The Sounds of Spoken English: A Manual of Ear Training for English Students (4th edition)

"The Sounds of Spoken English: A Manual of Ear Training for English Students" by Walter Ripman is a book intended to help people understand and make the sounds of English better, especially for those learning or teaching English. The manual breaks down how English sounds are made and understood, using specific descriptions to help speakers improve their pronunciation; it explains that really understanding how sounds work is key to speaking English well. The book begins by highlighting how important it is to train your ear to hear the small differences between sounds, noting that a good understanding of your own language’s sounds is the first step to learning another language; the initial emphasis suggests that learning sounds makes you a better speaker and teacher. Overall, it suggests that improving pronunciation involves more than just copying but truly grasping the inner workings of how English sounds work.