8 Simple Pronunciation RULES To Speak English Clearly 🇬🇧 (Powerful!)

These are the 8 English pronunciation rules you NEVER learnt! Follow these simple (but powerful!) rules to speak more clearly and understand native speakers more easily! 👓 Watch with subtitles 👓
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🔥 EXPLAINED! Though - Through - Thought - Throughout - Thorough | British English Pronunciation
• 🔥 How To Easily Pronou...
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► CHAPTERS:
00:00 Pronunciation Rule 1: Words ending AGE
01:22 Pronunciation Rule 2: Words ending ATE
3:44 Pronunciation Rule 3: Words ending TURE
4:42 Pronunciation Rule 4: D sounds like J
6:07 Pronunciation Rule 5: T sounds like CH
8:18 Pronunciation Rule 6: Phrasal Verbs
9:04 Pronunciation Rule 7: Compound Nouns
10:44 Pronunciation Rule 8: The Silent R
12:01 The Linking R
13:12 Pronunciation of OUGH in English
NOTE: These are British English Pronunciation Rules! (Variations may exist in American, notably with rules 4, 5 and 8)
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► TRANSCRIPTION
What's this? It's a bridge. So say the last part of that word: -IDGE, and we use that sound when words end -AGE in English. Look at these examples: message, village, garage. Do you hear? It's the /ɪʤ/ sound that we use at the end of these words. Average, marriage, courage. I could continue. There are some exceptions, like if the word has one syllable, like page or age, and words that include those words, like teenage or homepage. But generally, this rule is true.
Isn't that cool? And yes, there are always exceptions, like some words that we've taken directly from French, like massage and collage. But there are more than 1500 words that end -AGE in English. And if you follow this rule, you'll pronounce most of them correctly. OK, shall we have a look at how to pronounce another few thousand words correctly with just a few simple rules? Let's go.
OK, the second rule is for words that end like this: -ATE. Now, you probably pronounce words like this with the '8' sound like 5..6..7..8, right? Well, that's not always true. I mean, it's true for one-syllable words like skate and gate. But what about these words? Duplicate, associate, alternate. Well, these words can actually be pronounced in 2 different ways, and it all depends on whether it's a verb or a noun or adjective. And in these cases, they can be both.
So the rule is quite simple. When we have verbs that end -ATE, the pronunciation is '8', like 5..6..7..8. Duplicate, associate, alternate. They're fine, as verbs. Some other examples are: activate, create, animate, debate, and accelerate. As a verb, we pronounce -ATE like the number 8. However, when we are using adjectives or nouns that end -ATE, the pronunciation changes from 8 to /ət/. We use the /ət/ sound, which is /ə/ very short, very relaxed mouth /ə/... And then the T sound... /ət/
So as nouns, the pronunciation of these words are: duplicate and associate. Or as an adjective, the pronunciation of this is: alternate, alternate. Some other examples of this are: affectionate, adequate, accurate, corporate, fortunate, unfortunate, appropriate, inappropriate, and passionate. So this rule is quite simple. If it's a verb, you pronounce it 8 and if it's a noun or adjective, it ends with the sound /ət/.
OK, the next pronunciation rule is a big one. And you can download all these rules and examples by clicking up there and getting the free worksheet from this lesson. There's also a link in the description. And rule number 3 is this: can you go ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch? OK, imagine you have some maracas in your hand. Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch... Do this, and that is the end of words that end -TURE. Simple. So it's culture /ʧə/ at the end. Culture, future, feature, literature, signature and adventure. So remember the maracas, ch-ch-ch and that is the end of these words.
Now, with rule number 4, it's important just to remember the difference between letters and sounds. When we're writing in English, we write with a combination of letters. But when we're speaking English, we don't speak letters.
[... Due to character limit, the rest of this transcription is unavailable]
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► Thanks, as always, for your LIKES, COMMENTS and SHARES!! 🙏
🔴 SUBSCRIBE to if you want to learn advanced English pronunciation and grammar to speak English clearly and understand native speakers easily.
Your British English Teacher,
~ Greg 😀
#EnglishWithGreg #SpeakEnglish #EnglishPronunciation #BritishPronunciation #B2 #C1 #ESL

[@delayed_control]

I spent 14 years learning English and have been speaking it daily ever since, never has anyone taught me this or even pointed out I was pronouncing these wrong (in fact I'm not sure if my English teachers pronounced those properly), nor have I realized this myself despite being aware something was off with my pronunciation. I just didn't sound like a native speaker even though I was trying to, yet I couldn't put my finger on what exactly sounded off. Instant sub.

