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Pronunciation Guide
FREE LISTENING WORKSHEET · APG

How to pronounce 20 arts and literature words

Listen, notice one detail, and say the word in a phrase.

Open the guide & listening notes →Take the interactive quiz →

Videos and full notes: https://ipronounce.io/guides/arts-and-literature

Name: ________________________　 Date: __________________

A five-word listening round

  1. Choose five words below. Open each linked word and play its APG video.
  2. Write one sound observation: the strongest syllable, a silent letter, a consonant connection, or a variant you hear.
  3. Say the original practice phrase, then write and say your own sentence.
  4. Read the word’s listening note and compare it with your observation. Repeat any word you want to revisit.
Your listening record — choose five, then return for another round
Word & videoPractice phraseWhat I hear / my sentence
archetypeThe character is an archetype of the wandering hero.
baroqueThe concert features baroque music.
elegyShe wrote an elegy for her friend.
facadeThe building's facade needs repair.
operaWe went to the opera on Saturday.
rhetoricThe speech relied on familiar rhetoric.
ariaThe soprano sang the final aria.
ensembleThe ensemble rehearsed after lunch.
excerptShe read an excerpt from her novel.
fugueThe organist played a fugue.
muralA colorful mural covers the wall.
haikuHe wrote a haiku about the rain.
homageThe film pays homage to silent cinema.
literatiThe cafe attracted the city's literati.
oeuvreThe exhibition spans the artist's entire oeuvre.
poetryShe reads poetry before bed.
requiemThe choir performed a requiem.
repertoireThe pianist added a new piece to her repertoire.
silhouetteWe could see his silhouette in the doorway.
xylophoneThe child played a tune on the xylophone.

Test your pronunciation knowledge

Choose one answer for each question. The answer key includes explanations and source links.

  1. How many syllables are in “fugue”?

    1. One
    2. Two
    3. Three

  2. What sound does the opening x have in “xylophone”?

    1. ks
    2. z
    3. sh

  3. How many syllables can “opera” have?

    1. Only one
    2. Only four
    3. Two or three

  4. Which consonant sequence does qu represent in “requiem”?

    1. k followed by w
    2. sh followed by r
    3. A single f sound
Show the answer key

Open this section before printing to include the answers.

  1. A. One “Fugue” has one vowel beat and ends with a hard g. The written ue does not add another syllable.

    Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

  2. B. z “Xylophone” begins with z followed by an eye vowel. The first syllable has the main stress.

    Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

  3. C. Two or three “Opera” can have two or three syllables. The shorter pronunciation moves directly from p to r; the fuller pronunciation has a vowel between them. Both stress the first syllable.

    Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

  4. A. k followed by w “Requiem” has k followed by w. The first syllable is strongest, and the word has three syllables.

    Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Sources & reuse

The pronunciation notes are based on the dictionary sources linked from each word page. Practice phrases and exercises are original APG learning material, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Credit American Pronunciation Guide and keep the source links when adapting this worksheet. Videos and reference quotations retain their own terms.

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