FIX PROBLEM | ENGLISH SOUND | - | COMMON ERROR | - | PRACTICE MATERIALS |
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Relax the mouth and keep sound short. | /ɪ/ | "sit" | /i:/ | "seat" | Minimal Pairs /ɪ/ or / i: / practice |
Move tongue to a lower front position. | /æ/ | "man" | /e/ | "men" | Minimal Pairs /e/ or /æ/ practice |
Tongue more central. Lips relaxed. | /ʌ/ | "cup" | /æ/ | "cap" | Minimal Pairs /æ/ or /ʌ/ practice |
Tongue low central. Lips relaxed. | /ʌ/ | "cup" | Minimal Pairs /æ/ or /ʌ/ practice Minimal Pairs /ʌ/ or /ɜ:/ practice |
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Back of tongue high. Lips rounded but relaxed. Short. | /ʊ/ | "full" | /u:/ | "fool" | Minimal Pairs /ʊ/ or / u: / practice |
Weak endings: e.g. "London" "England" | /ə/ | "the" (schwa) | Practise the neutral vowel /ə/ using spoken dialogues |
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Back of tongue high. Lips rounded but relaxed. Short. | /u:/ | "fool" | /ʊ/ | "full" | Minimal Pairs /ʊ/ or / u: / practice |
Fix tongue in central position. Long. | /ɜ:/ | "bird" | Minimal Pairs /e/ or /ɜ:/ practice Minimal Pairs /ʌ/ or /ɜ:/ practice Minimal Pairs /ɔ:/ or /ɜ:/ practice |
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Tongue moves from front centre to front high. | /eɪ/ | "late" | /e/ | "let" | |
Tongue low front to high front to centre. | /aɪə/=/aɪ/+/ə/ | "fire" | |||
Tongue central. Then tightly round lips. | /əʊ/ | "note" | /ɒ/ | "not" | |
Tongue central. Then tightly round lips. | /əʊ/ | "bone" | /ɔ:/ | "born" | |
Tongue low front. Then round & unround lips. | /aʊə/=/aʊ/+/ə/ | "flour" | |||
Tongue from high front to centre. Not too low. | /ɪə/ | "beer" | /i:/+/ə/ | "be / are" | |
Tongue from centre front. Draw back to centre. | /eə/ | "bear" | |||
Start with lips tightly rounded. Unround. | /ʊə/ | "tour" | |||
Voiced. Vibration. Trap air with lips. | /b/ | "bet" | /v/ | "vet" | |
Make friction with top teeth & bottom lip. | /f/ | "fill" | /h/ | "hill" | |
Voiced. Friction with top teeth & bottom lip. | /v/ | "vet" | /b/ | "bet" | |
Voiceless. Friction. Tongue between teeth. | /θ/ | "thin" | /s/ | "sin" | Minimal Pairs /θ/ or /ð/ practice Minimal Pairs /θ/ or /t/ practice Minimal Pairs /θ/ or /d/ practice Minimal Pairs /θ/ or /s/ practice |
Voiced. Friction. Tongue between teeth. | /ð/ | "they" | /d/ | "day" | Minimal Pairs /ð/ or /d/ practice |
Voiceless: tip of tongue behind top teeth. Friction. | /s/ | "mass" | /ʃ/ | "mash" | |
Voiced: tip of tongue behind top teeth. Friction. | /z/ | "rise" | /s/ | "rice" | Minimal Pairs /s/ or /z/ practice |
Voiceless. Friction. Front of tongue to palate. | /ʃ/ | "push" | /s/ | "puss" | |
Voiced: Front of tongue to palate. Friction. | /ʒ/ | "confusion" | /ʃ/ | "Confucian" | |
Quickly push air from throat out of mouth. | /h/ | "hot" | "ch" in "loch" | Minimal Pairs /h/ or silent "h" practice |
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Tongue touches hard palate. | /l/ | "light" (clear) | /r/ | "right" | Minimal Pairs /l/ or /r/ practice |
Contact. Brief "schwa" after release. | /ɫ/ | "tall" (dark l) | |||
Back of tongue to back roof. Nasal. | /ŋk/ | "think" | /ŋ/ | "thing" | Minimal Pairs /ŋ/ or /ŋk/ practice |
Start with lips tightly rounded. Unround & glide. | /w/ | "west" | /v/ | "vest" | Minimal Pairs /w/ or /v/ practice |
Start with lips tightly rounded. Unround & glide. | /w/ | "will" | /f/ | "fill" |
EXTERNAL LINKS: Non-native pronunciations of English: Japanese L1
Engrish and L & R in Consonant Clusters
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