[@DragNetJoe]

If you are speaking American or Canadian English most of these rules are either completely or partly wrong.

[@alicemilne1444]

@@DragNetJoe Add Scottish English to that as well.

[@Kastagaar]

Some of this is down to regionality. As a midlander, my +ture is pronounced as a soft "chur" instead of "chuh", my du+ is pronounced "dyoo", but these are all mutually intelligible. "Jooplicut", "Dooplicut" and "Dyooplicut" are all valid regional pronunciations of duplicate (adjective). Similarly, "tyoon" not "choon" for me, although that's inconsistent with his other examples. That's unforchunut. Your tell is probably an inconsistency in how these are applied -- so you sound like you're from everywhere -- or you're bringing in some feature of your own language (Examples: carrying in final devoicing from Dutch or Polish -- ents of worts instead of ends of words -- tapped or trilled Rs from Spanish -- the English rhotic r is just weird -- or the singular L sound from German, which is the feature that makes German sound funny when saying "squirrel". Practice saying "Label" - both L sounds are different.)

[@alicemilne1444]

@@Kastagaar There are many people who have a rhotic R in the UK. Just about all Scots and Northern Irish people do as well as people in northern and southwestern England. The mistake coaches like this one make is to assume that their accent is the definitive one, when it is just one accent of many.

[@Kastagaar]

@@alicemilne1444 "Rhotic" was the wrong word; I apologise. What I meant was that the postalveolar approximant that most regional accents of modern English use to pronounce a leading R sound (E.g. in "red") is weird. It's just a strange thing to do with your mouth, and not common in the rest of the world, which is why it's often not emulated correctly by non-native speakers.

[@2011Rodders]

As an English speaker this blows my mind! All these little unspoken rules that the language has, that you completely take for granted when it's your first language is absolutely nuts. No wonder it's a tricky language to learn for foreign speakers

[@peter1062]

And that's why you can't really learn a language using rules like these. There is no way to consciously reference all these rules while having a conversation.

[@hello-mynameis]

@@peter1062 that's what study is for

[@adamdecoder1]

Worth mentioning that many of these rules are true for British English, but are modified or completely different for North American English. But I suppose that's true for any accent or dialect

[@thebigmacd]

The "D" rule doesn't really apply in North America. Most of us say "doo", "doo-oh", "doon", "doo-plicate" etc. We also say "garage" in more of a French style, "garr-ahj", or "grahj". And unlike British and Australian etc, we in Canada and the US say "toon" not "choon" for the word "tune".

[@lolacorinne5384]

I was just going to write that. Good thing I read through comments first!

[@chantelm9255]

Yes, It sounds like a very strange speech impediment to me when I hear the d sounds swapped out for a j sound or a t sound swapped out for a ch sound. Besides speaking English in North America all my life, I do frequently watch British TV. Only one person ever had this pronunciation habit that I've noticed: the presenter of the gameshow 'Duel'. I find it odd that he introduces the round by saying, "Let's jewel".

[@lanarkorras4411]

Yeah, I felt caught-out by that one, before I realized it was a regional difference. :)

[@popularmisconception1]

and US accents also tend to be more rhotic - they don't drop so many Rs where they are written and don't add the linking Rs where they're not.

[@sem1ot1c]

He is talking about British English not American which is really a different language.

[@Blueyzachary]

As someone who grew up with a western United States accent, it’s crazy how different these things are.

[@deodbolen]

As an American it so interesting to see the tiny intonation that separate the two dialects

[@cvaipheicvaiphei3887]

Hii Greg am so fortunate to have you as an English teacher I appreciate it.

[@EnglishWithGreg]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@RakibHasan-hs1me]

Sure you do

[@adamalouani]

Debate for rule number 2 is a perfect counter example. You mentioned it in the verb section but not in the noun section.

[@Vetgong]

Hi Greg! Thanks a bunch for all these subtleties you're explaining to us so clearly! Good job! Have a nice day and take care!

[@caradogas]

Not having English as a native language and being widely exposed to both British and American takes on the language is quite interesting. I kept listening to American and British word pronunciations on my Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary while watching this video, and it was clear how differently the letter 'R' is treated in various examples given here. BTW, at example #8 I could actually hear a very, very subtle 'R' in "nurse" and "forty" - quite more sublte in the latter; if you set the reproduction speed to 0.75 and/or 0.5, it's easier to notice. Maybe because you and British people in general don't even think about a 'r' following a vowel, as stated on the video, there lies the reason why you can't even notice that sometimes it's actually there. Anyway, amazing video. I'm subscribed and eager to keep watching your lessons!

