手把手教你学口语01

Welcome to Daily tips on Learning English. Today's tip is on distinguishing “can” and “cannot” in spoken American English.今天我们的主题是can和cannot发音的区别

“Cannot” is usually contracted to “can't”. 通常我们在发cannot这个词的时候我们不是说cannot而是说can't。

So many learners of English assume that in order to distinguish between “can” and “can't”, one must listen for the final “t” sound /t/. And when speaking, one must pronounce final ‘t’ sound /t/ clearly. However, this is not in fact how native speakers distinguish “can” and “can't”. 通常我们以为我们在听或我们在说英文的时候我们要把那个/t

/发出来，或者是说我们要听到那个/t/我们才知道别人在说can't，这个是不可以的，其实美国人并不是以此来区别的，People do not say ‘I `can drive a car, but I `can’t drive a motorcycle.’ People say ‘I can `drive a car', but I `can't drive a motorcycle.’ The difference between “can” and “can't” is in stress. “Can” is not stressed, the verb after it is. “Can't” is stressed. The verb after it is not. 请注意，我不知道你刚刚有没有分别出来，当我们在说我们可以的时候，我们要把那个can发得比较轻一点，要把重音放在can后面的动词上面，当我们在说不可以can't的时候，我们不是要把那个/t/发得很清楚，而是我们要把重音放在can上面

Also since ‘can’ is not stressed, the vowel¹ is reduced to /a/, so “can” is actually pronounced “can”. 你们不晓得有么有听出来，我们老师刚发的音，当你没有把重音放在can的时候，可以的时候我们要把那个母音发成/a/，

Listen to another example. 让我们再来听另外一个例子，请注意听，“I `can't go on Saturday, but I can `go on Sunday.” Did you hear the 't' sound? Did you notice the difference words being stressed? Listening again. “I `can't go on Saturday, but I can `go on Sunday.” If you want to understand whether someone is saying he can or can't do something, you have to be listening for a stressed “can't” or a verb stressed after “can”. 请注意我们老师刚刚给你们的例子，也就是在说明can drive当重音放在drive上面的时候那表示可以，当我们把重音放在can't这个can上面的时候表示他不可以。What does this mean? “I can `speak Japanese, but I `can't speak Taiwanese.” That's right, I can speak Japanese, but I cannot speak Taiwanese. When you are speaking it is very important that you follow this rule too. When learners of English say I `can help you, native speakers often unsure what is meant because of improper<sup>2</sup> stress. 请注意，你不能说I `can help you，就是你把重音放在can上面的时候人家会以为你不能帮他，其实你要说I can `help you，就是把重音放在help上面，而不是把重音放在can上面。

So remember, you can stress “can't”, but you `can't stress “can”.

This has been today's tip on learning English. Tune³ in tomorrow for another tip.

1 vowel   

n.元音；元音字母

参考例句：

• A long vowel is a long sound as in the word"shoe ".长元音即如“shoe” 一词中的长音。
• The vowel in words like 'my' and 'thigh' is not very difficult.单词my和thigh中的元音并不难发。

2 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

3 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。