LET'S SPEAK ENGLISH:
Broadcast Wednesday, December 15, 1937 at 9:00 PM

First Talk - Pronunciation

I . Pronunciation:-
a) Ough
b)TH - not as D
not as S
not as Z
how to pronounce it.

II. Words similar in sound with totally different meanings:-
a) Quite and Quiet
b) Dairy and Diary
c) Stationary and stationery
d) principle and principal
e) lose and loose

III. Words from the same root but with different forms and uses:-

a) bath and bathe
b) breath and breathe
c) rise and raise
d) Advise and advice
e) cloth and clothes

TRANSCRIPT: FIRST TALK - PRONUNCIATION

We introduce this evening the President of the Brighter English League in the first of his four* talks on the English language.

These talks are intended primarily for those who already know English but who would like to perfect their grammar, their pronunciation and their idiom.

We hope that the talks will also provide entertainment for our regular listeners to the English programmes.

Now I think, English is a very simple language, especially its pronunciation. Let's take the letters O-U-G-H ; they're pronounced 'owe', as in 'though'. I admit you get irregular pronunciations occasionally such as 'ow' as in 'plough', or 'oo' as in 'through', or even'off' as in 'cough' and 'uff' as in tough. But on the whole, I maintain that English pronunciation's quite simple. You've only got to learn each word separately by heart - and there you are. Between ourselves, Englishmen can't be bothered about rules - except, of course, in cricket.

The only really difficult letters in English are T-H. But they're very important letters. Think how many delightful words begin with T-H 'thanks' - and 'theatre', and 'thirsty'. I hope you'll realize that unless you can pronounce T-H properly you'll never really be able to enjoy life.

Many people just give it up and prnounce T-H as D. "Dis is better dan dat". But that's apt to cause a certain amount of unpleasantness. Perhaps some of you have heard of the man who was asked his age and that of his wife. He meant to say that his wife was thirty. But actually he said "My wife's dirty, and I'm - dirty-two". So you see how important it is to pronounce T-H correctly.

Other people pronounce T-H as S. Sometimes that's also embarassing. Suppose, now, you get leave from the office for your - grandmother's funeral and spend the time instead at a football match. Suppose, next day, you start to tell your colleagues all about it. Suppose you try to say that the crowds at the football match were very 'thick' and you say instead they were very 'sick'; well - your colleagues'll get quite the wrong impression.

Some of my friends pronounce T-H as Z. I met a lady the other day in Jerusalern who said "Zis week, I asked zem if zey would go to ze zeatre".

I was so fascinated by her pronunciation that I sat and listened to her talking for half an hour. But her pronunciation was highly infectious and, for days afterwards, I found myself talking in the same way. So when I had to ring up the Police to tell . them about a burglary in the house of my neighbour, I meant to say " I think I saw the thief. He was a thin man dressed in a thick coat and ran down the path with the things". What I actually said, apparently, was "I zink I saw ze zief. He was a zin man in a zick coat and ran down the paz wiz ze zings".

No wonder the Police station said they'd understand me better if I spoke English.

Now et me give you a few hints how to pronounce T-H properly. First stick out your tongue. If you'll allow me to suggest it, you'd better practice this in your bedroom. Then buy a clothes peg, the wooden kind: clip it on to the end of your tongue and try to say D. What comes out is a good T-H with a lot of whistling. After a little practice, you'll get a T-H without any whistling at all.

If you can't find a clothes peg, then you must just hold the end of your tongue with your fingers. Or, if you are one of these people who just can't hold their tongues, haven't you got a friend who can help you? You'll find there's nothing like holding the end of a friend's tongue for developing a friendship.

But do be careful not to practice out of doors. I'm told that nowadays putting your tongue out at persons in the streets is a criminal offence. I'm not quite sure what's the punishment, but it's probably not less than seven years in jail. So if you practice your T-H in the street and get sent to Acre, don't blame me; I warned you.

Another of the troubles with English is the number of words almost similar in sound which have totally different meanings.

Let's take QUITE and QUIET. Now QUITE, meaning 'completely' or 'altogether', .is spelled Q-U-I-T-E. In these days of unrest I often have to say "There was QUITE a lot of shooting near my house last night". On the other hand QUIET, meaning 'calm' or 'silent', is spelled Q-U-I-E-T. I sometimes say "How curiously QUIET it was last night". So remember! 'QUITE', meaning "altogether"has the 'E'' at the end: while 'QUIET', meaning 'calm', has the 'E' before the 'T'.

Then there are DAIRY and DIARY. DAIRY is spelled with an A·I; DIARY with an I-A; A DAIRY is a room where milk is kept or sold or turned into butter. On the other hand a DIARY is a daily record of events. Many people keep a DIARY for their private thoughts but some with a view to subsequent publication. So. we can say that a DAIRY is the place where butter is made, while a DIARY is the place where history is made - or where they think it's made.

Have you ever realized the difference between STATIONARY (with an A) and STATIONERY (with an E)?

