Subtitles section
Repeat sentence
Subtitles mode
Full screen
Previous
Next
x 1.0
Playback speed
More

English Pronunciation: Vowel Length Affected by Ending Consonant: American Accent

Video vocabulary

example

Copy vocabulary

US / ɪgˈzɑ:mpl /

UK / ɪɡˈzæmpəl /

A1
  • noun
  • Thing, person which represents a category

ride

Copy vocabulary

US / raɪd /

UK / raɪd /

A1
  • noun
  • Machine at an amusement park for riding on for fun
  • Trip on a bicycle or a horse
  • verb
  • To travel in a particular vehicle as a passenger
  • To sit on and control a horse or vehicle

right

Copy vocabulary

US / raɪt /

UK / raɪt /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Correct or true
  • The south side of you looking at the rising sun
  • adverb
  • Exactly in a place or time
  • Being appropriate for a particular event
  • In a straight or direct manner
  • noun
  • Something you are legally or morally allowed to do
  • Ideal of what is just and good
  • Political view based on conservatism
  • verb
  • To fix something previously wrong or unjust
  • To make upright, as a boat that has turned over

hit

Copy vocabulary

US / hɪt /

UK / hɪt /

A1
  • noun
  • A planned killing, usually for money
  • Song, movie etc. that is successful
  • When someone strikes someone or something
  • Time when a player makes contact with the ball
  • Time when a website is accessed
  • verb
  • To have a negative impact on a person/place/thing
  • To press something, such as a button or switch
  • To suddenly realize the importance of something
  • To move your hand, a bat, etc. against with force
  • To fight, attack or damage something or someone
  • To arrive at a specific place, level, or goal
  • To make contact with the ball in a game or sport

tell

Copy vocabulary

US / tel /

UK / tɛl /

A1
  • verb
  • To (strongly) advise a person to do something
  • To be able to guess
  • To say or communicate information to someone
  • To inform, but without speaking; indicate
  • To have a negative effect on someone
  • To order someone to do something; command
  • To recognize something based on certain signs
  • To report something to an authority
  • To explain something or teach someone something

even

Copy vocabulary

US / 'i:vn /

UK / ˈivən /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being equal in influence, power, possibility etc.
  • Being divided equally or fairly
  • (Of teams/contest) with similar chances of success
  • Smooth, level, or regular
  • Can be divided by 2; ending in 2, 4, 6, 8, or 0
  • At a regular, equally steady manner
  • Remaining steady and unchanging
  • adverb
  • (When this is surprising) as well; too
  • (Used to compare two things/stress the difference)
  • verb
  • To make something level; to flatten
  • To make something equal

second

Copy vocabulary

US / 'sekənd /

UK / ˈsɛkənd /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • 2nd; the one following first
  • noun
  • Unit of time; one sixtieth of a minute
  • Short period of time that you wait for someone
  • (Do) soon

that

Copy vocabulary

US / ðæt /

UK / ðæt, ðət /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • The person or thing being talked about
  • Used to identify something both the speakers know
  • adverb
  • Used to reinforce adjectives and adverbs
  • To such a degree
  • conjunction
  • Used to connect a noun clause
  • Used to introduce an adverbial clause
  • Used to introduce a noun clause
  • determiner
  • Used as a noun to refer to something
  • pronoun
  • Referring an object far away
  • Used to refer to the relative pronoun ‘which’

safe

Copy vocabulary

US / seɪf /

UK / sef /

A2
  • noun
  • Metal box with a lock to keep valuable things in
  • adjecitve
  • Highly likely
  • Being out of danger

while

Copy vocabulary

US / waɪl /

UK / hwaɪl, waɪl /

A1
  • conjunction
  • In spite of the fact that; although
  • During the time that; at the same time
  • noun
  • Short amount of time

here

Copy vocabulary

US / hɪə(r) /

UK / hɪr /

A1
  • adverb
  • In this place; at this location, position or time

someone

Copy vocabulary

US / ˈsʌmwʌn /

UK / ˈsʌmˌwʌn, -wən /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Person who is not known or named

will

Copy vocabulary

US / wɪl /

UK / wɪl /

A1
  • noun
  • Desire or choice of someone
  • Document saying who gets your money when you die
  • Strong desire to do something; determination
  • Desire to do something; strong wish to do
  • other
  • Used with verbs to express the future
  • verb
  • To leave property to someone after your death
  • To use mental effort to make something happen
  • Am (is, are) likely to do
  • To influence someone to do something
  • To make something happen by strongly wanting it

