English sibilants and interdental sounds which don’t have their equivalents in the Latin alphabet are denoted by combinations of consonants, the second element of which is “h”, e. g. she, chain, thus, three.
All the combinations of consonants, except “sh”, have the primary and the secondary sound meanings. The combinations of consonants are read in the primary sound meaning in most English words. In the words of foreign origin they are read in their secondary meaning.
| cluster | sound | where | examples |
| ch | [t∫] [k] [∫] [d3] | Geek and Latin French | cheap, chair ache, school machinery, chef sandwich, spinach |
| th | [θ] [t] [ð] | word end and beginning proper names between and before vowels | throw, tooth Thomas, Thailand this, leather |
| ph | [v] [f] | Greek and Latin | Stephen philosophy, phonetics |
| sh | [∫] | shelf, wash |
Reading of “ng, nk”
| cluster | sound | where | Examples |
| ng | [ŋ] | In final position or before suffixes –er, -est, -ed, -ing | Sing, singing, singer |
| ng | [ŋg] | In the middle of a root word | Anger, hunger but angel, conglomerate, congratulate |
| nk | [ŋk] | Any position | Ink, pink |
READING OF LETTER “n”
The leter “n” denotes:
[n] in prefixes – con, - non, - in, -un (income, nonsense, confident, unread)
[ŋ] before: c, k ([k] function, tank), ck, qu ([k] conquer, ancker), xi ([k∫] anxious), g ([g] England, longer), the suffixes and endings –er, -est, -ed, -ing (sing, singer, singing)
Ex. 1 Read the words with letter “n”:
| condition tranquil non-stop confidential constant cleanest | hank infamous unbroken conquer singing interrupt | hang anxious lighting fore-finger unconscious inkpot |
Ex. 2 Transcribe the following words and divide them into groups according to the reading of the combinations:
linked, wings, inkpot, jungle, anxious, mounting, singer, single, anger, anxious, nonsense, eating, finger, income, function, conquer, having, confident, eaten, English, concentration, nonplus, indirect, frank, hanger, linked, wings, jungle, anxious, mounting, condition, nonunion, invisible, tank, function, belonged, nice, can't, sing, incredible, land, giant, pane, strong, bringing, long, banker.
Ex. 3 Find the odd word:
1. jungle, nonsense, Frank, sorting, single.
2. uneasy, nonplus, convention, English, irritation.
3. ring, tongue, boring, chunk, conversion.
4. dinner, convenient, nonstop, involve, undid.
5. unclaimed, nonsense, link, inhale.
6. finger, hang, frank, stronger.
7. singer, hanger, belonged, doing.
Ex. 4 Add the word according to the rule:
1. informal, non-aggression, unable, ...
2. tank, frank, hank, ...
3. longer, stronger, younger, ...
4. sung, wing, finger, ...
5. consult, industry, indulge, ...
6. stinks, tank, inkpot, ...
7. boring, sorting, lying, ...
Ex. 5 Explain the rules of reading in these proverbs:
1. What is done cannot be undone.
2. Wars the sport of kings.
3. He who swims in sin will sink in sorrow.
4. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
5. Better unborn than untaught.
6. Honey is sweet but the bee stings.
Ex.6 Find the odd word according to the way of the reading of consonant clusters:
1. accept, success, soccer, accede, access, accent.
2. anchor, young, conquer, conclude, function.
3. think, thunder, throne, thyme, thick, thing.
4. chaos, chord, stomach, monarchy, chaste.
5. tooth, scythe, truth, thumb, throw, thin.
6. go, gargle, gage, glove, stage, give.
7. chef, chic, champagne, charade, chick.