No estudo do inglês, o ditado popular “ver para crer” precisa ser substituído por “ouvir para crer”.

Ouvir para Crer: O Caminho da Pronúncia em Inglês

1. Ortografia x Fonética

A relação entre escrita e som em inglês é muito diferente do português. A interpretação fonética da ortografia não segue um padrão único:

• O mesmo grafema (letra ou grupo de letras) pode corresponder a diferentes fonemas (sons).
• Uma mesma palavra pode ter pronúncia inesperada, se comparada à forma escrita.

2. A Irregularidade da Língua

Essa falta de correspondência regular entre ortografia e pronúncia faz com que a tentativa de “ler como se escreve” seja enganosa. Para quem não tem contato frequente com a língua falada, essa interferência da escrita pode criar vícios de pronúncia difíceis de corrigir.

3. O Desafio do Sufixo “-ed”

Um dos exemplos mais comuns desse problema é a pronúncia do sufixo “-ed”, que marca o passado dos verbos regulares.
Em português, tendemos a pronunciar todas as letras, mas em inglês o “-ed” tem três pronúncias possíveis:

1. /t/ – quando o verbo termina em som surdo (p, k, f, s, ch, sh).
   • worked → /wɜːrkt/
   • kissed → /kɪst/
2. /d/ – quando o verbo termina em som sonoro (vogais ou consoantes como b, g, l, m, n, r, v, z).
   • played → /pleɪd/
   • cleaned → /kliːnd/
3. /ɪd/ – quando o verbo termina em som de /t/ ou /d/.
   • wanted → /ˈwɒntɪd/
   • needed → /ˈniːdɪd/

4. Recurso Prático

Para compreender e treinar a pronúncia correta, assista a estes dois vídeos selecionados. Eles explicam com clareza e demonstram, na prática, as três pronúncias do “-ed”.

👉 Dica prática: não leia o “-ed” como “édji” em todos os verbos. Escute, repita e associe cada grupo de sons.

✍️ Prática: Pronúncia do sufixo -ed

1. Classifique os verbos

Separe os verbos a seguir nos três grupos de pronúncia: /t/, /d/ ou /ɪd/.

• wanted, washed, cleaned, needed, loved, kissed, played, watched, decided, worked, called, finished

2. Ouça e repita

(Leia em voz alta ou use um áudio)
Repita cada verbo prestando atenção no som final:

• /t/ → worked, laughed, kissed
• /d/ → played, cleaned, loved
• /ɪd/ → wanted, needed, decided

3. Complete as frases

Coloque os verbos no passado. Depois, leia em voz alta com a pronúncia correta do -ed:

1. Yesterday I ______ (play) soccer.
   (Ontem eu ______ futebol.)
2. She ______ (wash) the dishes last night.
   (Ela ______ a louça ontem à noite.)
3. They ______ (decide) to travel.
   (Eles ______ viajar.)
4. We ______ (love) the movie.
   (Nós ______ o filme.)
5. He ______ (need) help with the homework.
   (Ele ______ ajuda com a lição de casa.)

4. Desafio: Identifique a pronúncia

Leia as frases em voz alta e diga qual pronúncia o verbo no passado apresenta:

1. I worked all day and finished late.
2. She loved the surprise and called her friends.
3. They wanted to travel but needed more money.

👉 Dica : diga primeiro o verbo no presente (work, play, want). Depois, acrescente o “-ed” de forma natural, sem tentar pronunciar cada letra isoladamente.

Many English learners struggle to pronounce the word “world” — and for good reason! It contains two tricky consonant sounds: R and L, right next to each other.

👂 In American English, the pronunciation can feel especially challenging.

🧠 A Brilliant Tip from a 12-Year-Old

One of my former students, Rodrigo (only 12 years old at the time!), came up with a smart way to break it down:

➡️ wor + óld
Think of it as two parts:

• “wor” (as in word)
• “óld” (like the word old)
  Put them together: wor-óld → world
  🎉 Ingenious, right? Way to go, Rodrigo!

🎥 A Similar Tip from a Teacher

While preparing this lesson, I came across a video where another teacher gives a very similar tip. Listen carefully.

🗣️ Pronunciation Practice

Repeat each pair of words slowly, focusing on the R and L sounds. Then say “world” after each one:

1. word – old – world
2. were – gold – world
3. worm – cold – world
4. war – fold – world
5. work – hold – world

Now try saying “world” 5 times in a row, slowly and clearly.
Finally, say these full sentences:

• 🌍 The world is beautiful.
• 🌎 I want to travel around the world.
• 🌐 English is spoken all over the world.

/θ/ voiceless – as in think

/ð/ voiced – as in this

The English interdental sounds /θ/ and /ð/ — the famous “th” — have no direct equivalent in Portuguese. That’s why they are often tricky for learners.

👅 Correct tongue position:

Your tongue goes between your upper and lower teeth — just enough so you can gently blow air (for /θ/) or use your voice (for /ð/).

⚠️ Common Substitutions (and Why They’re a Problem)

Many learners mistakenly replace:

• /θ/ with /ts/
• /ð/ with /dz/

Others go further and substitute:

• /θ/ with /s
• /ð/ with /z

These substitutions are not acceptable in clear English pronunciation, because they can change the meaning of words — a process called neutralization of contrast.

🔄 See the difference for yourself:

🎧 Now it’s your turn!

Take the time to watch and repeat with these two helpful videos that show you exactly how to pronounce the “TH” sounds:

🎯Mini Quiz: Can You Hear the Difference?

👉 Say these word pairs out loud. Can you feel the difference between /θ/ (voiceless) and /ð/ (voiced)?

1. think / sink
2. thick / sick
3. breath / breathe
4. then / den
5. they / day

✔ Tip: /θ/ feels like a whisper. /ð/ has voice.

✨ Poetic Practice Sentences

Practice these rhythmic and literary phrases to develop fluency and sensitivity to the sounds:

1. “Think of things that thrill your thoughts.”
   (Notice all the soft /θ/ sounds.)
2. “This and that, these and those – the threads that tie our prose.”
   (/ð/ as in this, that, these, those – all voiced.)
3. “With every breath, I feel the breeze.”
   (contrast between breathe /ð/ and breeze /z/)
4. “Thin lines of thought thread through the thick of night.”
   (a mix of /θ/ and poetic rhythm)

📝 Writing Task

• Write one sentence using at least two words with /θ/.
• Write one sentence using at least two words with /ð/.