Grade 7 English SPORTS:OUTDOOR GAMES – LISTENING AND SPEAKING:PRONUNCIATION Notes
ENGLISH — Listening & Speaking: Pronunciation
Topic: Sports — Outdoor Games (for 12-year-olds in Kenya)
Goals: Learn how we say common sports words and how grammar endings change their sound. Practice correct stress, endings (plural and past), weak forms and simple intonation for questions and commands used in sports talk.
Common outdoor games (word — simple pronunciation)
Tip: Try saying each word with loud stress on the CAPITAL part — that is the strong syllable.
⚽ football
FOOT-ball (stress on FOOT)
🏃 athletics
ath-LET-ics (stress on LET)
🏏 cricket
CRICK-et (stress on CRICK)
🏉 rugby
RUG-by (stress on RUG)
🏐 netball
NET-ball (stress on NET)
🏑 hockey
HOC-key (stress on HOC)
Important grammar-related pronunciation rules
1) The plural -s (how to pronounce "s" at the end)
The sound of -s depends on the last sound of the word:
- /s/ after voiceless sounds (p, t, k, f, ch): e.g., kick → kicks — "kiks".
- /z/ after voiced sounds and vowels: e.g., ball → balls — "ballz".
- /ɪz/ (id) after s, z, sh, ch, x: e.g., coach → coaches — "COACH-iz".
Examples: "one ball" / "two balls" (ballz); "one kick" / "two kicks" (kiks); "one pass" / "two passes" (PASS-iz).
2) Past -ed (how to say played, kicked, started)
The -ed ending sounds different depending on the final sound of the base verb:
- /t/ after voiceless sounds: kick → kicked = "kikt".
- /d/ after voiced sounds and vowels: play → played = "playd".
- /ɪd/ (id) after /t/ or /d/: start → started = "start-id".
Sports examples: "He kicked the ball." (kikt) — "They played for an hour." (playd) — "The game started at 3." (start-id)
3) Stress can change the word class (noun vs verb)
Some words change meaning when stress moves. This is a grammar point because the word becomes a noun or verb:
Examples (not all sports words, but useful):
REcord (noun) — reCORD (verb).
CONtract (noun) — conTRACT (verb).
Tip: In school announcements say "REcord" when talking about a high score (noun), but "reCORD" when you mean 'to write down'.
REcord (noun) — reCORD (verb).
CONtract (noun) — conTRACT (verb).
4) Weak forms of small grammar words (a, the, to, and)
Function words are usually unstressed in speech:
- "a" usually sounds like "uh": "a ball" → "uh ball".
- "the" becomes "thuh" before consonants and "thee" before vowels: "the ball" = "thuh ball".
- "to" in fast speech is often "tuh" or weak: "go to school" → "go tuh school".
This helps sentences sound natural: "Pass me the ball" → "Pass me thuh ball" (the is weak).
Linking and intonation (how sentences sound)
Linking
When one word ends with a consonant and the next word begins with a vowel, we join them:
Example: "kick off" → sounds like "kick-off" (the k and o join).
"pass it" → the sounds join and can sound like "passit".
"pass it" → the sounds join and can sound like "passit".
Intonation (how your voice moves)
- Yes/No questions: voice usually rises at the end. Example: "Did you win?" — rising.
- Wh-questions (Where, What, When): voice usually falls. Example: "Where is the ball?" — falling.
- Commands and strong instructions: usually falling. Example: "Pass the ball!" — falling and strong.
Practice: Say "Did you score?" with a rising voice at the end. Now say "Score the goal!" with a falling, strong voice.
Short practice activities
- Say these pairs and listen to the ending sound: ball → balls (ballz), kick → kicks (kiks), coach → coaches (COACH-iz).
- Past tense drill: read aloud: "We played." (playd), "He kicked." (kikt), "The match started." (start-id).
- Linking practice: repeat fast but clearly: "Pass it to the player." Notice how "pass it" links.
- Intonation practice: Ask a friend "Did you win?" (rising). Ask "Who scored the goal?" (falling).
- Record yourself (phone) saying two sentences and compare: one with strong stress on the noun, one with weak forms (e.g., "The player scored the goal." then "The player scored the goal." focusing on natural weak 'the').
Try these short role-plays:
- Coach: "Pass the ball!" (command — falling.)
- Player: "Did you see that pass?" (question — rising)
Quick check — say or write answers
- How do you say the plural of "pass" out loud? (Answer: PASS-iz)
- How does "played" end: /t/ or /d/? (Answer: /d/ — playd)
- Which word is weak in: "Pass me the ball"? (Answer: "the" — sounds like "thuh")
Use these rules when you speak about sports at school or on the field. Clear pronunciation helps teammates and coaches understand you. Keep practising a little every day!