Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to Speak Naturally in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every Sunday with a quick one-point lesson to help you improve your pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation.
Today, let’s look at a pair of words that sound very similar, but mean very different things: wonder and wander.
First, wonder. The vowel sound here is a short, relaxed uh sound - also known as the schwa.
The one in wonder is like the number one. One wonder. It’s a short vowel sound. One wonder
“I wonder what time it is.” “I wonder if she’s coming.” One wonder - same short sound.
Next is wander, wander. The vowel sound here is longer AH sound, like want. I want to Wander.
Your mouth opens more and the sound lasts longer - I want to Wander.
“We like to wander around the city.” “He wandered into the wrong room.” I want to Wander.
So listen to the difference: wonder - wander / wonder - wander / wonder - wander
The vowel sounds are different lengths: wonder, short. Wander, long. Remember, pronunciation is half listening and half doing, so practice every day!
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Happy English Podcast – Speak English Naturally I’m Michael from Happy English, and I help people speak English more naturally, confidently, and clearly.
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