How to read English transcription in Russian. Online dictionaries are not always convenient. What are the types of English transcription

Do you want to know if you need to learn English transcription? Then check out our article, it will tell you what transcription is used for and whether you need to learn it.

If earlier everyone without exception began learning a language by studying transcription, now some beginners consider this a waste of time. Yes, with the advent of online dictionaries that pronounce the word in the voice of a native speaker, it has become much easier for us to live: there is no need to read squiggles in square brackets. It is enough to enter the word into the online dictionary, listen to its sound, repeat it several times after the native speaker, and you're done. This is a convenient and modern way of mastering the language. Its advantage is that you do not need to spend time studying transcription. AT this moment Increasingly, teachers save students time and nerves and do not force them to learn transcription signs.

At the same time, we would like to tell you why you need to learn English transcription, how it can help you in the process of mastering the language.

1. By studying transcription, you learn the rules of reading English

Studying the first couple of hundred words, reading the transcription, you will establish logical connections, identify patterns in the English language. Thus, you will quickly remember that, for example, the combination “ck” is read as “k”. You will not need to constantly check the dictionary. Gradually, you will stop thinking about how this or that word is pronounced, and will begin to do it automatically. Where can I get the transcription of the word? In any regular dictionary or online dictionary like Macmillan. Some opponents of studying transcription say that reading rules are similarly remembered if you just listen to the sound of a word, and not watch its transcription. However, when reading the transcription of a word, you use visual memory, and in most people it is much better developed than auditory, so the reading rules will be remembered faster.

2. Online dictionaries are not always convenient

Even at the Beginner level, students begin to read the first simple texts in English. When reading aloud, you improve not only the reading skill itself, but also pronunciation. If you are not reading from an electronic device, but in a book, then searching and listening to each word in an online dictionary is not very convenient. Books with adapted English texts always contain a dictionary, so you won't have to waste time looking for an unfamiliar word in online sources, you can learn how a word is pronounced without stopping reading.

3. Proper transcription teaches us good pronunciation

Of course, the letters in square brackets by themselves will not teach us how to speak. But on the condition that you learn new words by reading the English transcription, it will become much easier to master the English accent than when reading the “transcription for the lazy” - Russian letters. And all because Russian letters cannot accurately convey all the sounds of English language. If you are taking your first steps in English, you are not very good at ear for music, you may find it difficult to correctly recognize all the sounds by ear in an online dictionary. In this case, it is worth spending a couple of days studying the transcription and using it when you need to learn how to pronounce a word.

What are the types of English transcription

1. Phonetic - an accurate recording of the sound of a word

Phonetic transcription is written in square brackets, you can see it in any dictionary. Example: night - . This type of transcription is the most correct, it is with him that they advise working. It will take you only 3-4 days to study it, but the positive effect will be felt throughout the entire period of learning English.

2. Phonemic - recording phonemes

Phonemic transcription is used when it is necessary to show the structure of a word, and not how it sounds. Example: night - /night/. An ordinary student of English does not need to use this type of notation: phonemic transcription does not convey the sound of a word.

3. Russian-speaking - English in Russian letters

AT recent times the authors of some manuals on “easy” / “for fools” / “for dummies” learning English use Russian-language transcription, that is, they write English words in Russian letters. They consider it a simplified version that will help a person learn English quickly and easily. BUT such a transcription cannot convey the exact sound of the word, because in Russian there are no letters that some English sounds. For example, the word "winter" - / screws /. How to read it? Just opening English transcription, it becomes clear that the sound is w, not v. As you can see, Russian transcription is easy to use, but it often becomes the culprit in the appearance of an accent.

A few rules for reading English transcription for beginners

1. Stress in transcription is always placed BEFORE the stressed syllable: development -.
2. A long vowel sound in transcription is indicated by a colon: tea -.
3. The transcription of the English language has vowels (i, e, u, ʌ, i:, u:, ε:) and consonants (p, t, d, n, k, l, etc.) sounds, as well as diphthongs - two vowels combined into one syllable (əu, ai, ei, oi, au).
4. Details on the transcription of the English language and reading rules can be found in the article " Transcription of the English language".

We hope our article has given you the answer to the question "Is it necessary to learn English transcription?" We have given arguments in favor of studying it, and you are guided by your needs and the availability of time.

Reading is one of the most difficult parts of learning English. In my experience, children more or less begin to read only at the end of the second year of education, if we are talking about high school. However, it happens that even after graduation, many graduates still cannot read English words.

Unlike the Russian language, which in almost 99% of what we see is what we read (adjusted for reduction, assimilation, etc.), in the English language the situation is completely different. It so happened historically that the same letter in different positions can be read differently.

Let's take the following words for comparison: cat - cake - want - bath - sofa. The letter "a" in these words will correspond to the sounds: [æ], , [ɒ], [ɑ:], [ə]. And it's not just about 4 types of reading vowels. There are also a bunch of rules on letter combinations that govern the reading of the letter "A".

In fact, the English language is made up of rules and exceptions. Therefore, you can memorize reading rules as much as you like, which may not work in a particular case. Why do you think the verb “to spell” is popular only in English, meaning “to spell”?

To have an idea about the rules of reading English, I recommend you the following books. You can download all of them for free using the links below;

• S.V. Shimansky "Rules of reading in English" - gives a general set of rules for reading with a few examples, there are no exercises in the manual. Great as a cheat sheet, because. consists of only 15 pages.
• The Reading Rules poster is an excellent tool for visually remembering the rules of reading English.
• Shuman S.E. "English language. Reading Rules is a guide to reading rules for intermediate students and adults. The material of the publication contains the rules for reading letters English alphabet, vowels and consonants, articulation options in various language situations.
• Appendix Vasilyeva E.A. "Rules for Reading English Words for the Lazy" is a Windows program that outlines the rules for reading one-syllable, two-syllable and polysyllabic words of English language. The material is presented in the form of tables and models, which facilitates the assimilation of reading rules. English words.
• Uzky A.F. "Rules for Reading English Words" - this book is convenient for use by teachers, students and their parents. Its goal is to develop readiness for understanding sounding speech and correct reading skills.
• L.P. Bondarenko "Fundamentals of English phonetics" - a complete textbook on phonetics for high school students. Contains many rules, examples and exercises to practice the pronunciation of English sounds.