Special English started in 1959. It was developed as an experimental radio program to spread information on news and culture to people outside the United States. Programs on VOA use a simpler English within about 1,500 words, and reports are paced 1/3 slower than regular English in order to allow listeners to increase a better understanding. This means broadcasters speak at about two-thirds the speed of conversational English. But is still far from sounding like a record played at the wrong speed. It now deals with various topics to keep interest of listeners, such as news, business, science, and culture. Stories are written in clear.
s p ɛ ʃ ə l WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ ŋ ɡ l ɪ ʃ WORD_BOUNDARY s t ɑ ɹ t ɪ d WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY n aɪ n t iː n h ʌ n d ɹ ɪ d WORD_BOUNDARY f ɪ f t i WORD_BOUNDARY n aɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ t WORD_BOUNDARY w ʌ z WORD_BOUNDARY d ɪ v ɛ l ə p t WORD_BOUNDARY æ z WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ n WORD_BOUNDARY ɛ k s p ɛ ɹ ɪ m ɛ n t ə l WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ eɪ d ɪ oʊ WORD_BOUNDARY p ɹ oʊ ɡ ɹ æ m WORD_BOUNDARY t ə WORD_BOUNDARY s p ɹ ɛ d WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n f ə ɹ m eɪ ʃ ə n WORD_BOUNDARY ɔ n WORD_BOUNDARY n uː z WORD_BOUNDARY æ n d WORD_BOUNDARY k ʌ l t̠ʃ ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY t ə WORD_BOUNDARY p iː p ə l WORD_BOUNDARY aʊ t s aɪ d WORD_BOUNDARY ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY j uː n aɪ t ɪ d WORD_BOUNDARY s t eɪ t s WORD_BOUNDARY p ɹ oʊ ɡ ɹ æ m z WORD_BOUNDARY ɔ n WORD_BOUNDARY v iː oʊ eɪ WORD_BOUNDARY j uː s WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY s ɪ m p l ə ɹ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ ŋ ɡ l ɪ ʃ WORD_BOUNDARY w ɪ ð ɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ b aʊ t WORD_BOUNDARY w ʌ n WORD_BOUNDARY f aɪ v h ʌ n d ɹ ɪ d WORD_BOUNDARY w ɜː d z WORD_BOUNDARY æ n d WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ ɪ p ɔ ɹ t s WORD_BOUNDARY ɑ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY p eɪ s t WORD_BOUNDARY w ʌ n WORD_BOUNDARY s l æ ʃ WORD_BOUNDARY θ ɹ iː WORD_BOUNDARY s l oʊ ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ð ʌ n WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ ɛ ɡ j ʊ l ə ɹ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ ŋ ɡ l ɪ ʃ WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY ɔ ɹ d ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY t ʊ WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ l aʊ WORD_BOUNDARY l ɪ s ə n ə ɹ z WORD_BOUNDARY t ʊ WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ ŋ k ɹ iː s WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY b ɛ t ə ɹ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ n d ə ɹ s t æ n d ɪ ŋ WORD_BOUNDARY ð ɪ s WORD_BOUNDARY m iː n z WORD_BOUNDARY b ɹ ɔ d k æ s t ə ɹ z WORD_BOUNDARY s p iː k WORD_BOUNDARY æ t WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ b aʊ t WORD_BOUNDARY t uː θ ɜː d z WORD_BOUNDARY ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY s p iː d WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v WORD_BOUNDARY k ɑ n v ə ɹ s eɪ ʃ ə n ə l WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ ŋ ɡ l ɪ ʃ WORD_BOUNDARY b ʌ t WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ z WORD_BOUNDARY s t ɪ l WORD_BOUNDARY f ɑ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY f ɹ ʌ m WORD_BOUNDARY s aʊ n d ɪ ŋ WORD_BOUNDARY l aɪ k WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ ɛ k ə ɹ d WORD_BOUNDARY p l eɪ d WORD_BOUNDARY æ t WORD_BOUNDARY ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ ɔ ŋ WORD_BOUNDARY s p iː d WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ t WORD_BOUNDARY n aʊ WORD_BOUNDARY d iː l z WORD_BOUNDARY w ɪ ð WORD_BOUNDARY v ɛ ɹ iə s WORD_BOUNDARY t ɑ p ɪ k s WORD_BOUNDARY t ə WORD_BOUNDARY k iː p WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n t ɹ ɛ s t WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v WORD_BOUNDARY l ɪ s ə n ə ɹ z WORD_BOUNDARY s ʌ t̠ʃ WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ z WORD_BOUNDARY n uː z WORD_BOUNDARY b ɪ z n ə s WORD_BOUNDARY s aɪ ə n s WORD_BOUNDARY æ n d WORD_BOUNDARY k ʌ l t̠ʃ ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY s t ɔ ɹ i z WORD_BOUNDARY ɑ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ ɪ t ə n WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY k l ɪ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY