Pronunciation Key
| a | cat (kat), plaid (plad), half (haf) |
| ah | father (fah THur), heart (hahrt) |
| air | carry (kair ee), bear (bair), where (whair) |
| aw | all (awl), law (law), bought (bawt) |
| ay | say (say), break (brayk), vein (vayn) |
| e | bet (bet), says (sez), deaf (def) |
| ee | bee (bee), team (teem), fear (feer) |
| i | bit (bit), women (wim uhn), build (bild) |
| ı | ice (ıs), lie (lı), sky (skı) |
| o | hot (hot), watch (wotch) |
| oh | open (oh puhn), sew (soh) |
| oi | boil (boil), boy (boi) |
| oo | pool (pool), move (moov), shoe (shoo) |
| or | order (or dur), more (mor) |
| ou | house (hous), now (nou) |
| u | good (gud), should (shud) |
| uh | cup (kuhp), flood (fluhd), button (buht uhn) |
| ur | burn (burn), pearl (purl), bird (burd) |
| yoo | use (yooz), few (fyoo), view (vyoo) |
| hw | what (hwuht), when (hwen) |
| TH | that (that), breathe (breeth) |
| zh | measure (mezh ur), garage (guh razh) |
accelerate(ak sel uh rate): to get faster and faster
agent (ay juhnt): a person who represents a business
apprentice (uh pren tis): someone who works for a set amount of time for low pay in return for being taught the skills of a trade
assembly line: an arrangement of machines and workers in which work passes from one worker to the next until the product is finished
associate (uh soh see it): a person involved in the company
bankrupt: out of money and unable to pay bills
blacksmith: someone who makes and fits horseshoes and other things made of iron
boarding house: a house that provides meals and rents rooms to live in
bookkeeping: keeping track of money
cabin cruiser: a type of boat with living quarters
carriage: a cart with wheels
compete (kuhm peet): to try hard to outdo someone at something
contraption (kuhn trap shuhn): a device or machine
corporation (kor puh ray shun): a business that is organized legally
custom: made or built to order
debt (det): money that is owed to someone
demonstration: a showing of how to do something
detachable (di tach uh buhl): a part that separates from something else
devastated (dev uh stay tid): very upset; destroyed
engineering (en juh neer ing): having to do with engines and engine design
entrepreneur (on truh pruh nur): a person who risks his or her money to start a business
export company: a company that sends products to other countries
export manager: someone who oversees the selling of products to another country
financially (fı nan shuh lee): having to do with money
forge (forj): a metal workshop
gadget (gaj it): a tool or part that does a particular job
generation: all the people born around the same time
Great Depression: the decade of the 1930s when many people in the United States had no jobs and were very poor
inherited (in hair i did): received a skill or quality passed down from parents
internal combustion (kuhm bus chuhn) engine: a type of engine in which fuel is burned inside an enclosed space in the engine rather than in an outside furnace
investor: a person who gives money to a business in hopes of making more money
lathe (layth): a machine that holds a piece of metal or wood while turning it against a cutting tool that shapes it
launched (lawnchd): introduced something new
legacy (leg uh see): quality or character of something handed down from one generation to another
luxury (luhk shuh ree): something you don’t really need but that you like having
leisure (lee zhur): free time when you don’t have to work
machinist (muh shee nist): somebody who makes, operates, or fixes machines
manufacturing (man yoo fak shur ring): making a product with the use of a machine
marketing: selling products or services
mechanical (muh kan i kuhl): having to do with machines
merger: when 2 or more companies join together to form a single, larger company
metallurgy (met uh lur jee): the science of working with metal
muffler: a part that lessens engine noise
outboard motor: a motor attached to the outside of a boat
outdone: done better than
overwhelming: having a strong effect
partnership: a business agreement between 2 or more people
patent: (pat uhnt): a legal document that gives an inventor all of the rights to an invention
philanthropist (fuh lan thruh pist): a person who donates money to charities
plunged (pluhnjd): to move suddenly
portable: able to be moved or carried easily
profitable (prof i tuh buhl): making money
prospered (pros purd): to be successful
public relations: activities used to create a good reputation with the public
regain: to get something back
reputation (rep yoo tay shuhn): the opinion that people have about something or someone
revolutionary (rev uh loo shuhn air ree): a large, important change
rheumatism (roo muh tiz uhm): a painful condition of the muscles and joints
seafaring: working at sea
seasonal: happening during the spring, summer, fall, or winter
sightseer: a visitor
slogan: a phrase used by a business to sell something
sophomore (sof mor): the second year in high school or college
sorter: a person who arranges thing in groups
spectator sport: a sport watched by an audience
strict: making someone follow all the rules
technology (tek nol uh jee): use of science to do practical things
tinkering: making repairs without being an expert
touring car: a car made for driving long distances
venture: a project that could be risky
wage (wayj): the money someone is paid for work