English Vowels (3 of 8)

/ɛ/, /æ/ - as in bet, bat







ɛ

To Produce: Place you tongue mid-high in front and slightly forward.
Keep your lips neutral.

Listen:

   --                      ---
bent                    bend
debt                    dead
let                        led

Practice the vowel /ɛ/ as you focus on vowel length.  Repeat

meant                 mend
pet                      pen
spent                  spend
went                   wed

Synonyms - Practice the sound /ɛ/  in synonyms.  After you hear A, you say B.
You will hear a model after.

A                              B
 
convey                   send
curve                      bend
finest                       best
permit                     let
untidy                     messy
vacant                     empty


Contrast:  /ɛ/ - /ʌ/

Can you differentiate between these sounds?  Listen to word parts.
You will hear one word again.  Which is it?

Bet ---     but ----
Jest ---    just ---
must ---  messed ---

Answers:  bet    just    must


Repeat the following words and sentences:

rest   I need to rest.
rust   The metal has rust.
met   We have never met.
mutt  The dog is a mutt.
net    They fish with a net.
nut     Don't act like a nut.

Practice  words counting both the vowel /ɛ/ and the schwa.  Repeat:

/ə, ɛ/
address
affect
again
collect
connect
offend
select
upset

/ɛ, ə/

credit
debit
merit
template


æ

To product: With your tongue relaxed and its middle raised mid-high.
Lower your jaw slightly.  Press down both the back and the front of  the tongue.
Keep your lips neutral.


Listen:

 --          ---
 can't       can
 map        man
 rank       rang

Practice /æ/ as you focus on its length.  Repeat:

mat - mad                tank - tan             rat  -  ram         sank - sang

Synonyms - Practice the vowel /æ/ in synonyms.  After you hear A and B, repeat B.

A                          B
 
chuckle               laugh
deficiency          lack
evil                      bad
father                 dad
abese                  fat
prohibit              ban


This time after yo hear A, you say B.  You will hear a model after.

A                      B

angry              mad
applaud          clap
money            cash
unhappy         sad

Contrast:  /ɛ/ - /æ/

Can you differentiate between these sounds?  Listen to word pairs.  You  will hear one word again.  Which is it?

  head ---   had          send ---   sand ---              ten ---   tan ---

answers:  had         send     tan


Repeat these words and sentences.  Listen again to the sentence each time.

guess  -  gas      I guess the car needs gas.
head - had         The head of the group had left.
men -  man       Two men or one man?
pen - pan          The pen is by the pan.
said - sad          They said it was sad.


Contrast: /æ/ - /ʌ/

Can you differentiate between these sounds?  Listen to word pairs.  You will hear one word again.  Which is it?

   bat ---     but ---
   cap ---     cup ---
   mast ---  must ---

Answers:  bat   cap  mast

Repeat the following words and sentences.  Listen to the sentences again each time.

bat --- but                    The bat can hear but not see.
cap --- cup                    The cap is by that cup.
cat --- cut                     The cat will cut the string
lack -- luck                   That team has a lack of luck.
must --- mast              A sailboat must have a mast.
ran --- run                    I ran and I will run again.

Synonyms - Contrast /æ/ and with /ʌ/ in synonyms.  After you hear A and B, repeat B.

     A                            B
container                   can
crumble                     crush
collapse                      crash
particle                       crumb

This time after you hear A, you say B.  You will hear a model after.

   A                             B

reckless                    rash
hurry                        rush
jogged                       ran
jog                             run


Practice words containing both the vowel /æ/ and the schwa.  Repeat:

/æ, ə/

    asset
    happen
    salad
    talent
 
 /ə, æ/
    
    attach
   attack
   command
   Japen
 

Listen carefully to the statements and answer the questions.  You will hear a model after each response.


  He spilled a cup of water on his cap.

       How much water did he spill?                    ---  A cup.
       On what?                                                       ---  His cap.

   He has a mutt.  It is named Matt.
 
        What does he have?                                    --- A mutt.
        What is its name?                                        --- Matt.
 
  She called Dan when she was done.

        Whom did she call?                                     --- Don.
        When?                                                           --- When she was done.


Source: The American Accent Guide (2nd Edition)
http://www.amazon.com/American-Complete-Comprehensive-Pronunciation-Individuals/dp/0963413902/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1304307187&sr=1-1