actually

Copy vocabulary

US / ˈæktʃuəli /

UK / ˈæktʃuəli /

A1
  • adverb
  • Used to add new (often different) information

use

Copy vocabulary

US / ju:s /

UK / ju:s /

A1
  • noun
  • Ability to employ something
  • Need to enable it to work
  • Permission to do something with something
  • Act of spending money
  • Operation of a machine for its function
  • verb
  • To have; to eat, drink, consume etc.
  • To need to operate or work
  • To operate a machine, e.g. a computer
  • To treat a person badly
  • To do something with, for a task or purpose

affect

Copy vocabulary

US / ə'fekt /

UK / əˈfɛkt /

A2
  • verb
  • To cause a change in something else

only

Copy vocabulary

US / ˈəunli /

UK / ˈonli /

A1
  • adverb
  • Just one; just that amount or thing; not more than
  • Not very important or serious
  • Just that type of thing, person
  • Short time ago; not before a certain time
  • conjunction
  • Except; but

release

Copy vocabulary

US / rɪ'li:s /

UK / rɪ'li:s /

A2
  • noun
  • Act of freeing someone from a duty or burden
  • Introduction of a new product, film, book, etc.
  • Relief from sadness, suffering or trouble
  • Act of freeing from a jail, cage, prison, etc.
  • verb
  • To free someone from a responsibility or burden
  • To allow a film, music etc. to be sold/distributed
  • To allow to leave a jail, cage, etc.; let out
  • To let go of something you are holding

abrupt

Copy vocabulary

US / əˈbrʌpt /

UK / əˈbrʌpt /

B1
  • adjecitve
  • Very sudden, often in a bad way

leave

Copy vocabulary

US / li:v /

UK / liv /

A1
  • noun
  • Permission to do something
  • Vacation time; time off work
  • verb
  • To go away from; depart
  • To gift property to someone after you die
  • To allow something to continue happening
  • To let something remain unused or available
  • To let something or someone remain somewhere

hide

Copy vocabulary

US / haɪd /

UK / haɪd /

A1
  • noun
  • The skin of an animal used for making leather
  • verb
  • To go to, or put a thing where it can't be found

concept

Copy vocabulary

US / 'kɒnsept /

UK / ˈkɑnˌsɛpt /

A2
  • noun
  • Abstract idea of something or how it works

from

Copy vocabulary

US / frəm /

UK / frʌm, frɑm,frəm /

A1
  • preposition
  • Starting at a particular place, time or level

and

Copy vocabulary

US / ənd /

UK / ənd, ən,ænd /

A1
  • conjunction
  • Used to refer to two or more things
  • Plus; in addition; on top of that
  • Used to introduce an action that follows another

hope

Copy vocabulary

US / həʊp /

UK / hop /

A1
  • noun
  • When you wish something will happen; what you wish
  • verb
  • To expect and want something to happen

though

Copy vocabulary

US / ðəu /

UK / ðo /

A1
  • adverb
  • Although, despite the fact that

consonant

Copy vocabulary

US / ˈkɒnsənənt /

UK / ˈkɑnsənənt /

B2
  • adjecitve
  • Music (of a note) in harmony
  • noun
  • A speech sound or letter that is not a vowel
  • Spoken sound made by stopping the flow of air
  • Sound in a word that is not a vowel, e.g. t or n

just

Copy vocabulary

US / dʒʌst /

UK / dʒʌst /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Proper or appropriate; as is deserved
  • Doing or being what is right or fair
  • Legally correct; having enough evidence
  • adverb
  • Almost; nearly
  • Exactly at the time of
  • Exactly (the same as, like)

question

Copy vocabulary

US / 'kwestʃən /

UK / ˈkwɛstʃən /

A1
  • noun
  • Issue or problems you are dealing with
  • What you ask about; issue
  • verb
  • To ask for or try to get information
  • To have or express concerns or uncertainty

for

Copy vocabulary

US / fə(r) /

UK / fɔr,fə /

A1
  • preposition
  • Used to show the purpose, or need of something

short

Copy vocabulary

US / ʃɔ:t /

UK / ʃɔrt /

A1
  • adverb
  • Less than what is needed
  • Suddenly stopping what you are saying or doing
  • verb
  • (Of electric circuit) to spark because faulty
  • adjecitve
  • Measuring a small distance
  • Happening for a small amount of time
  • Unfriendly or rude

difference

Copy vocabulary

US / 'dɪfrəns /

UK / ˈdɪfərəns, ˈdɪfrəns /

A1
  • noun
  • A thing or issue that people do not agree about
  • Not of the same kind; unlike other things