STATIONARY means that something's completely motionless and makes no progress. A horse can be stationary or a motor-car or even Government officials in their offices. But STATIONERY is the paper which you use for your letters - private stationery for your private letters - and official stationery - also for your private letters.

Now there are two PRINCIPLES which you must remember. One's a PRlNCIPAL (P-A-L) and the other a PRINCIPLE (P-L-E).

A PRINCIPAL is the head of a school or college; while a PRINCIPLE is a part of your personal code of morals. You can say, for example, that dancing is against your principles - though nobody'll believe you.

When I was a boy at school I hated both my PRINCIPALS and my PRINCIPLES. Both got in the way of my pleasures and, as far as I can see, that's the only connexion between the two words.

I for got to mention that PRINCIPAL (P-A·L) can also be used as an adjective, meaning, 'the most important'. For example, we must all admit that the PRINCIPAL exports of Palestine are oranges - and propaganda.

Let's consider for a moment the words LOSE and LOOSE. Loss has one o while LOOSE has two o's.

To LOSE means 'to cease by negligence to possess something'. For example, if you are not careful, you'll lose your job, or your temper, or your trousers.

You also lose if you are defeated in a game or competition. It seems to be one of the laws of nature for Oxford to lose the boat race. Last year ,of course, Oxford won. But that was a miracle.

On the. other hand, LOOSE (with two o's) refers to something released from restraint. The dog gets loose; or your tooth is loose, or my button is loose. When people talk too much, we sometimes say that their tongues are loose.

Now I'm going to tell you something about words that come from the same root but have different forms and uses. Let's start with BATH and BATHE.

BATH is a noun, the name of something. BATHE (with an E at the end) is a verb, the act of having a bath. You can say 'Every day in the summer I BATHE in the sea but I only have a BATH once a month'. But even if that's true, I don't think it's very nice of you to mention it.

Similarly with BREATH and BREATHE.

BREATH is the air you take into your lungs and push out again. It's a noun, and if you want to know what a noun sounds like - just listen (deep breath).

That was a noun.

BREATHE, on the other hand, (with an E at the end) is a verb, the act of taking breath. Now we none of us love our landlords, do we? So I can tell you in confidence that, when my landlord comes for my rent, I lock the door and hold my BREATH. But as soon as he's gone away again, I can BREATHE freely.

Or let's take the words RISE and RAISE, which both come from the same root. RAISE is a transitive verb: that is, it needs an object. You can't say 'I RAISE' by itself. You have to RAISE something. You RAISE your hand. Or your boss can raise your hopes instead of your salary. RISE, however, is an intransitive verb and requires no object. "I RISE' is a complete sentence by itself.

The difference between RAISE and RISE is that, if you meet a lady you know in the street, you RAISE your hat. But if she enters the room in which you're sitting, you RISE from your chair - unless, of course, it happens to be your wife.

You must make the same difference between between ADVISE and ADVICE.

ADVICE (with a C), is an opinion given or offered, and is a noun. ADVISE (with an S, but pronounced like a Z) - ADVIZE - is a verb - the act of offering ADVICE. I often begin a sentence "If you take my ADVICE": but I'm afraid hardly anybody ever does. On the other hand people often ask me - "Do you advise me to apply for promotion?" I always say 'no': for in my opinion promotion is like rain. There is very little of it in Palestine, and what there is - falls where it pleases.

Lastly you must distinguish carefully between CLOTH and CLOTHES.

CLOTH (with no E) is the material out of which the tailor makes men's CLOTHES (with an E). The feminine of CLOTHES, in my opinion, should be CREATIONS. CREATIONS are made by dressmakers who give you less material for a higher price, but infinitely greater satisfaction.

I'll now end by telling you something about the Brighter English League of which I have the honour to be President.

The Leagues quite new: in fact it was only founded last month and, so far, I'm its only member. I find it a little lonely attending meetings all by myself. The voting's apt to be a trifle monotonous and the result's usually a forgone conclusion.

Why don't you join me and become a member? There's no subscription.

All you have to do is to write me a letter, addressed to the President of the Brighter English League, care of the Palestine Broadcasting Service, Jerusalem, and, tell me that you'd like to be a member. If you do, I shall send you by post, before each of my future talks on the English language, a written outline of the talk so that you may be able to follow it more easily.

Meanwhile, if you have any personal problems - in English vocabulary - in English grammar - in English idiom - why don't you mention them in your letter to me? I'll try to answer over the wireless any interesting questions I get in your letter.

If, for example, when driving your car you knock down a British policeman and don't follow half the language that's poured out, you can write to me for an explanation of the words you didn't understand. If they're not too improper, I'll tell you what they mean.

Or if you want to increase your overdraft at the bank and don't quite know how to do it, why not call me in to help you? I'm very good at increasing overdrafts. All you have to do is to write a letter to the President of the Brighter English League, care of the Palestine Broadcasting Service, Jerusalem.

* It was intended originally to give only four talks.