American English Alphabet - Letter Sound Groups

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American English Alphabet - Letter Sound Groups

Do you know the 26 American English sounds can be divided into five sound groups? 

Letter sound groups have the same sound either at the beginning or the end of the letters name. Recognition of the letter name sound groups is something I like all my American English Mentees to be mindful of. 

American English sounds can be divided into five sound groups. Letter sound groups have the same sound either at the beginning or the end of the letters name. I believe awareness of the letter name sound groups is the first step in understanding good American English pronunciation.

Sound Groups
The following letters rhyme with each other:

ä sound           ë sound          e sound          ï sound          ü sound          
a - A                    B - ee                  e - F                     I - i                    Q - oo
a - H                    C - ee                  e - L                     Y - i                   U - oo
J - a                     D - ee                  e - M                                              W - oo
K - a                    E - ee                   e - N
                            G - ee                  e - S
                            P - ee                  e - X
                            T - ee
                            V - ee
                            Z - ee

Now, let's examine those letters which have similar sounds grouped together:

In the first groups there are the letters that sound similar to word “age”:
A, H, J, K
The letters in the second group sound similar to the “ee” in the word “see”:
B, C, D, E, G, P, T, V.
The letters in the third group sound similar to the “e” in the word "ten":
F, L, M, N, S, X.
The letters in the fourth group sound similar to the “i” in the word “drive”:
I, Y.
In the next group the letters sound like “oo” in the word “too”:
Q, U, W.

The letter names O and R have their own sound and do not belong to a
sound group.
So, there is the letter "o" as in the word “home”.
And, the letter “R” which sounds like the “r” in the word “car”, “bar”, “scar.” 

There you have it! Now, you too have been introduced to the American English Letter Sound Groups.

Excerpted from Ready Set Go American English 101, by Josephan P. Sterling  © 2016
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