[@kenc8411]

What I've speculated is that American English stresses all the Rs while the British version tends to silence the ending Rs. In the case of "-ture," like "culture" and "literature," in the American version you can clearly hear the Rs, there's a definite roll of the tongue, not just the "che."

[@apometun]

I really appreciated your lessons, Greg! Clearly, concise, and funny. You are a brilliant teacher!

[@harsimaja9517]

Fair to note that rules 3 and 4 are such recent changes that people often don't use them in very formal RP, and it doesn't sound wrong/second language so much as very old-fashioned and posh. And not only will 5 be ignored by the same people but the t in tube is realised in multiple ways, including [tj] indeed (including in my own quasi-RP British variant)

[@Cjnw]

#Ћ, as the Serbian equivalent of T in tube

[@FunkstarEmefa]

Rule 3 & 4 definitely incorrect in RP, his rule reflects usage in certain accents rather than a formal rule

[@eruantien9932]

On the topic of "linking r", it also appears where there's no written "r"; in most accents where it's present, it's a function of adjacent vowels (and I would argue is appended to the start of the following word, rather than the end of the preceding). E.g. "there's bacteria on it" would be pronounced as "there's bacteria r-on it".

[@elisavetabozhilova4909]

Excellently explained Greg. As always very useful video. Thank you very much.

[@ada7180]

Voiced consonants changing into unvoiced is a common trait of some languages and this trips up English learners, including me but not anymore. My ear was just not used to hearing the voiced consonants in English until my teacher pointed it out. And this is so important as it completely changes the meaning of some words. E.g. some learners would pronounce code and coat in the same way.

[@ChrisMelville]

You're correct apart from "Garage". That word famously has a North/South divide in the way we pronounce it. Personally I'm from the South, and I pronounce it with a long aaa sound, like ""far". Garaaadge - but with the stress on the first syllable.

[@CJEndowed001]

Thank you, Greg! Very useful lesson!

[@AerialGrey]

Awesome lesson Greg! I take it in and I'll put it into practice now. Thank you so much!

[@EnglishWithGreg]

Thanks Fernando 😁 We'll speak soon! (In fact, I'm just about to reply to your message on What's App!) 😄

[@mkosteneva]

So great and clear! Thank you, Greg! 🌷

[@EnglishWithGreg]

You’re welcome, Marinchik 😀

[@RolandElliottFirstG]

Have just come across your uploads, great work, just what the world needs, an accurate description of how we all should be speaking in 2022 and beyond.

[@havek23]

As a native english speaker it's interesting to see rules applied to these things that are just natural to me. I haven't ever thought about ate/et being a verb/noun divide and just treated them as different words in my mind

[@nio804]

I'm not even a native speaker but the same thing has happened to me. I think it's because I've learned my pronunciation mostly by listening rather than studying; my brain just likes to pick up interesting things. In the video the "up" in "put up" was one such thing. That vowel sound is pretty distinctive.

[@GermaphobeMusic]

It's worth noting that the pronunciation of "debate" doesn't change when it's a noun or a verb - it always ends with the "8" sound

[@EnglishWithGreg]

That’s true… There are always exceptions! 😣

[@helenaspljushka9571]

10:48 For the silent R rule, I just place my tongue like pronouncing it without voicing it. Then, it can be naturally heard or not depending on the next sound.

[@kaiwang6250]

Your explanation is simple and beautiful, I really enjoyed it thank you ❤️

[@marilu8763]

GREAT LESSON.✨✨✨👏 Thank you so much.

[@edithnitsche1528]

Hi, Greg! You are just an explaining-talent, still unclear things change into unforgettable ones, couldn"t be better and thanks for that !

[@EnglishWithGreg]

Thanks Edith! What a wonderful comment 😊

[@BFDT-4]

It should be pointed out that the "d-" /dj/, while it can easily be pronounced on both sides of the Atlantic as Greg does it, words such as "during" are pronounced in North America with a lot less "oomph" on the /j/ sound, and much more on the /d/ sound. If you want, for North America, write the pronunciation as /d(j)/. Likewise, other pronunciations that have a more Brit Eng sound can be softened (as in YouTUbe) and work perfectly fine for North Americans. All is relative and on a continuous line, not one OR the other pronunciation.

[@TereOregel]

Excellente video. Thank you so much!

[@user-lx4ox9yx2i]

Thumbs up! Well done! I appreciate that. Cheers!

[@tarabarbarez7495]

Thank you so much! Very useful.

[@Strawberry-wy6rh]

I really love your all video. They are super helpful. I'm grateful to you.

