```html English pronunciation practice for Turkish speakers

English pronunciation practice for Turkish speakers

Correction of common English pronunciation mistakes made by learners with Turkish as their first language.

Turkish language backgrounds

33 common English pronunciation problems

1. /e/ "set" vs /æ/ "sat"

Fix problem Move front of tongue a little higher.
English sound /e/ "set"
Common error /æ/ "sat"
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /e/ or /æ/ practice

2. /ʌ/ "bud" vs /ɜ:/ "bird"

Fix problem Tongue low central. Lips relaxed.
English sound /ʌ/ "bud"
Common error /ɜ:/ "bird"
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /ʌ/ or /ɜ:/ practice

3. /ʌ/ "cup" vs /æ/ "cap"

Fix problem Tongue more central. Lips relaxed.
English sound /ʌ/ "cup"
Common error /æ/ "cap"
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /æ/ or /ʌ/ practice

4. /ə/ "the" (schwa)

Fix problem Weak endings: e.g. "London" "England"
English sound /ə/ "the" (schwa)
Common error —
Practice:
Practise the neutral vowel /ə/ using spoken dialogues

5. /ʊ/ "full" vs /u:/ "fool"

Fix problem Back of tongue high. Lips rounded but relaxed. Short.
English sound /ʊ/ "full"
Common error /u:/ "fool"
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /ʊ/ or /u:/ practice

6. /ɔ:/ "bought" vs /əʊ/ "boat"

Fix problem Tongue low, back & fixed. Jaws together.
English sound /ɔ:/ "bought"
Common error /əʊ/ "boat"

7. /ɑ:/ "cart" vs /ʌ/ "cut"

Fix problem Mouth more open. Make sound longer.
English sound /ɑ:/ "cart"
Common error /ʌ/ "cut"

8. /u:/ "tool" vs /ʊə/ "tour"

Fix problem Back of tongue high. Keep lips tightly rounded.
English sound /u:/ "tool"
Common error /ʊə/ "tour"

9. /aɪ/ "buy"

Fix problem Start with tongue low front.
English sound /aɪ/ "buy"
Common error —
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /eɪ/ or /aɪ/ practice

10. /ɔɪ/ "boy"

Fix problem Start with tongue low & back.
English sound /ɔɪ/ "boy"
Common error —

11. /əʊ/ "note" vs /ɒ/ "not"

Fix problem Tongue central. Then tightly round lips.
English sound /əʊ/ "note"
Common error /ɒ/ "not"
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /əʊ/ or /ɒ/ practice

12. /əʊ/ "bone" vs /ɔ:/ "born"

Fix problem Tongue central. Then tightly round lips.
English sound /əʊ/ "bone"
Common error /ɔ:/ "born"

13. /eə/ "bear" vs /eɪ/ "bay"

Fix problem Tongue from centre front. Draw back to centre.
English sound /eə/ "bear"
Common error /eɪ/ "bay"

14. /b/ "rib" vs /p/ "rip"

Fix problem Voiced. Vibration. Trap air with lips.
English sound /b/ "rib"
Common error /p/ "rip"

15. /d/ "made" vs /t/ "mate"

Fix problem Tip of tongue behind top teeth.
English sound /d/ "made"
Common error /t/ "mate"
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /t/ or /d/ practice

16. /v/ "vet" vs /w/ "wet"

Fix problem Voiced. Friction with top teeth & bottom lip.
English sound /v/ "vet"
Common error /w/ "wet"
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /w/ or /v/ practice

17. /θ/ "thin"

Fix problem Voiceless. Friction. Tongue between teeth.
English sound /θ/ "thin"
Common error —
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /θ/ or /ð/ practice
Minimal Pairs /θ/ or /t/ practice
Minimal Pairs /θ/ or /d/ practice
Minimal Pairs /θ/ or /s/ practice

18. /ð/ "clothe" vs /θ/ "cloth"

Fix problem Voiced. Friction. Tongue between teeth.
English sound /ð/ "clothe"
Common error /θ/ "cloth"
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /θ/ or /ð/ practice

19. /ð/ "they" vs /d/ "day"

Fix problem Voiced. Friction. Tongue between teeth.
English sound /ð/ "they"
Common error /d/ "day"
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /ð/ or /d/ practice

20. /s/ "rice" vs /z/ "rise"

Fix problem Voiceless: tip of tongue behind top teeth. Friction.
English sound /s/ "rice"
Common error /z/ "rise"
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /s/ or /z/ practice

21. /z/ "rise" vs /s/ "rice"

Fix problem Voiced: tip of tongue behind top teeth. Friction.
English sound /z/ "rise"
Common error /s/ "rice"
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /s/ or /z/ practice

22. /tʃ/ "watch" vs /ʃ/ "wash"

Fix problem Unvoiced: Tip to alveolar. Front to palate.
English sound /tʃ/ "watch"
Common error /ʃ/ "wash"

23. /h/ "hot"

Fix problem Quickly push air from throat out of mouth.
English sound /h/ "hot"
Common error —
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /h/ or silent "h" practice

24. /r/ "sir"

Fix problem British /r/ is weaker & sometimes silent.
English sound /r/ "sir"
Common error "sirrrr"

25. /ɫ/ "tall" (dark l)

Fix problem Contact. Brief "schwa" after release.
English sound /ɫ/ "tall" (dark l)
Common error —

26. /m/ "home"

Fix problem Lips tightly together. Nasal.
English sound /m/ "home"
Common error —

27. /n/ "sun"

Fix problem Tongue touches alveolar ridge. Nasal.
English sound /n/ "sun"
Common error —

28. /ŋk/ "think" vs /ŋ/ "thing"

Fix problem Back of tongue to back roof. Nasal.
English sound /ŋk/ "think"
Common error /ŋ/ "thing"
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /ŋ/ or /ŋk/ practice

29. /ŋ/ "thing" vs /ŋk/ "think"

Fix problem Voiced stop: back of tongue to back roof.
English sound /ŋ/ "thing"
Common error /ŋk/ "think"
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /ŋ/ or /ŋk/ practice

30. /w/ "west" vs /v/ "vest"

Fix problem Start with lips tightly rounded. Unround & glide.
English sound /w/ "west"
Common error /v/ "vest"
Practice:
Minimal Pairs /w/ or /v/ practice

Note: Many thanks to Oliver Fortune for feedback used to amend this table.

External link: Non-native pronunciations of English: Turkish L1

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