The letter “t” is sometimes a “ch” sound, as in the word “situation”. An ideal situation is a standard that seems very good and that which one seeks to attain. What is an ideal situation for you?
Cherry trees have been in bloom recently in some parts of the U.S., displaying beautiful blossoms. “Cherry blossom” is a compound noun. Compound nouns are usually stressed on the first base word. A compound noun often means something different than just the individual words put together. For example, a GREENhouse isn’t a green-colored house – […]
The vowel sound in “showers” and “flowers” is “ow”, as in “Ow! I stubbed my toe!” This is the sound in several common words, such as “about” and “how”. Some non-native speakers say this sound a little like “o”. The “ow” sound is like a combination of “ae” as in “cat” and “o” as in […]
The words “on” and “ball” have the same vowel sound as in the word “father”. Some nonnative speakers say this sound with a more closed mouth and rounded lips. This sound is pronounced with a open mouth and no lip rounding. The expression “on the ball” means to have things under control, or to understand […]