UNDERSTANDING ICAO PRONUNCIATION

Nikki Jane Author

𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐘 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 (𝐋𝐏𝐑) 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐄 - FOCUS ON PRONUNCIATION

𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐘 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 (𝐋𝐏𝐑) 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐄 - FOCUS ON PRONUNCIATION

Pronunciation, Stress, Rhythm and Intonation.

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The category of PRONUNCIATION on the ICAO LPR Scale deals with the degree to which your your dialect and/or accent is intelligible to an international community.

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The LPR Scale for PRONUNCIATION says that Pronunciation, Stress, Rhythm and Intonation:

🔸 ICAO LEVEL 6 - almost never interfere with ease of understanding.

🔸 ICAO LEVEL 5 - rarely interfere with ease of understanding.

🔸 ICAO LEVEL 4 - only sometimes interfere with ease of understanding.

🔸 ICAO LEVEL 3 - frequently interfere with ease of understanding.

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You may be surprised that It is perfectly conceivable, albeit extremely rare, that a native speaker with a strong regional dialect who is not easily understood by others, could be awarded a 3, or even less, for Pronunciation. 

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So exactly what are Pronunciation, Stress, Rhythm and Intonation, and how can you improve them?

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🗣️ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

This refers to the distinct sounds of vowels and consonants that make a meaningful difference. Document 9835 says clear understanding among English-speaking aviation professionals is what matters, NOT sounding like a native speaker. Some sounds are essential for successful communication - this is called the Lingua Franca Core. For example, make sure to distinguish between pairs like /p/ (aspirated, with a puff of air) and /b/ (voiced) - ‘path’ and ‘bath’ should not sound the same. Equally, It doesn't matter if your vowels don’t sound like a native speaker’s vowels, but make sure to differentiate between short and long vowels. For example, chat /æ/ and chart /ɑː/.

🗣️ 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒

Stress is the marking of a syllable or word with extra emphasis. For example, interNAtional, ALTitude, horiZONtal STAbiliser, or cumuloNIMbus. Stress also emphasises words within a longer phrase. For example, LINE up and WAIT. Misplaced stress can change the meaning of a word, or even make it unrecognisable. I reFUSE to answer the question (say no). The REfuse is collected early in the morning (rubbish/trash).

🗣️ 𝐑𝐇𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐌

English is a stress-timed language which means it has a variable rhythm with some syllables taking more time and others less. On the other hand, syllable-timed languages, like Spanish, have a more consistent beat with each syllable taking up roughly the same amount of time. Learners may find it challenging to adapt to the rhythm and stress patterns of English if they are significantly different from those of their native language. The result is that learners can sound jerky or staccato if they don’t follow the rules of rhythm.

🗣️ 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

Intonation refers to the rising or falling sounds that are used to transmit information to the listener. An easy example of intonation is how it can be used to form questions. ‘You have a dog’ is a statement that can easily be transformed into a question by using rising intonation on the final word ‘You have a dog?’. Intonation can also be used to convey emotion. Speakers who do not use intonation can sound flat or uninteresting to the listener, and using intonation incorrectly can confuse a listener.

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⚠️ Stress, rhythm and intonation supply the listener with extra information on top of the meaning of the individual words. It is noticeable in its absence.

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HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR PRONUNCIATION 

1️⃣ Listen and imitate: Listen to recordings, news, podcasts or TV shows. Try to mimic the speakers.

2️⃣ Read Aloud: Reading English texts aloud helps you practice pronunciation, stress, rhythm and intonation.

3️⃣ Record Yourself: Recording your speech can help you identify areas for improvement that you might not notice in real-time.

4️⃣ Be Patient: Improving your pronunciation, rhythm, stress, and intonation takes time and regular practice. Don’t get disheartened if you don’t see immediate results. It takes longer to develop these skills than to learn new vocabulary or grammar structures.

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If you want to improve your pronunciation in an aviation-related context, contact me today and we can find a course suited to your needs.  Click HERE.