[@MoofyYT]

As general rules, these are pretty good for foreign speakers and this is a video I would recommend to my non-native english speaking friends. But a few of your pronunciations following these rules are americanised or only follow the rule with a regional dialect ( I suspect you are from the midlands/north) - not Oxford || or the Kings English pronunciation. Congratulations for example is Congra-tyu-lay-shunz. no ch sound.

[@stevecarter8810]

I've heard plenty of con-grat-cher-lay-shunz here in Yorkshire

[@MoofyYT]

@@stevecarter8810 Precisely. My case proven.

[@berenice-6003]

Thank you very much Greg! I love English it really is a beautiful language!

[@qalandarkhan9176]

Hi Greg,Thanks for teaching english prounciation in a very interesting and enjoyable manner.

[@paolatrentadue3034]

I'm very happy to learn English in this way, it's very easy to understand without get bored!!! Thanks a bunch!!

[@englishwithrikos]

nice video Greg, sounds are really important, this is a good explanation from you

[@diassmaker]

Thanks so much for sharing, mate!

[@inesmontaron6791]

Magistral explicacion, bravo Greg, gracias!

[@EnglishWithGreg]

Gracias, Inés 😊

[@nlipskaya]

Thank you for this video!

[@hanahejzlar]

You are an amazing teacher! Thank you😊

[@peterbender8559]

I take issue with D pronounced J before U. I agree that many people speak that way, but it’s not necessarily correct. I have spoken English my entire life and prefer the traditional sound of D as D in those case. I don’t disagree that there are many way to pronounce words. In this lesson, garage, as it’s usually said in England is pronounced garahj in other countries, as it’s also taken from French. Living languages evolve and one is best served to learn from a person in the English speaking country they live, or plan to spend time.

[@jennysoto8135]

Excellent video!! Thank you❤

[@EnglishWithGreg]

Thanks, Jenny 😀

[@yanisperret1171]

Thank you so much Teacher 💓 I'm Really glad having found your channel 💓

[@snezanapavlovic292]

Excellent. Very helpful. 👌

[@excentric-max]

Thank you, great video.

[@sra782]

I love yr approach in teaching, thank you

[@ariedewantara]

much thanks mr.greg. Your video always help us to enhance our English more clear and sound native😃

[@EnglishWithGreg]

You're welcome, Arie! Glad you liked the lesson :-)

[@havek23]

Note: Rule 1,2,3,6,7 are applicable in both British & American English but Rule 4,5,8 does not apply to American English

[@florakhamraeva9034]

Every time I have learned something new.Thanks a lot!

[@sara._mrtn]

With the -ture sound my teacher always taught me to say “chair” as an easy way to pronounce those words, but “ch” definitely sounds more accurate

[@arthurleguizamon2585]

Wonderful explanation! Thank you very much, you made an outstanding job. This will help a lot. You're a great teacher

[@EnglishWithGreg]

Thanks, Arthur!

[@susanneashton1340]

I say due, duplicate etc using 'd' not 'j'. I thought sounding the 'd' as a ' j' was lazy speech. 😁

[@oleksandrrozum3461]

Thank You Greg!!!

[@heinrichrootlit]

Just marvelous!

[@carolinamarinas47]

Every second of this video is worth it ☺️, thanks a lot Greg 👍🤓

[@EnglishWithGreg]

Glad you liked it, Carolina!

[@robertastewart2083]

This is a very interesting video. I can’t say I agree with everything you say though!

[@elkybastian2972]

Hi,,, Greg make more videos like this please,,,!!! Today's lessons was super cool.

[@EnglishWithGreg]

Thanks Elky 😀

[@yoetc.3708]

Great video! Thank you!

[@EnglishWithGreg]

Thanks! 😀

[@nuranozdil96]

Very enjoyable lesson.There are many rules that I can' t imagine.

[@qwertyasdf891]

Amazing,my morning's started with perfect English,thanks a lot!

[@superiorspidey3384]

Many thanks mate,I teach English to a young kid and this is very helpful to have as a resource for the lad.

[@jennifer7685]

American here: we pronounce the “r” in signature and the rest of that rule. We don’t pronounce “d” as a “j” We don’t pronounce most of those “t” as “ch”, but some we do. This will be fun when doing British accents, though.

[@NetRolller3D]

"New York", as pronounced by New Yorkers, almost sounds like it has an umlaut.

[@rql7397]

Yes, you do, although maybe not as frequently. How do you pronounce "soldier" and "gradual"? :-)

[@jennifer7685]

@@rql7397 your right about soljer, but I can’t even imagine grajual.

