To Produce: Place you tongue mid-high in front and slightly forward. Keep your lips neutral.
Listen:
-- --- bent bend debt dead let led
Practice the vowel /ɛ/ as you focus on vowel length. Repeat
meant mend pet pen spent spend went wed
Synonyms - Practice the sound /ɛ/ in synonyms. After you hear A, you say B. You will hear a model after.
A B
convey send curve bend finest best permit let untidy messy vacant empty
Contrast: /ɛ/ - /ʌ/
Can you differentiate between these sounds? Listen to word parts. You will hear one word again. Which is it?
Bet --- but ---- Jest --- just --- must --- messed ---
Answers: bet just must
Repeat the following words and sentences:
rest I need to rest. rust The metal has rust. met We have never met. mutt The dog is a mutt. net They fish with a net. nut Don't act like a nut.
Practice words counting both the vowel /ɛ/ and the schwa. Repeat:
/ə, ɛ/ address affect again collect connect offend select upset
/ɛ, ə/
credit debit merit template
æ
To product: With your tongue relaxed and its middle raised mid-high. Lower your jaw slightly. Press down both the back and the front of the tongue. Keep your lips neutral.
Listen:
-- --- can't can map man rank rang
Practice /æ/ as you focus on its length. Repeat:
mat - mad tank - tan rat - ram sank - sang
Synonyms - Practice the vowel /æ/ in synonyms. After you hear A and B, repeat B.
A B
chuckle laugh deficiency lack evil bad father dad abese fat prohibit ban
This time after yo hear A, you say B. You will hear a model after.
A B
angry mad applaud clap money cash unhappy sad
Contrast: /ɛ/ - /æ/
Can you differentiate between these sounds? Listen to word pairs. You will hear one word again. Which is it?
head --- had send --- sand --- ten --- tan ---
answers: had send tan
Repeat these words and sentences. Listen again to the sentence each time.
guess - gas I guess the car needs gas. head - had The head of the group had left. men - man Two men or one man? pen - pan The pen is by the pan. said - sad They said it was sad.
Contrast: /æ/ - /ʌ/
Can you differentiate between these sounds? Listen to word pairs. You will hear one word again. Which is it?
bat --- but --- cap --- cup --- mast --- must ---
Answers: bat cap mast
Repeat the following words and sentences. Listen to the sentences again each time.
bat --- but The bat can hear but not see. cap --- cup The cap is by that cup. cat --- cut The cat will cut the string lack -- luck That team has a lack of luck. must --- mast A sailboat must have a mast. ran --- run I ran and I will run again.
Synonyms - Contrast /æ/ and with /ʌ/ in synonyms. After you hear A and B, repeat B.
A B container can crumble crush collapse crash particle crumb
This time after you hear A, you say B. You will hear a model after.
A B
reckless rash hurry rush jogged ran jog run
Practice words containing both the vowel /æ/ and the schwa. Repeat:
/æ, ə/
asset happen salad talent
/ə, æ/
attach attack command Japen
Listen carefully to the statements and answer the questions. You will hear a model after each response.
He spilled a cup of water on his cap.
How much water did he spill? --- A cup. On what? --- His cap.
He has a mutt. It is named Matt.
What does he have? --- A mutt. What is its name? --- Matt.
She called Dan when she was done.
Whom did she call? --- Don. When? --- When she was done.