If you can pronounce correctly every word in this poem, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English speakers in the world. After trying the verses, a Frenchman said he’d prefer six months of hard labour to reading six lines aloud.

Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it’s written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.
Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.
Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation’s OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.
Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.
Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.
Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.
Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.
Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.
Pronunciation (think of Psyche!)
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won’t it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It’s a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.
Finally, which rhymes with enough,
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give up!!!

English Pronunciation by G. Nolst Trenité

Azurlingua, French language school, situated in the heart of Nice in the French Riviera, has been providing quality French courses in France since 1990. As one of the first schools in France to be awarded the FLE QUALITY LABEL by the French Ministries of foreign affairs, education and research, we offer the best possible conditions to study French.

All of the class rooms are spacious and air-conditioned. The large welcoming interior garden offers free-Wi-Fi connection. The school is located 10 min from the beach and 3 min from the main train station. Each year we teach over 4 000 students and professionals from all over the world.

The school offers the following tailored lessons and workshops for youth, adults, and teaching professionals:

French for teens:
• All-inclusive programs in Nice for 13-17 year olds.
• Two additional summer campuses specifically for Teens.
• July and August (junior Summer camps)
• Tennis and Diving Program

Adult French courses in Nice:
• Standard, Intensive, Executive and Private Lessons
• Cinema Workshop at the Cannes Film Festival
• Senior 50+ workshops including cooking lessons

DELF Preparation:
• DELF & DALF preparation courses for both school groups and individuals
• One of the most reputable test centers in France
• Examination centre for La Sorbonne
• Other specialized courses: medical and law exams.


Azurlingua is a member of:
• SOUFFLE: Association of French as a foreign language teachers and holders of the label 'learning French in France
• ELITE: European federation of Foreign Language Schools

Azurlingua offers courses in conformance with:
• The EUROPEAN COUNCIL: European languages frame, Comenius European program

BLS English played their first game of the new season this week, losing narrowly 1-0. Regular football keeps students fit and allows them to meet and socialise with other keen local football players. The BLS English players find they quickly improve their social English and make many friends. If you are a keen football player, why not combine your interest with English language study at BLS English?

BLS English has enjoyed much success on the football pitch winning their first league title in the 2010/2011 season. That season BLS played 21 games and lost only 4 times. The new season has started well and new players are always welcome!

Fixtures and results

BLS Football Team Honours

2009 League Runners Up (2nd)
2009 Cup Winners
2010 League 4th
2010 Cup Winners
2010 League Winners
2011 League Winners

24 Week Package

£236 per week

General English with Residential Accommodation

Contact our office now!

International Qualifications

BLS English is running the Key English Test (KET) and Preliminary English Test (PET) in December. Both exams are part of the University of Cambridge ESOL suite and are recognised by United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA).

What are the exams?

The KET and PET are General English Language Exams that cover Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. The main papers are on the same day whilst the Speaking element can be on a different day.

Why take these exams?

The University of Cambridge Exams are a great way to prove your language level for work, further education or for immigration purposes. The level equates to the Common European Framework (CEFR) so prospective employers or colleges can understand.

When are the exams?

At BLS we organise these exams every 6 months.
The next exam is Friday 2nd December - Reading, Writing and Listening
Speaking Window - The Speaking part could be any day between 25th November to 11th December

How can I book an exam?

Email us Now

Come to BLS for Both Your Course and Exam

BLS English has been an authorised University of Cambridge Exam centre for more than 10 years. During this time we have seen hundreds of students achieving success from KET through to CAE.

Students can study the exam technique necessary to get the scores they need and then stay with BLS for the actual exam itself. There is no need to travel to another centre!

December (paper-based exams)

Tuesday 06 December (0100)

Paper 1 (Reading)
Paper 2 (Writing)
Paper 3 (Use of English)
Paper 4 (Listening)

Window for Paper 5 (Speaking)
18 November–11 December

Book your place before 1st October. Late bookings are possible with a late fee charged.
Cost £100

Springfield House & Spring Lane Cottage

Spring Lane Cottage is in the grounds of Springfield House – a beautiful Victorian residence situated in a leafy road in the centre of the town 10 minutes from the school. It was a three star guesthouse and provides a high standard of accommodation for those students studying at BLS English who prefer self-catering accommodation. Our friendly BLS English warden lives on site to welcome students on arrival, help them settle in and resolve any problems they may have whilst staying in the house.

Spring Lane Cottage is fully furnished and comprises 6 bedrooms, two which have en-suite facilities, and four bedrooms which share a bathroom. The communal kitchen and a sitting/dining-room are across the garden in Springfield House.



Springfield House is fully furnished and comprises 12 bedrooms, each with its own private bathroom facilities. There is a communal kitchen and a sitting/dining-room. In addition there are large a private gardens leading to the car parking area and the other BLS English residence, Spring Lane Cottage. There is a wide range of room sizes to fit the budget of the student.

Every room has its own hand-basin, shower and WC. Six of the rooms have en-suite facilities. Each bedroom has its own radio alarm clock, tea and coffee making facilities. There is WI-FI internet access throughout the building for students bringing their own laptops. (Students may also use the WI-FI in the school) The fully fitted kitchen is equipped with fridge / freezer, microwave oven, electric oven, toaster, kettle, and washing machine (clothes) The communal kitchen has a tumble-dryer, iron /ironing board and vacuum cleaner. In addition there is a clothes-line in the courtyard. The sitting/dining room has a TV and DVD with a library of films. There are also board games and books.
Within just 5 minutes’ walk of Springfield House there is:

* An indoor heated swimming pool
* A bank and ATM machine
* Excellent gymnasium and fitness facilities
* Modern shopping mall
* Multiplex Cinema complex
* Pubs and restaurants
* Waitrose, Iceland and Tesco Express for groceries
* Library
* Bus and Train station
* Art Gallery
* All the facilities that the vibrant town of Bury St Edmunds has to offer

Summer Activity Programme

On Saturday 16th July BLS is going to London to see the sights!

We are going to see the following places:

Buckingham Palace for Changing of the Guard
Big Ben & Westminster
Trafalgar Square
Covent Garden
British Museum

Each of our teachers and activity leaders will take a group of 15 students and supervise closely for the day. This is a safe way to see our wonderful capital city.

Next Saturday is Norwich Castle and the fascinating Dungeon Tour!

10 students in a class

Currently our adult classes have only 8 - 10 students per class. This is very good for the students because it enables them to have more time to speak and ask questions.

There is also a very good nationality mix. Our adult students come from approximately 16 different countries with all nationalities under 1%. This encourages lots of natural English conversation and so another reason to choose BLS!

Adults can book and start any Monday and you can now book online.

Week 4 is looking like fun!

Summer Term activities for both our Adults and Teenagers are a great way to socialise and improve your English. The activity courses deliver a great combination of intensive study with culture and fun. Our students have already made friends with students from other countries and are speaking lots and lots of English.

The activities this week are tennis, ultimate frisbee, roller skating, basketball, volleyball, Duxford Air Museum and of course lots of football!

There is no time to miss family or friends here at BLS.

Still to come this week is Film Night and a full day in London seeing the sights and visiting the British Museum with a little time for souvenir shopping.

We still have a few places left for July or August - ...email BLS now!