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Hi, I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation workshop. Here, I'm gonna show you how
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English is really spoken. It'll help you to become a better listener and a
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more fluent speaker. You ready? Come on, follow me.
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Now, there's an idiom in the English language that means that something is
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really easy.
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Any idea what it is?
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Well, here's a clue. Do you know now? Let's ask the people of London.
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It's a piece of cake. It's a piece of cake.
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It's a piece of cake. It's a piece of cake. A piece of cake - an expression that
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means that something is really easy to do, as well as meaning - a piece of cake.
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But listen again to the words
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'a' and 'of'. They're actually pronounced the same. What is the sound and are those
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words stressed? It's a piece of cake. It's a piece of cake.
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It's a piece of cake. It's a piece of cake.
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The words 'a' and 'of' are both pronounced as /ə/
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and they are not stressed. This sound /ə/ is the most common sound in the whole English
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language. It's so common that it even has its own name,
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schwa. Now, it can be difficult to hear the schwa because it's never stressed.
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However, it's a vowel sound that's used in many grammar words like articles and
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prepositions. Here are some more examples.
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I like a cup of tea in the morning.
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Could you get me a packet of biscuits?
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Can you give it to me?
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I had an apple for lunch today.
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So, you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn.
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Are you ready to start? Listen and repeat.
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I like a cup of tea in the morning.
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Could you get me a packet of biscuits?
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Can you give it to me?
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I had an apple for lunch today.
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Great work. Now remember, if you want to learn more about pronunciation then
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please visit our website: bbclearningenglish.com. And that's about it from
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the pronunciation workshop for now. I'll see you soon. Bye bye. Now, I've got a
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cup of tea and I've got a biscuit, I'm looking forward to a piece of cake.
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That was a mistake, but a tasty one.