send

Copy vocabulary

US / send /

UK / sɛnd /

A1
  • verb
  • To cause to behave or respond in a particular way
  • To cause mail or packages to go to another place
  • To move something quickly in a particular way
  • To give information or greetings to someone

sound

Copy vocabulary

US / saʊnd /

UK / saʊnd /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Sensible, dependable and reliable
  • Unbroken or undisturbed, as of sleep
  • Firm or solid in structure
  • Sane; not mentally ill
  • Clearly reasoned; involving sense, good judgment
  • noun
  • Unique quality that characterizes a style of music
  • Waves traveling in air or water that can be heard
  • verb
  • To seem or appear to be, from what was said
  • To say in a clear deliberate manner
  • To make a noise, e.g. to ring a bell

broaden

Copy vocabulary

US / ˈbrɔ:dn /

UK / ˈbrɔdn: /

B1
  • verb
  • To make something wider

much

Copy vocabulary

US / mʌtʃ /

UK / mʌtʃ /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Very; to a high level or degree
  • adverb
  • A lot; large amount; a high degree of
  • Nearly; basically
  • On many occasions; often
  • noun
  • A large amount; a great quantity

take

Copy vocabulary

US / teɪk /

UK / tek /

A1
  • noun
  • Filming of a single scene for TV or the movies
  • verb
  • To accept something that is offered
  • To use a method of traveling, e.g. a bus or train
  • To use a camera to make (a photo)
  • To pick up something and go away with it
  • To study a subject in school
  • To attempt to pass (an exam)
  • To require a certain amount of time, money, space

length

Copy vocabulary

US / leŋθ /

UK / leŋθ /

A2
  • noun
  • Distance from one end of a pool to the other
  • Measurement of distance or of time

rag

Copy vocabulary

US / ræɡ /

UK / ræɡ /

B2
  • noun
  • Piece of old cloth, usually used for cleaning
  • Worn or damaged old clothing
  • Newspaper with low standards or poorer quality
  • verb
  • To make fun of someone; joke about

between

Copy vocabulary

US / bɪˈtwi:n /

UK / bɪˈtwin /

A1
  • preposition
  • From one person, thing, or place, to another
  • In the space that separates two objects
  • Among two or more people who share something

very

Copy vocabulary

US / 'verɪ /

UK / ˈvɛri /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Concerning a large degree or amount
  • adverb
  • A lot; much; many
  • Used to stress or emphasize a noun

bit

Copy vocabulary

US / bɪt /

UK / bɪt /

A1
  • noun
  • Device put in a horse's mouth to control it
  • Small piece of something
  • verb
  • (E.g. of fish) to take bait and be caught

general

Copy vocabulary

US / 'dʒenrəl /

UK / ˈdʒɛnərəl /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Widespread, normal or usual
  • noun
  • Top ranked officer in the army

look

Copy vocabulary

US / lʊk /

UK / lʊk /

A1
  • noun
  • Person's beauty or physical attractiveness
  • Particular style of dress, clothes, or appearance
  • The way someone, something appears to be
  • Act of searching for or examining something
  • verb
  • To appear to be; seem

thank

Copy vocabulary

US / θæŋk /

UK / θæŋk /

A1
  • verb
  • To tell someone you are grateful to them

ago

Copy vocabulary

US / əˈgəʊ /

UK / əˈgoʊ /

A1
  • adverb
  • At a specified length of time in the past

way

Copy vocabulary

US / weɪ /

UK / we /

A1
  • adverb
  • Used to emphasize the amount of something
  • noun
  • Particular aspect of something being thought about
  • One of various choices that could be made
  • Particular existing condition or state
  • (Often long) distance or length of time
  • How something is done
  • Route to go to a place
  • Small street
  • Usual behavior, emotions or habits of someone

cut

Copy vocabulary

US / kʌt /

UK / kʌt /

A1
  • noun
  • Act/instance of reducing the size or amount of
  • Small opening made using a sharp object, knife
  • A wound on someone's skin caused by a sharp object
  • verb
  • To reduce the size or amount of something
  • To use knife or scissors to divide, open surfaces

english

Copy vocabulary

US / ˈɪŋglɪʃ /

UK / ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Concerning the culture and people of England
  • noun
  • Language of the UK, USA, Nigeria and elsewhere
  • Person's name

email

Copy vocabulary

US / 'i:meɪl /

UK / 'i:meɪl /

A1
  • noun
  • A message like a letter sent by computer or phone
  • verb
  • To send an electronic letter via computer or phone

