ISSN: 2222-6990
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Due to phonological processes such as assimilation, certain vowels in Malaysian English (MalE) are pronounced differently than in Standard English. Vowel assimilation occurs frequently in MalE and results in pronunciation errors. Thus, the purpose of this study is to ascertain the most frequently mispronounced English vowel sounds by Malay native speakers as a result of the adaptation of sounds or phonemes from the Malay language (L1) to the English language (L2). The current study used a descriptive qualitative method to collect data by having 30 Malay native speakers participate in a pronunciation test. The error analysis approach is used to analyse the participants' pronunciation of 12 English words, which are then converted to phonetic transcription. The transcriptions of the participants' pronunciations are compared to the correct transcriptions in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary: International Student Edition (2010) to identify the participants' pronunciation errors. The findings revealed that Malay native speakers have difficulty pronouncing the monophthong /u:/ and diphthongs /??/ and /??/. In conclusion, the mispronunciation of monophthongs and diphthongs among Malay native speakers is a result of the assimilation and substitution of sounds that are absent from Malay phonology in comparison to the English phonological system.
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In-Text Citation: (Kamarudin & Kamal, 2021)
To Cite this Article: Kamarudin, N. I., & Kamal, M. A. A. (2021). Mispronunciation of English Monophthong and Diphthong among Malay Native Speakers. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(10), 814–822.
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