1  

For each of the following words given below, write down another word with a similar pronunciation. 

maid 

plum

hire

guest  

KCSE ENGLISH 2011 PAPER 1

Provide another word that has the same pronunciation as each of the following words:

some 

right

come  

KCSE ENGLISH 2010 PAPER 1

For each of the following letters, provide a word in which the letter is silent. 

p .....................................

b .....................................

l  .....................................

n .....................................

t  .....................................

For each of the following five words, write another word that is pronounced the same. 

past 

aren't 

hole 

what 

male 

KCSE ENGLISH 2009 PAPER 1

Classify the words below according to the sound of the underlined "ch" letter. An example of each of the seconds represented has been given.   (3 mks)  

 Bench                   chore                 chandelier  

 Charisma              parachute           trachoma  

 Chauvinism          choral                 church  

 Champagne          charm                 chrysalis  

  /t∫/                             /∫/                         /k/  

Church                champagne         trachoma 

KCSE ENGLISH 2008 PAPER 1

a) Provide a word which sounds the same as each of the following (5mks)  

        i.           Male………………..........

     ii.           Queue……………………….. 

    iii.            Hire………………………….  

    iv.            Blue………………………….  

      v.            Ate…………………………... 

KCSE ENGLISH 2007 PAPER 1

(b) Identify and number any five pairs of words that are pronounced the same  

Plane       Mad       Plain       Mourn 

Burrow    Cat         Berry      Mud  

Bury        You       Bred       Cut 

Pull          Father   Pool        Ewe  

Bread       Moan    Fool        Farther  

Further     See        Full        Sea                      (5 mks) 

 

KCSE ENGLISH 2006 PAPER 1

b) For each of the words below write another word that is pronounced in the same way.  (4 mks)

Heir………………………………………………… 

Weather…………………………………………….  

Base………………………………………………..  

Mourning…………………………………………..

 

Next we analyse oral skills notes on debating.

Please say something about vowel and consonant sounds in the comments!! Thanks.