not

Copy vocabulary

US / nɒt /

UK / nɑt /

A1
  • adverb
  • Word indicating the negative
  • (Used to form the negative of verbs)

quite

Copy vocabulary

US / kwaɪt /

UK / kwaɪt /

A1
  • adverb
  • Not very; fairly
  • Very; In a complete or total manner

can

Copy vocabulary

US / kæn /

UK / kən,kæn /

A1
  • noun
  • A metal container for storing food
  • other
  • Able to; have the skill to; have the time to
  • verb
  • To have permission to
  • To be possible to do
  • To preserve food by sealing it in a metal container

video

Copy vocabulary

US / 'vɪdɪəʊ /

UK / ˈvɪdiˌo /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Of a moving film, with sound
  • noun
  • Recording capturing action with sound
  • verb
  • To make a moving film of, with sound

final

Copy vocabulary

US / ˈfaɪnl /

UK / ˈfaɪnəl /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • That will not be changed; permanent
  • Being the last thing in a series
  • noun
  • Last game in a series in a competition

same

Copy vocabulary

US / seɪm /

UK / sem /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being equal in quality and amount
  • Identical; not different
  • Not changing; constant

save

Copy vocabulary

US / seɪv /

UK / sev /

A1
  • noun
  • Preventing a player in a game from scoring a goal
  • preposition
  • Except; not including
  • verb
  • To make your computer keep a file
  • To keep for future use
  • To make something unnecessary; prevent
  • To keep money so that you will have it later
  • To keep something for future use, such as money
  • To keep or rescue someone or something from harm
  • To prevent a player in a game from scoring a goal
  • To avoid the unnecessary waste of energy, etc.

smooth

Copy vocabulary

US / smu:ð /

UK / smuð /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Moving without stops and starts
  • Pleasant and flat to touch, not rough
  • Being free from problems or difficulties
  • verb
  • To make something rough feel flat, e.g. by ironing
  • To spread a substance over a surface

compare

Copy vocabulary

US / kəm'peə(r) /

UK / kəmˈpɛr /

A1
  • verb
  • To consider how similar and different things are

make

Copy vocabulary

US / meɪk /

UK / mek /

A1
  • noun
  • Product made by a particular company; brand
  • verb
  • To arrange or prepare something e.g. dinner
  • To get to (a place) on time
  • To gain the status of (teacher, lawyer, etc.)
  • To create something by putting things together
  • To earn a certain amount of money at a job
  • To cause or force a person to do something
  • To cause something to happen or be formed

this

Copy vocabulary

US / ðɪs /

UK / ðɪs /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Used to indicate something already been discussed
  • Used to indicate something happening around now
  • adverb
  • An indication by a physical motion or gesture
  • A specific amount of
  • determiner
  • Person, thing, or idea near you
  • pronoun
  • Person, thing that has already been discussed

word

Copy vocabulary

US / wɜ:d /

UK / wɚd /

A1
  • noun
  • Unit of language that has a meaning
  • Promise
  • Short remark or piece of information
  • verb
  • To express something by choosing particular words

into

Copy vocabulary

US / 'ɪntə /

UK / ˈɪntu /

A1
  • preposition
  • Moving or going inside something
  • In the same direction as; in the direction of
  • So as to become; taking the state of

one

Copy vocabulary

US / wʌn /

UK / wʌn /

A1
  • pronoun
  • You; we; people in general; someone
  • The thing or person previously referred to
  • adjecitve
  • Used to refer to people generally
  • Being a strong example of (something mentioned)
  • number
  • Number 1

than

Copy vocabulary

US / ðən /

UK / ðən /

A1
  • conjunction
  • Used to compare two things that are not equal

answer

Copy vocabulary

US / 'ɑ:nsə(r) /

UK / ˈænsɚ /

A1
  • noun
  • Reply to a question someone asks
  • Solution to a problem or test question
  • verb
  • To reply to a question someone asks
  • To solve a test question or a problem

unvoiced

Copy vocabulary

US / ˌʌnˈvɔɪst /

UK / ʌnˈvɔɪst /

A1
  • verb
  • Produced without vibration of the vocal cords

let

Copy vocabulary

US / let /

UK / lɛt /

A1
  • verb
  • To allow someone to do something
  • Introducing a suggestion to do something together
  • To rent a house, etc. to others

little

Copy vocabulary

US / 'lɪtl /

UK / ˈlɪtl /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being short in length of time
  • Not great in size, amount, or degree; small
  • Being very young or younger than others
  • adverb
  • By an amount or degree that is not very much
  • Not often; rarely
  • noun
  • A person's name

