Did anyone watch the US Open tennis final? More than 9.2 million people in the UK did and I was one of them.
We don't get many tennis stars here in the UK. Andy Murray was the one everyone followed but now we have another! That's why everyone in the UK is so excited about her!
Can Emma help us learn some English? Watch this interview (with subtitles) before her US Open win.
Listen again. Find the phrases (1 - 7) below in the interview and listen to how she pronounces these two simple words: 'to' and 'for'.
The whole atmosphere was great to be a part of.
Now is the best time for me.
I can use that to my advantage.
It was great to be around them.
for example
was a good learning for me
It's helped us to stay match fit.
Can you hear how she doesn't stress these words? These words have a weak sound when you say it in a sentence.
to - /tə/
for - /fə/
That's why sometimes you cannot hear these small words when native speakers talk. Listen to Emma again. Can you hear other words that have a weak sound?
Listen again but don't look at the subtitles.
Write down what you hear. Usually the words you can't hear are the ones that have the weak sound.
Want to learn more about stressed (strong) and unstressed (weak) sounds in English?
Try the Speak Naturally Pronunciation course. Click on the logo below to find out more.
