Do you like languages ​​and challenges? If so, you will surely find what we have prepared for you extremely interesting. Today we propose a fun and educational test in which you can measure your level of pronunciation in EnglishThis test is based on a poem whose complexity will help you identify common pronunciation errors in English. The test is very simple. You must read the poem in English which we show you below out loud twice. First, you must read it without help. Then, listen to the video we included at the end so you can check if your pronunciation is correct. This exercise is very useful not only to identify your mistakes, but also to improve your pronunciation level in a practical and fun way.
The poem: A challenge for your pronunciation
The poem we are going to use is known for its difficulty, as it is full of words that are not pronounced as they are written or that include sounds that are difficult for Spanish speakers. Reading this poem is not only a good way to test your knowledge of the language, but also to learn the difference between English spelling and pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse Sounds like corpses, corps, horses, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy, Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Just compare heart, beard, and heard, Dies and diet, lord and word, Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it’s written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and water.
But be careful how you speak: Say break and steak, but bleak and streak; Cloven, oven, how and low, Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.
Hear me say, devoid of trickery, Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore, Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles, Exiles, similes, and reviles; Scholar, vicar, and cigar, Solar, mica, war and far; One, anemone, Balmoral, Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel; Gertrude, German, wind and mind, Scene, Melpomene, mankind.
Billet does not rhyme with ballet, Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mold like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad, Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation’s OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.
Ivy, privileged, famous; clamor
And fall in love rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb, Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger, Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt, Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant, Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger, And then singer, ginger, linger, Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge, Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.
Query does not rhyme with very, Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Although the differences seem little,
We say actual but virtual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Fe0ffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate beats.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific, Science, conscience, scientific.
Liberty, library, heaven and heaven,
Rachel, ache, mustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed, People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between move, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.
Petal, panel, and canal, Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair, Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and success, four.
Gas, wings, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area, Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, south, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.
Compare alien with Italian, Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye, Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever, Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.
Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging, Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even, Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen, Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk, Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.
Pronunciation (think of Psyche!) Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won’t it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It’s a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.
Finally, which rhymes with enough,
Though, through, plow, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give up !!!
Tips to improve your pronunciation with the poem
- Recite the poem out loud: Don’t limit yourself to just reading silently. Speaking out loud will help you identify difficulties and correct possible errors.
- Listen to the complementary video: After you have tried to pronounce the words on your own, listen to the video and compare it with your own pronunciation.
- Write down the difficult words: Make a list of the words you found most difficult and repeat them several times until you feel more comfortable pronouncing them.
- Use a pronunciation dictionary: If you have doubts about a specific word, you can use online dictionaries that include pronunciation.
Why is this poem useful to improve your pronunciation?
English, being a language with non-phonetic orthography, presents numerous pronunciation challenges, especially for those learning the language as a second language. Words that are spelled similarly are often pronounced completely differently, which can confuse even advanced learners of the language. This poem is known for showcasing exactly those challenges. By practicing with it, you will not only improve your pronunciation, but you will also train your ear to identify the correct pronunciation of common and less common words.
Myths and truths about English pronunciation
There are several myths about how to improve your English pronunciation. Some say the key is memorizing grammar rules; others, that only conversational practice is helpful. However, the reality is that English is a language full of exceptions, and you’re likely to encounter words that don’t follow any rules regarding pronunciation. The poem we present here is an excellent resource because it exposes you to these exceptions in a playful and entertaining way. We recommend using it frequently as a practice exercise. The more you recite it and listen to native speakers pronounce the words correctly, the faster you’ll start improving your skills in this area. Furthermore, if you want to take your learning a step further, you can participate in language immersion programs in English-speaking countries. There are numerous options for intensive courses and immersion programs where you can improve not only your pronunciation but also other aspects of the language, such as grammar and vocabulary. Remember that improving your English pronunciation is an ongoing process. Don’t get frustrated if you make mistakes; each time you practice, you’ll be closer to speaking like a native. This poem is an excellent tool for improving your English pronunciation due to its rich variety of sounds. Continued practice with this type of resource, combined with active listening and the use of additional tools such as videos and pronunciation dictionaries, will allow you to significantly advance your command of the language. As you progress, you will notice how you gradually become more accurate in your pronunciation, gaining a better understanding of the irregularities of English.