the

Copy vocabulary

US / ðə /

UK / ðə /

A1
  • article
  • Used to refer to something already mentioned
  • Used to show there is only one of something
  • determiner
  • Used to describe all of a family

how

Copy vocabulary

US / haʊ /

UK / haʊ /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • To what degree? in what amount?
  • adverb
  • (Used to explain the way to do something)
  • exclamation
  • For what purpose or reason?
  • (Used to ask someone or something's condition)

you

Copy vocabulary

US / jʊ /

UK / ju /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Person someone is speaking or writing to
  • Person or people in general

end

Copy vocabulary

US / end /

UK / ɛnd /

A1
  • noun
  • The point where a process or activity stops
  • A point that marks the limit of something; finish
  • Goal or desired result
  • The tip, edge or limit of something
  • verb
  • To be the last part of something

fall

Copy vocabulary

US / fɔ:l /

UK / fɔl /

A1
  • noun
  • Season after summer and before winter; Autumn
  • A drop in amount; decrease
  • Dropping from a standing position to the ground
  • verb
  • To drop in amount; to decrease
  • To come down from a higher position suddenly
  • To go from standing to the ground, by accident

know

Copy vocabulary

US / nəʊ /

UK / noʊ /

A1
  • verb
  • To be familiar with a person or place, thing
  • To feel sure or be convinced about something
  • To discover or be aware of something
  • To be able to distinguish
  • To have knowledge of things

often

Copy vocabulary

US / ˈɔfən /

UK / ˈɔfən,ˈɑfən,ˈɔftən,ˈɑf- /

A1
  • adverb
  • Many times; frequently; on many occasions

rack

Copy vocabulary

US / ræk /

UK / ræk /

B1
  • noun
  • A frame, stand, hook on which things are hung
  • verb
  • To cause someone pain or suffering

see

Copy vocabulary

US / si: /

UK / si /

A1
  • verb
  • To go on a date with someone
  • To predict whether something is, or will be true
  • To understand what someone says
  • To use your eyes to look at something
  • To visit a place often for sightseeing or pleasure
  • To visit or meet with someone
  • To find out by waiting or looking
  • To watch (a game, movie or TV show)

vowel

Copy vocabulary

US / ˈvaʊəl /

UK / ˈvaʊəl /

B1
  • noun
  • A speech sound; a, e , it, o, u and sometimes y

hear

Copy vocabulary

US / hɪə(r) /

UK / hɪr /

A1
  • verb
  • To be aware of sound; to perceive with the ear
  • To be told or find out information or facts
  • To consider or listen to a court case

with

Copy vocabulary

US / wɪð /

UK / wɪð, wɪθ /

A1
  • preposition
  • As an employee of a certain company
  • Against something or someone
  • By using something as a means
  • Due to; because of
  • Including
  • Possessing as a feature
  • Related to
  • (Of the manner/attitude by which you do something)
  • Used to express that people or things are together
  • Subtitles section
  • This video is a spin-off of the can vs.
  • Can’t video.
  • We’re going to take one of the concepts from that video and broaden it into a general rule.
  • One of the ways you can tell the difference between can and can’t is the length of the word.
  • Can will be a little longer and a little smoother than can’t, which will be a little bit more abrupt.
  • Can’t, can’t.
  • That’s because of the Stop T, which makes that abrupt ending.
  • The T is an unvoiced consonant, and as a general rule, a one-syllable word that ends in an unvoiced consonant will be shorter than the same word if it was to end in a voiced consonant.
  • So here, the final consonant is actually affecting vowel length.
  • Let’s look at some examples.
  • Rack, rag.
  • Rack, rag.
  • Do you hear that the second word is just a little bit longer?
  • That’s because of the voiced consonant at the end.
  • Here you see the word rack on the left compared with rag on the right.
  • You can see that the length of rack is shorter.
  • Hid, hit.
  • Hid, hit.
  • I hope you can see that that second word, hit, is very abrupt.
  • Need, need.
  • Need, need.
  • Safe, save.
  • Safe, save.
  • Second word, longer.
  • Ride, right.
  • Ride, right.
  • This actually answers a question that someone sent me in an email quite a while ago.
  • How to tell the difference between fall and fall.
  • The only difference in IPA is the T, and as you know, final T’s are often not released.
  • Fall, fall.
  • Can you hear that the second one is shorter?
  • Fall, fall.
  • It’s that Stop T that’s cutting off the sound, that unvoiced consonant at the end that, even though is not released, does affect the vowel length.
  • That’s it, and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.