The Perils Of Mispronunciation Found In English Conversation

By Author: james
Total Articles: 6
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This article reviews the many pitfalls of English language pronunciation (especially for Spanish speakers) and so recommends an English conversation course.

What’s the difference between Ruben Dario and Ru‘ben Dar’io? Getting there and not getting there. This metro stop in Madrid presents a problem for English speakers for two reasons, pronunciation and word stress. Normally pronounced RU-ben DAR-ee-o by an unfamiliar English speaker will often result in a Spaniard asking “Que” (what)? However, correct Spanish pronunciation, ru-BEN dar-EE-o, brings a nod and a favorable response.

Pronunciation broadens understanding and, therefore, communication while mispronunciation often leads to confusion and frustration. Imagine how I felt after repeating “Ruben Dario” three times thinking the Spaniard I was talking to either wasn’t hearing me or wasn’t familiar with his own geography. The same can be said of a Spaniard trying to pronounce a word in English. Allow me to illustrate this point with a recent experience I had teaching a group of Spanish speaking air traffic controllers; they ...
... asked “Are you kuw-THOL-ik?” “Am I colic? Alcoholic?” I wondered. I asked them to repeat this several times each time scrambling to understand what they could possibly mean. Finally, I asked the students to spell the word: c.a.t.h.o.l.i.c. I understood immediately (I’m sure you did too).

Lastly, in English, word stress (or which syllable is stressed in a word) can often change the meaning of an identically spelled word, for instance: CON-vert versus con-VERT. The former is a noun while the latter is a verb. The same holds true for OB-ject and ob-JECT. Consider the following statement: “Don’t try to convert the convert or object to the object.” Improper word stress can alter this from completely intelligible to completely unintelligible.

This common difficulty of pronunciation becomes even greater and is compounded when the word in question is unfamiliar to the listener i.e. “virgen” (pronounced “BEER-hen” in Spanish) or when the word sounds like another word of a completely different meaning, such as with “beach” and “bitch” (a common mis-pronunciation in Spanish). In class, this was funny. Had the Spanish speaker been at the Santa Monica pier in California when asking this, consider the embarrassment. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for a word to go from mundane to profane when mispronounced. Countless words in English sound similar to Spanish speakers; “ship, shit”, “sit”, “sift”. The list goes on. Sometimes context helps. Often, it does not. “Last weekend, I took my wife on vacation and laid on the bitch” (a verbatim quotation from a Spanish student in class not long ago).

On the contrary, correct pronunciation has many benefits. Aside from clarity and understanding, it also creates the positive impression (and illusion) of fluency. In a business setting or when trying to make the most of a first impression, this means “bonus”! Consider the times you’ve been approached by someone who speaks your language clearly but with a limited vocabulary. What do you remember? The few words they used or their command? Generally, the limited vocabulary is overlooked or ignored while the pronunciation is applauded. When I say the few Spanish words I know correctly, native listeners are surprised when I admit to knowing very little Spanish afterward. “But you speak so well!” is what they say. At the same time, not once have I heard, “Your Spanish vocabulary is very limited, isn’t it?” Imagine that.

Now that you’re aware of the hazards, “What can be done about it?” you ask. Good question. A lot. One of the most effective tools for improving pronunciation is continual contact with native speakers. Intercambios, dates, classrooms and tutorials all help. What I’ve found works best is immersion and saturation, over and over. If the above aren’t available options, here are some common and easy to locate alternatives: television and radio…media! Who doesn’t enjoy a good movie? Who doesn’t listen to the local radio? And who doesn’t watch TV? Nobody I know. Luckily, media provides an endless supply of good examples, especially American media. In the United States, over 80% of all broadcasts are spoken in Standard English (or American) Dialect regardless of where that broadcast originates, from New Orleans to New York to Chicago to Los Angeles. It’s the voice of the country and you should have no trouble finding it…even if you’re not in the United States. Many radio stations broadcast online and many television programs and movies can be found on the internet as well. This is a rich resource and, not only is it entertaining, it’s informative and educational. Consider taking advantage of it.

Another especially helpful resource, English Language Courses worthy of consideration, especially when learning English, is the International Phonetic Alphabet or I.P.A.. While in the United States many of us were taught using the AHD (American Heritage Dictionary) phonetic chart, there is a drawback…it’s American and most people in Spain are totally unfamiliar with it. However, the IPA is universal including all sounds from all languages (the English language uses but a few sounds included in it).

The International Phonetic Alphabet is helpful for a few reasons. First, since the same letters and even words in English are often pronounced differently (consider read [reed] and read [red]) seeing it in the phonetic will help determine which pronunciation is used in which instance. Additionally, identical letters in English and Spanish are often pronounced differently. Consider, for example, the letter “z.” In English, this letter produces a sound that does not exist in the Spanish language. The Spanish pronunciation of the “z” (and sometimes “c”) is identical to the English pronunciation of the unvoiced “th” sound as in “think.” It was extremely helpful for me as a student to learn that the sound in the Spanish “plaza” (PLAW-thaw) was a sound I was already familiar with. However, had I not seen the phonetic spelling, I would not have been able to identify it and would have been tempted to believe that native Spanish speakers were mispronouncing their own language! English Language Courses (Yes, some of us struggle with language arrogance). Similarly, when teaching the “ng” sound as in “sing” to Spanish speakers, they find it helpful to learn the sound is produced in their word “cinco” (THEENG-ko). There is an unforeseen benefit of using the IPA as well…improving your own pronunciation of your own language! Cases in point? “Egg” and “mauve”. You might be surprised by what you find. Look it up!

To best deal with these many English language difficulties I recommend an English conversation course.