Pronunciation ChallengeWhy Are There Penguins At The Equator?

Hello again VoiceTubers! I’m Jonathan, and I’m back with another video. In today’s video, they ask why penguins are at the equator. First of all, I had no idea there even were penguins at the equator. Why do you think they’re there? I can hazard a few guesses. Personally, I much prefer a hot climate over a cold one. Seriously, would you want to live in Antarctica, swimming in those freezing waters? I know I wouldn’t! Given the choice, I’d much rather be at a tropical beach resort surrounded by the warm sand, hot sun, and ocean waves!

Seriously though, the video does give some interesting scientific reasons as to why penguins are there, and also why we see them in Antarctica but never in the Arctic. So I suggest you check it out! In the meantime, let’s listen to today’s featured sentence:

Sentence: 82 - 90
Of course, penguins are more common in colder climates, partly because icy surface waters mix more readily with cold, nutrient-rich waters below.

Pronunciation:

Penguins - short e, long u and short i blend to form a sound similar to i ’wi’, z sound

Penguins are - blended words

Readily - short e, schwa, long e


Vocabulary:

Nutrient-rich (adj.): KK[ˋnjutrɪənt][rɪtʃ] IPA/ˈnjuːtrɪənt//rɪtʃ/


Nutrient-rich is defined as any substance that plants or animals need in order to live and grow. Here is an example sentence: “Plants need sunlight, water, and nutrient-rich soil in order to thrive.”

-rich (suffix) KK[rɪtʃ] IPA/rɪtʃ/

The suffice ‘rich’ means having plenty of. For example, my doctor has told me I need to eat fiber-rich foods such as beans and whole grains. Saudi Arabia is an example of an oil-rich country. Another way to word it is to use ‘rich’ as an adjective instead of a suffix. For example, instead of fiber-rich foods, you could say foods rich in fiber.

Partly (adv): KK[ˋpɑrtlɪ] IPA/ˈpɑːtli/


“Partly” means to some degree, but not completely. Here’s an example sentence: “Tomorrow will be partly cloudy with a high of 25 degrees.” It means that while some clouds will be in the sky, we’ll also see the sun.

You may wonder about when to use partly vs. when to use partially. Generally speaking, “Partially” is to be used when one is describing part of something without a measurable whole.

You can think of “partially” as a companion to “completely”, and “partly” as a companion to “wholly”. So with this in mind, “partially” could be seen as to some degree but not completely. For example, “He partially finished his mission.” Whereas “partly” could be seen as a part but not the whole, for example “The shirt is partly made of cotton.”

Having said all this, however, I wouldn’t sweat over this too much. The two words are often used interchangeably, even by native speakers.

Readily (adv) : KK[ˋrɛdɪlɪ] IPA /ˈrɛdɪli/

Readily is defined as “quickly, immediately, willingly, or without any problem”. Here’s an example sentence “Our boats are readily available to our guests.”

Outro

And that’s the end of our pronunciation challenge. Now I want to hear from you! Would you prefer to live in a hot climate near the equator, or up in a cold climate like Antarctica? And what would you do if you were near the equator and saw a penguin! Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to do your recording! I’m Jonathan for VoiceTube. I’ll catch you next time!

Of course, penguins are more common in colder climates, partly because icy surface waters mix more readily with cold, nutrient-rich waters below.