Know More About Consonant Sounds and Letters in English

Know More About Consonant Sounds and Letters in English A consonant is a  speech sound thats not a vowel. The  sound of a consonant is produced by a partial or complete obstruction of the airstream by a constriction of the speech  organs. In writing, a consonant is any  letter of the alphabet except  A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes  Y. There are 24 consonant sounds in English, some voiced (made by a vibration of the vocal cords) and some voiceless (no vibration). Consonants Versus Vowels   When spoken vowels have no obstruction in the mouth, as opposed to consonants, which do. In his book Letter Perfect, the author David Sacks described the difference between speaking consonants and vowels this way: Whereas vowels are pronounced from the vocal cords with  minimal  shaping of expelled breath, consonant sounds are created through obstruction or  channeling  of the breath by the lips, teeth, tongue, throat, or nasal passage.... Some consonants, like B, involve the vocal cords; others dont. Some, like R or W, flow the breath in a way that steers them relatively close to being vowels. When consonants and vowels are put together, they form syllables, which are the basic units of pronunciation. Syllables, in turn, are the foundation of words in English grammar. Phonetically, however, consonants are much more variable. Consonant Blends and Digraphs When two or more consonant sounds are pronounced in succession without an intervening vowel (as in the words dream and bursts), the group is called a consonant blend or consonant cluster. In a consonant blend, the sound of each individual letter can be heard. By contrast, in a consonant digraph,  two successive letters represent a single sound. Common digraphs include G and H, which together mimic the sound of F (as in the word enough), and the letters P and H, which also sound like an F (as in phone). Silent Consonants In a number of cases in English, consonant letters can be silent, such as the letter B  following M (as in the word dumb), the letter  K  before  N  (know), and  the letters B and P before T (debt and receipt).  When a double consonant appears in a word,  usually only one of the two consonants is sounded (as in ball or summer). Stop Consonants Consonants can also serve as a means of bracketing a vowel, stopping their sound.  These are called  stop consonants  because the air in the vocal tract is completely stopped at some point, usually by the tongue, lips, or teeth.  Then to make the consonant sound, the air is suddenly released. The letters B, D, and G are the most frequently used stops, though P, T, and K also can serve the same function. Words that contain stop consonants include bib and kit. Stop consonants are also called plosives, as their sounds are small explosions of air in the mouth. Consonance Broadly,  consonance  is the repetition of consonant  sounds; more specifically,  consonance  is the repetition of the consonant sounds of accented syllables  or important words.  Consonance is frequently used in poetry, song lyrics, and prose when the writer wants to create a sense of rhythm. One well-known example of this literary device is the tongue twister, She sells seashells by the seashore. Using A and An   In general, words that begin with vowels should be introduced by the indefinite article an, while words that start with consonants are set off with an a instead. However, when the consonants at the beginning of the word produce a vowel sound, you would use the article an instead (an honor, a house).

Share Your Skills with Schools †and Get Paid!

Share Your Skills with Schools – and Get Paid! Writers like you possess special, sought-after skills. You have gold dust to offer! Literacy ranks high on school agendas, and teachers often find creative writing a stumbling block. No wonder that many schools gladly pay experts to come in and inspire their youngsters. Could this be you? I’ve been running workshops in schools for years, and find them an ideal accompaniment to writing. Not only can they provide a healthy income boost, but the work is enjoyable too, and the children’s enthusiasm fires up my own.   It’s a win-win all around! Promotion Opportunities What’s more, school visits provide excellent promotional opportunities. If you have a book to sell, mention it to the schools you approach, with price and links, and take an armful along on every visit, whether for children or staff. If its a kids book, ask your school if they can notify parents in advance, so their children can bring requisite money. I sell lots of books this way. A discount helps, and for a further incentive, I set a simple price requiring minimal coins or notes for child-handling. Fee Fees widely vary. Set it low to start with and build up. I’ve reduced mine to about $200 plus travel to accommodate tightening school budgets in the UK; your schools may have more funds. You might like to apply to an agency or organization that specializes in such appearances, and let them arrange everything. In any case, agency websites provide useful information, including an insight into the range of workshop content authors offer. Here are a few to browse (selected and listed randomly), in Canada, the US and the UK: 1. Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia, Writers in the Schools Program: http://writers.ns.ca/programs/writers-schools-wits.html 2. Seattle Arts Lectures: Writers and Schools, https://www.lectures.org/wits/writers_n_schools.php 3. Writers in the Schools, Houston: http://witshouston.org/ 4. Pen/Faulkner Foundation, Washington DC, Writers in Schools: penfaulkner.org/writers-in-schools/wins-blog/ 5. Authors Abroad, UK: authorsabroad.com An online search under â€Å"authors for schools† will reveal many others in these countries and around the world. Boost Your Bookings To earn more, consider widening your age range or content. I drew fresh interest Fit to Suit Fit your bookings round your writing, using the lulls in one to take advantage of the other. Opportunities may be intermittent at schools as their diaries fill fast and even big budgets run dry sometimes, or you might be between book releases. Here are few tips to see you on your way: Arrangements: Confirm booking details in writing, including content (poetry/story-writing/drama/journalism) and fee. Lesson plan: Prepare a mix of activities to keep kids on board, including some physical ones like artwork, singing, drama, or an outdoor performance, depending on age, space, time and facilities. In the classroom: You’ll have a staff member with you, so don’t panic! Keep calm, and maintain a lively pace. If you enjoy it, they will as well. Working with children: Check requirements in your area for working with children. You may need a criminal history record check to confirm you are eligible. Oh, and one more thing: Get a good night’s sleep before that alarm goes off! Children are energetic!