Yes. If you want to learn classical BBC English then listen to Christopher Hitchens. Probably the most beautiful orator I have ever come across.fxdung said:
Tense consonants are produced with a greater degree of muscular tension in the vocal tract, resulting in a longer and more intense sound. Lax consonants, on the other hand, are produced with less tension and are shorter and less intense in sound.
In English, tense and lax consonants can change the meaning of a word. For example, the words "bit" and "beat" differ only in the tense/lax quality of the "i" sound, resulting in two different words with distinct meanings.
Yes, there are some general rules for when to use tense and lax consonants in English. For example, tense consonants are usually used before stressed syllables, while lax consonants are used before unstressed syllables. However, there are also many exceptions to these rules, and the use of tense and lax consonants can also vary depending on regional dialects and individual speech patterns.
Yes, with practice and training, non-native speakers can learn to distinguish between tense and lax consonants in English. It may require a lot of listening and repetition, but with proper instruction and practice, it is possible to improve one's ability to differentiate between these sounds.
The use of tense and lax consonants can vary greatly in different languages. Some languages, such as Spanish and Italian, have a clear distinction between tense and lax consonants, while others, like Japanese and Mandarin Chinese, do not differentiate between these sounds. Additionally, the rules for using these sounds may differ from language to language, making it important for language learners to be aware of these differences when studying a new language.