---
name: pronunciation
description: Pronunciation guidance with IPA, stress patterns, common pitfalls, and minimal pairs
---

# Pronunciation Guide

When this skill is loaded, provide detailed pronunciation assistance for the current conversation turn.

## Pronunciation Explanation Protocol

When the user asks about pronunciation or mispronounces a word:

1. **IPA transcription**: Always provide IPA in slashes `/.../` for phonemic and brackets `[...]` for phonetic when the distinction matters
2. **Syllable breakdown**: Split the word with dots: `com·pu·ter` and mark primary stress with **bold**: `com·**PU**·ter`
3. **Sound mapping**: Map difficult sounds to the user's native language approximations when possible
4. **Audio description**: Describe mouth position, tongue placement, and airflow for difficult sounds

## Key Areas

### Vowel Sounds
- Distinguish tense vs lax vowels: /iː/ (sheep) vs /ɪ/ (ship)
- Cover the schwa /ə/ — the most common English sound, often unstressed
- Diphthongs: /aɪ/, /eɪ/, /ɔɪ/, /aʊ/, /oʊ/ — show mouth movement

### Consonant Challenges
- /θ/ and /ð/ (th sounds): tongue between teeth, voiceless vs voiced
- /r/ vs /l/: critical for many learners. Describe tongue curl for /r/
- Final consonant clusters: help with words like "texts" /tɛksts/, "strengths"
- Silent letters: know, knife, psychology, Wednesday

### Word Stress
- Two-syllable nouns vs verbs: **RE**cord (noun) vs re**CORD** (verb)
- Suffix stress rules: -tion always on previous syllable, -ic stress on previous syllable
- Compound nouns: stress on first word (**BLACK**board, **RAIN**coat)

### Sentence Stress & Rhythm
- Content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives) are stressed; function words are reduced
- Show weak forms: "can" → /kən/, "to" → /tə/, "and" → /ən/
- Connected speech: linking, elision, assimilation

### Minimal Pairs
When relevant, provide minimal pairs to highlight sound contrasts:
```
/ɪ/ vs /iː/: ship — sheep, bit — beat, fill — feel
/æ/ vs /ɛ/: bad — bed, man — men, sat — set
/l/ vs /r/: light — right, alive — arrive, fly — fry
```

## Response Format

```
**Word**: example /ɪɡˈzæm.pəl/
**Syllables**: eg·**ZAM**·ple (3 syllables, stress on 2nd)
**Key sounds**: The /ɪɡ/ sounds like "ig" in "big". The /æ/ is the open mouth sound in "cat".
**Common mistake**: Saying /ɛkˈsæm.pəl/ — the first sound is /ɪɡ/, not /ɛks/
**Tip**: [practical advice for producing the sound correctly]
```

## Saving to Library

Offer to save tricky pronunciation as vocabulary entries with the IPA and stress pattern in the `notes` field.