Pronunciation

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"Pronunciation" refers to the way a word or a language is usually spoken, or the manner in which someone utters a word. If someone said to have "correct pronunciation," then it refers to both within a particular dialect.

A word can be spoken in different ways by various individuals or groups, depending on many factors, such as:

1. the area in which they grew up
2. the area in which they now live
3. if they have a speech or voice disorder
4. their ethnic group
5. their social class
6. their education

[edit] Linguistic terminology

Syllables are counted as units of sound (phones) that they use in their language. The branch of linguistics which studies these units of sound is phonetics. Phones which play the same role are grouped together into classes called phonemes; the study of these is phonemics or phonematics or phonology.

[edit] External links

• Sounds Familiar? — Listen to examples of regional accents and dialects from across the UK on the British Library's 'Sounds Familiar' website
• Howjsay — Enter a word to hear it spoken. About 100,000 words in British English with alternative pronunciations.