INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You've already learned all you need to know to pronounce the letters in this word. Here are some words to read, pronunciations in Mid-Atlantic American dialect, and definitions: ham (khaawm): home ln (lan): loan (short ae) ndre (naad-rey): snake (long ae) pipor (pee-poar): pepper slim (sleeem): slime snoru (snoa-roo): daughter-in-law ruh (roookh): shaggy mys (mos): mouse (long y) At the beginning or end of words, these are pronounced "unvoiced" as in father, sight, and thick. When they show up between vowels or other voiced sounds, these are "voiced," pronounced as in vulture, zoo, and that. If you haven't guessed it already, any sound made with your vocal chords is "voiced," and any sound made with just an airy breath is "voiceless." Try these examples: fedan (feeydan): to feed lufu (loovoo): love slidan (sleeedan): to slide mesan (meeyzan): a dining table p (paath): path (pronounce th as in path) leer (leytheyr): leather (pronounce th as in leather) As mentioned earlier, g and c can be pronounced in different ways. It's not always possible to tell which pronunciation to use without looking it up, but here's a guide that works for many words: C is usually a "k" sound before a consonant, or when next to a back vowel (a, , o, u, y): clif (kleef) = cliff; staca (sta-ka) = stake; cu (kooo) = cow C is usually a "ch" sound when next to a front vowel (i or e): brec (breeych) = breeches; ceris (cheyrees) = cherry. G is usually a hard "g" sound before a consonant, before a back vowel (a, , o, u, y), and after n: grund (groond) = ground; gat (gaat) = goat; ing (theeng) = thing. G is usually a "y" next to a front vowel (i or e): bodig (boadee-y) = body; segel (sey-yeyl) = sail; gingra (yeengra) = younger. G following a back vowel or consonant (besides n) is pronounced as [], a sound that no longer exists in English. Just use the sound "wa" for now, or practice raising your tongue in a "k" position while saying "ch" as in "loch." These are practically the only combinations of letters that change sound when put together. Any other combination of consonants (no matter how difficult it seems!) is pronounced as it looks. Here are the two exceptions: CG is pronounced as the dg in edge: hrycg (khrodg) = ridge SC is pronounced as the sh in show: scinu (shee-noo) = shin

SUMMARY: Practice simple words. Practice your f, s and / sounds. Learn your g and c sounds. Learn cg and sc.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Use 1 pound (453.59 g) of peanuts still in their shells. Drain the peanuts. Next, put them in a large stockpot. Add 4 cups (.96 L) of fresh water and 4 tablespoons (59.14 mL) of kosher salt to the stockpot. You can also add 2 tablespoons (29.57 mL) of smoked paprika, Old Bay Seasoning, shrimp boil mix, or star anise to the water with the salt. Reduce the heat to a very low boil, and cover the stockpot. Boil the peanuts until they are soft. The longer you boil them, the saltier and softer they will become. Try boiling them for as few as 2 hours for firmer, less salty nuts or up to 12 hours for a very soft and salty nut. Drain the nuts, but do not rinse them. Store the boiled peanuts in an airtight container. Eat or serve all the peanuts within 2 or 3 days after preparing them. They will dry out and become inedible after that.

SUMMARY: Rinse raw peanuts in fresh water. Bring the water, salt, and peanuts to a boil. Take the stockpot off the heat.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Perhaps the most important part of managing and cleaning your beard is to make sure it is shaped. To do this, you'll have to use a razor to maintain the lines, style, and design of your beard. Use a clean and sharp razor when shaping your beard. Wash your face and beard before shaping it. Make shaping a daily priority. For instance, use your razor to shave hair as it grows in. This way, you won't need to deal with the task of creating a balanced and symmetrical beard every week. Use scissors or a beard trimmer to trim your beard to a desired length. Ultimately, cleaning your beard will be much harder if it is untrimmed and unkempt. When trimming your beard, remember: If you decide to use a trimmer, try to get a cordless model so you can move it around better. Don't trim your beard when it's wet. After trimming, combing is essential to cleaning your beard. Not only does brushing beard hair improve its appearance, it also helps you to remove dead and loose hair. By removing dead and loose hair, you'll make sure your beard is cleaner and healthier. Use comb intended for beards. You can purchase this at just about any retailer. Comb your hair in the same direction.

SUMMARY:
Shape your beard. Trim your beard. Comb your beard.