Who stole my crisps? Pronunciation Shadowing

Hard words

The longest, least common words in this video. Say them slowly before you start.

• pronunciation
• disagreement
• highlighted
• information
• disappears
• interested
• unstressed
• connected

Transcript: 131 sentences

Tap a sentence to start the drill right there.

1. 0:00 Here in my hands is something that can help improve your pronunciation.
2. 0:05 The key to making your speaking sound more natural.
3. 0:09 You'll find out what it is later on.
4. 0:12 In this lesson, we're going to practice shadowing - a powerful way to improve your fluency, pronunciation, and listening.
5. 0:21 You'll do this by listening to a short story about an awkward moment in the office, involving a packet of crisps.
6. 0:29 This is a shadowing lesson, which means you'll listen carefully and repeat what I say almost at the same time.
7. 0:37 Like an echo.
8. 0:39 Here's how.
9. 0:40 I put them on the table and I went to make myself a cup of tea.
10. 0:45 If you're interested in learning more about how to shadow, click here.
11. 0:50 Okay, let's start the story.
12. 0:56 I was feeling a bit hungry at work, so I bought a big packet of crisps from the vending machine for about a pound.
13. 1:05 I put them on the table and went to make myself a cup of tea.
14. 1:09 When I came back, I noticed a man had sat down at my table and was eating my crisps.
15. 1:18 Let's have a look at the pronunciation.
16. 1:20 What common vowel sounds do these highlighted words have?
17. 1:26 I was feeling hungry.
18. 1:28 For about a pound.
19. 1:30 The table.
20. 1:32 Went to make a cup of tea.
21. 1:36 And the answer is here in my hand.
22. 1:41 /ə/.
23. 1:41 This is the most common vowel sound in spoken English.
24. 1:46 So common it even has its own name: the schwa.
25. 1:52 You can hear it a lot in small grammar words like 'two', 'of' and 'four', because these words are usually unstressed.
26. 2:02 Let's practice the sound first.
27. 2:05 Just relax your mouth and say /ə/.
28. 2:09 /ə/.
29. 2:10 Excuse me.
30. 2:13 'Two'?
31. 2:14 'Of'?
32. 2:15 'For'?
33. 2:16 I can't hear an /ə/ sound in any of those words.
34. 2:19 What on earth are you talking about?
35. 2:22 Well, yes, that's true when we say them on their own.
36. 2:25 But in natural speech, they are usually unstressed and the vowel changes to a schwa.
37. 2:32 Oh, right.
38. 2:34 Okay.
39. 2:36 Carry on then.
40. 2:37 Thank you.
41. 2:38 Let's practice the schwa in these phrases.
42. 2:41 Repeat after me.
43. 2:43 /ə/.
44. 2:44 /wəz/.
45. 2:45 I was feeling hungry.
46. 2:48 /ə/.
47. 2:49 /fə/.
48. 2:50 For about a pound.
49. 2:53 /ə/.
50. 2:54 /əð/.
51. 2:55 The table.
52. 2:57 /ə/.
53. 2:58 /tə/.
54. 2:59 Went to make.
55. 3:02 And in natural speech, we often drop the sound entirely in 'of'.
56. 3:08 So we just say /ə/.
57. 3:11 Let's practise.
58. 3:13 /ə/.
59. 3:14 A cup.
60. 3:15 A cup of tea.
61. 3:18 /ə/.
62. 3:20 A packet.
63. 3:23 A packet of crisps.
64. 3:25 You're going to hear the schwa a lot in this story.
65. 3:29 So listen carefully, and try to use it when we shadow the full story at the end.
66. 3:35 Now let's continue the story.
67. 3:38 I couldn't believe my eyes.
68. 3:41 I tried to send him a message by taking big handfuls of the crisps myself and stuffing them into my mouth, but he still continued to eat them.
69. 3:54 Listen carefully.
70. 3:55 Can you hear a /h/ sound in these phrases?
71. 3:59 Send him a message.
72. 4:01 A man had sat down.
73. 4:04 But he still continued.
74. 4:07 I can't either.
75. 4:08 In natural speech, we often don't pronounce the letter 'h' in short words like 'him', 'he' and 'her'.
76. 4:20 Excuse me.
77. 4:23 He.
78. 4:23 Him.
79. 4:24 His.
80. 4:25 Her.
81. 4:25 I can hear plenty of /h/ sounds there.
82. 4:29 Yes.
83. 4:29 When we say those words on their own, we say He, him, his and her.
84. 4:37 But after a consonant sound, the /h/ usually disappears.
85. 4:43 So we say 'stop 'im'.
86. 4:45 Send 'er a letter.
87. 4:47 Come 'ere.
88. 4:48 Ah, yeah, I see.
89. 4:51 Okay.
90. 4:52 Very good.
91. 4:54 Goodbye, then.
92. 4:56 Thank you.
93. 4:57 Right.
94. 4:58 Repeat after me.
95. 4:59 Send 'im a message.
96. 5:06 A man 'ad sat down.
97. 5:13 But 'e still continued.
98. 5:19 Great.
99. 5:19 Now let's finish the story.
100. 5:23 We soon finished the crisps, without saying a word to each other.
101. 5:28 I angrily scrunched up the empty packet and stood up to leave.
102. 5:34 I picked up my bag and saw the packet of crisps I'd bought earlier, right there under the table.
103. 5:42 My face turned red as I realised what I'd just done.
104. 5:48 I mentioned earlier that 'of' becomes /ə/, but 'and' can also change.
105. 5:55 In connected speech, 'and' often sounds like /ən/.
106. 5:59 We usually drop the 'd' so it becomes /ən/.
107. 6:04 Here it is in the sentence again.
108. 6:06 I angrily scrunched up the empty packet 'n' stood up to leave.
109. 6:11 Let's practice some of the 'and's in the story.
110. 6:14 Repeat after me.
111. 6:16 I put them on the table and went to make myself a cup of tea.
112. 6:29 I noticed a man had sat down at my table and was eating my crisps.
113. 6:43 I picked up my bag and saw the packet of crisps I'd bought earlier.
114. 6:54 Right.
115. 6:55 Let's shadow the entire story again and see if your pronunciation sounds more natural.
116. 7:04 I was feeling a bit hungry at work, so I bought a big packet of crisps from the vending machine for about a pound.
117. 7:13 I put them on the table and went to make myself a cup of tea.
118. 7:17 When I came back, I noticed a man had sat down at my table and was eating my crisps.
119. 7:25 I couldn't believe my eyes.
120. 7:28 I tried to send him a message by taking big handfuls of the crisps myself and stuffing them into my mouth, but he still continued to eat them.
121. 7:41 We soon finished the crisps, without saying a word to each other.
122. 7:46 I angrily scrunched up the empty packet and stood up to leave.
123. 7:51 I picked up my bag and saw the packet of crisps I'd bought earlier right there under the table.
124. 8:00 My face turned red as I realised what I'd just done.
125. 8:05 How was your pronunciation this time?
126. 8:08 Try recording yourself reading the story, and listen carefully to where you can improve.
127. 8:14 You can download a short audio file of the story by clicking here.
128. 8:20 And for more information on the pronunciation of the schwa, click here.
129. 8:25 Have you ever had a disagreement with someone over food?
130. 8:29 Let us know in the comments and see you in the next video!
131. 8:34 Bye bye!

More Beginner videos

• What is 'shadowing'? Pronunciation Shadowing TutorialBeginnerBritish accentPronunciation5 min
• Backpackers in Vietnam - Casual InterviewsBeginnerMixed accentStreet interview17 min
• How to tie your shoes | Terry MooreBeginnerAmerican accentTED talk3 min