How to Pronounce English Alphabets - Part I: Consonants (J K L M)

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Introduction

Pronunciation of English words is different from country to country and person to person. In the Video of first two articles - Consonants (B – F) and Consonants (G), you heard Alphabets read by British Adult Male and American Adult Male respectively. In the third article – Consonants (H), you heard words read by American Adult Male. In this article, you will hear words being read by British Adult Male. You can judge the difference between British and American pronunciation after seeing the Video 3-4 times.

By: Rattanji

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Instructions

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Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Tips & Warnings:

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  • Incase of doubt consult Dictionary.

Step1
Alphabet J:
‘j’ has the same sound wherever it occurs in a word as in Abject, Jail, Jump, Major, Object, Trojan.
(However there are some exceptions)
Step2
Alphabet J (continued):
‘j’ has ‘zh’ sound in a few words as in Jabot.
Step3
Summary Alphabet K:
(a) ‘k’ has the same sound wherever it occurs in a word as in Awoke, Bank, Baker, Look, Parking, Yoke.
(b) ‘kk’ has the same sound ‘k’ wherever it occurs in a word as in Trekker, Chukker, Jackknife, Zikkurat.
(However there are some exceptions) (See Image)
Step4
Summary Alphabet K (continued):
Following combinations have ‘k’ sound:
(a) (‘c’ + consonant) as in Close, Cry.
(b) ‘ca’ as in Cage, Cat.
(c) ‘co’ as in Cooler, Folk.
(d) ‘cu’ as in Cuckoo, Cut.
(e) ‘cc’ as in Accord, Account.
(f) ‘lk’ as in Calk, Walk.
(g) ‘qu’ as in Queen, Queue.
(h) ‘ch’ in some words as in Architect, Chord.
(i) ‘c’ at the end of a word as in Acidic, Acrylic. (See Image)
Step5
Alphabet K (continued):
If ‘k’ is behind ‘c’, ‘ck’ often has ‘k’ sound as in Back, Block, Bucket, Check, Luck, Pack, Rack, Rocket, Sickle, Stick.
Step6
Alphabet K (continued):
‘k’ is silent in ‘kn’ at the beginning of a word as in Knead, Knee, Kneel. Knife, Knight, Knob, Knoll Knotty, Know, Knuckle.
Step7
Alphabet K (continued):
‘k’ is sometimes silent in ‘kn’ in the middle of a word as in Doorknob, Bowknot, Penknife, Topknot, Unknown.
Step8
Summary Alphabet L:
(a) ‘l’ has the same sound wherever it occurs in a word as in Acrylic, Bold, Fuel, Lamp, Realize, Violin.
(b) ‘ll’ has the same sound wherever it occurs in a word as in Apollo, Balloon, Grill, Shallow, Volley.
(However there are some exceptions) (See Image)
Step9
Alphabet L (continued):
If ‘l’ is between ‘a’ and ‘f’ at the end of a word, it is silent as in Behalf, Calf, Half.
Step10
Alphabet L (continued):
If ‘l’ is between ‘a’ and ‘k’ at the end of a word, it is silent as in Backtalk, Balk, Cakewalk, Calk, Catwalk, Chalk, Jaywalk, Moonwalker, Ropewalk, Shoptalk, Sidewalk, Skywalk, Stalk, Talk, Walk.
Step11
Alphabet L (continued):
If ‘l’ is between ‘a’ and ‘k’ in the middle of a word, it is often silent as in Talkie, Walker, Chalkboard, Talky, Stalker.
Step12
Alphabet L (continued):
If ‘l’ is followed by ‘k’ at the end of a word, it is silent as in Baulk, Caulk, Folk, Kinfolk, Norfolk, Suffolk, Yolk.
Step13
Alphabet L (continued):
If ‘l’ is between ‘a’ and ‘m’ at the end of a word, it is silent as in Balm, Becalm, Calm, Embalm, Halm, Napalm, Palm, Psalm, Qualm.
Step14
Alphabet L (continued):
If ‘l’ is followed by ‘m’ at the end or in the middle of a word, it is often silent as in Alms (soft sound), Balmy (soft sound), Calmer, Chisholm, Cholmondeley, Embalmment, Haulm, Holm, Holmes, Malcolm, Olmsted, Palmer, Qualmish, Salmon, Stockholm.
Step15
Summary Alphabet L (continued):
If ‘l’ is between ‘ou’ and ‘d’ at the end of a word , it is silent in these three words: Could, Should, Would. (See Image)
Step16
Alphabet L (continued):
‘l’ is silent in some words as in Baulk, Calve, Caulk, Colonel, Faulkner, Folk, Folksy, Halve, Lincoln, Norfolk, Polk, Salve, Suffolk, Yolk.
Step17
Alphabet M:
(a) ‘m’ has the same sound wherever it occurs in a word as in Abdomen, Comic, Melon, Remain, Tomato.
(b) ‘mm’ has the same sound wherever it occurs in a word as in Comma, Common, Grammar, Mamma, Whammy.
Step18
Alphabet M:
‘mn’ at the end of a word sounds ‘m’ as in Autumn, Column, Condemn, Contemn, Damn, Goddamn, Hymn, Limn, Multicolumn, Solemn.
Step19
Alphabet M:
(a) ‘bm’ at the end of a word sounds ‘m’ as in Aplomb, Atom-bomb, Benumb, Bomb, Breadcrumb, Carpet-bomb, Catacomb,
(b) ‘bm’ sounds ‘m’ in these words Bomber, Climber, Comber, Dumber, Plumber.
Step20
Alphabet M (continued):
‘gm’ at the end of a word sounds ‘m’ as in Apothegm, Diaphragm, Epiphragm, Paradigm, Phlegm. (See Image)
Step21
Summary:
(Step -- Combo -- Sound -- Word)
(1 -- j -- j -- Jail)
(2 -- j -- zh -- Jabot)
(3a -- k -- k -- Bank)
(3b -- kk -- k -- Trekker)
Step22
Summary (continued):
(4a -- c + consonant -- k -- Close)
(4b -- ca -- k -- Cage)
(4c -- co -- k -- Cooler)
(4d -- cu -- k -- Cut)
(4e -- cc -- k -- Accord)
(4f -- lk -- k -- Chalk)
(4g -- qu -- k -- Queen)
(4h -- ch -- k -- Chord)
(4i -- c (end) -- k -- Acidic)
Step23
Summary (continued):
(5 -- ck -- k -- Back)
(6 -- kn (begin) -- silent k -- Knee)
(7 -- kn (mid) -- silent k -- Doorknob)
(8a -- l -- l -- Lock)
(8b -- ll -- l -- Balloon)
Step24
Summary (continued):
(9 -- a + l + f (end) -- silent l -- Half)
(10 -- a + l + k (end) -- silent l -- Balk)
(11 -- a + l + k (mid) -- silent l -- Walker)
(12 -- l + k (end) -- silent l -- Folk)
(13 -- a + l + m (end) -- silent l -- Palm)
(14 -- l + m (end, mid) -- silent l -- Holmes)
(15 -- ou + l + d -- silent l -- Could)
Step25
Summary (continued):
(16 -- l (mid) -- silent l -- Calves)
(17a -- m -- m -- Comic)
(17b -- mm -- m -- Comma)
(18 -- mn (end) -- m -- Column)
(19a -- mb (end) -- m -- Bomb)
(19b -- mb (mid) -- m -- Climber)
(20 -- gm (end) -- m -- Phlegm)

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