Numbers

Language Study

UNSTRESSED VOWELS

Pronunciation

1. Unstressed vowels are weakened in strength and are read unclearly. There are some general rules of reading depending on stress in a word. _______________________ a ________________________ [ɪ] [ə] comrade [ʹkɔmrɪd] library [ʹlaɪbrərɪ] _______________________ e ________________________ [ɪ] [ə] begin [biʹgɪn] number [ʹnʌmbə] _______________________ i/y _______________________ [ɪ] [ɪ] divide [dɪʹvaɪd] origin [ʹɔrɪʤɪn] _______________________ o ________________________ [-] [ou] reason [ʹri:zn] also [ʹɔ:lsoʊ] _______________________ u ________________________ [ju:] [ə] university [ʹju:nɪʹvə:sətɪ] difficult [ʹdɪfɪkəlt]

2. The suffixes - ous, - or, - ar, - our, - er, - ance, - able, - ent, - ence are read with the neutral sound [ə]:

comfortable [ʹkʌmfətəbl], distance [ʹdɪstəns], regular [ʹregjʊlə], sentence [ʹsentəns], famous [ʹfeɪməs], labour [ʹleɪbə], student [ʹstju:dənt], conductor [kənʹdʌktə], later [ʹleɪtə].

3. The suffixes - ey, - ness, - less, - ly, - ay, - age, - ate are read with the sound [i]:

advantage [ədʹva:ntɪʤ], illiterate [ɪʹlɪtərɪt], darkness [ʹda:knɪs], priceless [ʹpraɪslɪs], money ['mʌnɪ], Monday [ʹmʌndɪ], usually [ʹju:ʒʊəlɪ].

4. The suffix – fy is read with [aɪ]:

simplify [ʹsɪmplɪfaɪ].

Ex. 11. Read the words paying attention to the unstressed vowels.

Ap'ply, con'siderable, 'previous, 'valuable, a'chieve, 'trolley, 'absent, 'system, classi'fy, o'pinion, 'recent, suc'cess, 'pleasure, sur'vive, 'touristy, ap'parently, incom'parable, 'always, 'Sunday, de'pend, 'freedom, 'manage, 'minute, 'cinema, 'cultural, ex'cursion, 'previous.

Ex. 12. Read the words and underline the unstressed vowels and suffixes.

Difference, considerable, distance, junior, negligible, regular, simplify, monkey, particular, arrange, daily, spender, completely, agency, remarkable, brilliant, leisure, neighbour, marvelous, witness, kingdom, specify, lustrous, performance, fountain, resemble, apparently, fascinating.

Remember:

1. 257 = two hundred and fifty-seven (USA: two hundred fifty-seven)

1.000 = a thousand or one thousand.

1.030 = one thousand and thirty.

1.548 = one thousand five hundred and forty-eight.

2. 0.35 = naught [nɔ:t] point three five (USA: zero point three five)

0.5 = naught point five.

8.75 = eight point seven five.

3. 1/3 = a third; 1/4 = a quarter; 1/2 = a half [ha:f];

2/5 = two fifth s; 3/4 = three quarter s.

4. 18 x 34 = 612 eighteen times/ multiplies by thirty-four is/ makes/

equals six hundred and twelve.

27: 3 = 9 twenty seven divided by three is nine.

5. A Boeing 757 (seven five seven)

Flight BA 818 (eight one eight)

Your reference number is 995 (nine nine five).

My room number is 631 (six three one).

My telephone number is 205478 (two oh five four seven eight).

6. The price has risen by 5% (five per cent).

The price has risen from $100 to $105 (one hundred dollars to one hundred and five dollars). 7. 50p = fifty p [pi:].

1.99 = one pound ninety-nine.

40.20 = forty pounds twenty.

8. ₤ 55 = fifty-five pounds.

C$ 80 = eight hundred Canadian dollars.

€ 30 = thirty Euro ['juərou].

Ex. 13. Choose the correct. Listen and check.

1. British fear of London is not shared by nine million / nine millions foreigners.

2. At least 25 per cent / per cents of British families are expected to holiday abroad next year.

3. Last year Britain attracted 21 million of visitor/ visitors.

4. Two thirds of ours visitors / our visitors are repeat visitors.

5. The tourist group has already paid a 500 dollar / dollars deposit.

6. You can take an audiotape tour through the romantic ruins for only 5 dollars / dollar.

7. The three tunnels in the Eurotunnel system run for 38 kilometer / kilometers under the channel and cost 10 billion pounds / pound.

8. Thousand / thousands of tourists visit Sicily every year to enjoy almost every period of Mediterranean culture.

Ex. 14. Look at the table and put down sentences according to the model and information in the table.

e.g. Seven million nine hundred thousand people visit the Pompidou Centre.

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