1. Âm s và es được phát âm là /ɪz/ (hoặc âm /əz/)
Ví dụ cụ thể với những trường hợp được phát âm là /ɪz/:
C: races (sounds like “race-iz”)
S: pauses, nurses, buses, rises
X: fixes, boxes, hoaxes
Z: amazes, freezes, prizes, quizzes
SS: kisses, misses, passes, bosses
CH: churches, sandwiches, witches, teaches
SH: dishes, wishes, pushes, crashes
GE: garages, changes, ages, judges
2. Phát âm là /s/
Nếu các phụ âm cuối cùng là các phụ âm vô thanh, thì “s” sẽ được phát âm là /s/. Hãy cẩn thận đừng để tạo ra thêm âm phụ nào.
Ví dụ cho những từ kết thúc được đọc bằng âm /s/:
P: cups, stops, sleeps
T: hats, students, hits, writes
K: cooks, books, drinks, walks
F: cliffs, sniffs, beliefs, laughs, graphs, apostrophes (phụ âm “-gh” và “-ph” ở đây được phát âm như F)
TH: myths, tablecloths, months (âm vô thanh “th”)
3. Phát âm là âm /z/
Nếu chữ cái cuối cùng của từ kết thúc bằng một phụ âm (hoặc âm hữu thanh), thì chữ S được phát âm giống như chữ Z, là /z/ (mà không tạo ra âm nào khác).
Ví dụ cho những từ kết thúc được đọc bằng âm /z/:
B: crabs, rubs
D: cards, words, rides, ends
G: rugs, bags, begs
L: deals calls, falls, hills
M: plums, dreams
N: fans, drains, runs, pens
NG: kings, belongs, sings
R: wears, cures
V: gloves, wives, shelves, drives
Y: plays, boys, says
THE: clothes, bathes, breathes
Nguyên âm: sees, fleas
Luyện tập phát âm S và ES
Sau khi nắm được cách phát âm s và es rồi thì bạn hãy thực hành với 3 đoạn văn ngắn sau đây. Bạn chỉ cần chọn 1 trong 3 đoạn văn này, luyện tập thật thành thạo rồi hãy chuyển qua đoạn khác. Chú ý là bạn phải đọc nhấn nhá cả âm điệu, cách nối âm mà không chỉ mỗi cách phát âm s và es.
Seasons
Between the months of November and May a wind blows from the west in most parts of Indonesia. It comes from the ocean and carries rain. Clouds build up around the mountains, and every afternoon rain falls. The rain is always heavy, and rivers that can be walked across in the dry season now become dangerous. When it rains the whole day, they may suddenly overflow and cause great damage to the land.
Most farmers are glad when wet season begins. There is water for their fields and they can again start growing rice. But people in town are not so glad because the streets soon get muddy and dirty. They prefer the dry season when they can sit outside and enjoy the cool evenings.
Learning English
Every year students in many countries learn English. Some of these students are young people, other are teenagers. Many are adults. Some learn at school, others study by themselves. A few learn English just by hearing the language in film, on television, in the office or among their friends. But not many are lucky enough to do that. Most people must work hard to learn another language.
Many boys and girls learn English at school because it is one of their subjects. They study their own language, mathematics and English. In England, America and Australia may boys and girls study their own language, which is English, and mathematics and another language, perhaps French, German or Spanish.
Many adults learn English, because it is useful for their work. Teenagers often learn English for their higher studies, because some of their books are in English at the college or university. Other people learn English because they want to read newspapers or magazines in English.
David and Rosa’s
Day David is a bank manager and Rosa is a doctor in a large hospital. David gets up at 7.30 am and has a bath. He leaves home at 8.30 and goes to work by car. He arrives at the bank at 9.00.
Rosa gets up at 9.30 because she doesn’t start work until 1.00 in the afternoon. She catches the bus to the hospital at 12.15.
David finishes works at 5.30 and goes shopping in the supermarket near the bank. Then he goes home and cooks dinner. He eats alone in the kitchen at 7.00 and then usually watches TV in the living room until Rosa arrives home at 10.00. She often has her diner in front of the TV. David goes to bed at 11.00, but Rosa usually goes to bed at 11.30.