[@rql7397]

@@jennifer7685 yet Merriam & webster beg to differ. It gives 3 possible pronunciation and all of them with a "j" :-) gradual 1 of 2 adjective grad·​u·​al ˈgra-jə-wəl -jəl, ˈgraj-wəl I'm not a native speaker of English but I guess that maybe some people do pronounce it one way, some the other.

[@sajithalwis855]

wow.... nice explanation . Thnq

[@sabrinaclerici1175]

You are so good teacher 🙂thank you for your exercises,helping me everyday 👍

[@jonathanandrade6133]

Hello, I'm Jonathan and I thought your english is so good to understand... Your classes are amazing, you have been doing a good work, thanks.

[@captain3301]

Hi Greg, I'm very happy that I've discovered your videos. Shortly Thank you very much for your big efforts.

[@salvadorgarduno5599]

Great 👍 Greg this lesson is brilliant

[@alexandrearaujodecarvalho]

Thank you so much.

[@walkerdufault]

Greg, I use your videos as supplements to my classes with many of my students. Keep up the good work.

[@EnglishWithGreg]

That's so cool! Thanks for sharing 😀

[@hello-mynameis]

I often send them along with the weekly newsletter for my students - brilliant videos!

[@rwandaupdates8688]

Wow this is awesome!!

[@bakytgul6229]

Thank U so much!

[@hasben1397]

I'm glad to learn English with you. You are the best

[@pallavi6228]

FANTASTIC LESSON!💗😊

[@EnglishWithGreg]

Thank you, Pallavi! 😃😃

[@FernandoFlores-vr7ze]

Thank you, thank you, thank you... It's really no way to fail or understandig your teaching experience...

[@FernandoFlores-vr7ze]

Y apologies Greg... I meant... To fail or misunderstood your teaching experience...

[@fssacko]

Thank you lot teacher

[@edivaldocanaltextual]

Thank you for your help.

[@EnglishWithGreg]

You're welcome!

[@nbarla379]

Thanks 🙏🙏..a lots..

[@za2402]

I feel so lucky that I have found your channel today.

[@EnglishWithGreg]

Ah, thanks a lot, ZA 😀

[@vivavoxeducationcambridge6781]

❤ Absolutely amazing

[@TheKeule33]

Not saying this won't help, but I've been learning english for about 15years now and I knew all these. I taught myself by listening. for the past 15 years I've changed everything to english; my OS, my Phone, all the content I watch or listen to...

[@lenalena2229]

thank you so much! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜

[@pujarinichowdhury8916]

I have immediately shared this lesson with my grandson who is a lover of English language.

[@EnglishWithGreg]

Brilliant! Thanks for sharing, Pujarini :-)

[@IORIYAGAMI32]

Another excellent lesson

[@irinagasanova2726]

i do like your video lessons on youtube. thank you very much. They do help me in my EFL teaching learning course

[@roaasaleh5591]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@foon-gee-us1884]

this was very helpful, even though I hear spoken english every day I've never registered these subtle pronounciation quirks.

[@user-hu2em6gd4k]

thank you!

[@olgacornejo3030]

Thank you.

[@lauradiaz6170]

Amazing video!

[@EnglishWithGreg]

Thanks, Laura!

[@estefaniarodriguezadalid3386]

Hi Gregg. Wonderful lesson. My word for you is 'notebook', so simple. Thank you so much!!

[@EnglishWithGreg]

Brilliant! And it follows the rule! 👏😀

[@jjdclasses8947]

Hhhhhhh

[@Fenrik2]

I was thinking of keyboard :D

[@tarabarbarez7495]

Probably the most useful video on KZbin.

[@Gadavillers-Panoir]

The 'Du' having a 'ju' sound; is that the case in Received Pronunciation as well? The English spoken here in Sri Lanka; descends from an older form of RP which was probably spoken around the mid 1900s (we still pronounce 'flour' as 'fla') and we don't have that feature.

[@Cjnw]

Similar to the Serbian #Ђ

[@fraizie6815]

I'm a native German speaker and I somehow figured all these out without any training like this. Perhaps it's really learning by doing. Thanks for the video for those who need it nonetheless.

[@vladm290]

Thanks a lot! I didn't know about the "du" rule.

[@2minutesenglish594]

THIS lesson is next level.

[@alexandrearaujodecarvalho]

That's just what I need.

[@ecktogamut]

Thank you

[@Olga03Love]

Este es el mejor video que he visto en youtube.

[@ikra7066]

Wow sir i really like your teaching way thank you so much 👍😎

[@EnglishWithGreg]

You’re welcome, Ikra 😀

[@mthd100abcn2]

You are amazing greg 🤠