| FIX PROBLEM | ENGLISH SOUND | - | COMMON ERROR | - | PRACTICE MATERIALS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tongue more central. Lips relaxed. | /ʌ/ | "cup" | /æ/ | "cap" | "Ship or Sheep" Unit 5 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 4 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 11 "Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 7 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 37 "Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 2 |
| Move front of tongue a little higher. | /ɪ/ | "sit" | /e/ | "set" | "Ship or Sheep" Unit 3 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 2 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 4 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 33 "Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 1 |
| Tongue central. Then tightly round lips. | /əʊ/ | "note" | /ɒ/ | "not" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 40 "Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 11 "Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 14 "Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 6 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 47 "Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 5 |
| Start with tongue low & back. | /ɔɪ/ | "boy" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 36 "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 39 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 17 "Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 11 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 10 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 49 |
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| Start with tongue low front. | /aɪ/ | "buy" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 35 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 16 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 8 "Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 11 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 10 "Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 1 |
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| Tongue moves from front centre to front high. | /eɪ/ | "late" | /e/ | "let" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 34 "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 38 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 15 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 8 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 9 "Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 1 |
| Tongue high and front. Move to centre. | /ɪə/ | "beer" | /eə/ | "bear" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 46 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 22 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 23 "Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 11 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 10 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 5 |
| Fix tongue in central position. Long. | /ɜ:/ | "bird" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 31 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 12 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 5 "Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 8 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 45 "Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 4 |
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| Tongue from centre front. Draw back to centre. | /eə/ | "bear" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 47 "Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 11 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 10 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 50 "Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 5 |
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| Tongue lower and more central. Lips relaxed. | /ʌ/ | "but" | /e/ | "bet" | "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 11 |
| Tongue low central. Lips relaxed. | /ʌ/ | "cup" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 25 "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 26 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 5 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 6 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 3 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 4 |
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| Tongue low, back & fixed. Jaws together. | /ɔ:/ | "bought" | /əʊ/ | "boat" | "Ship or Sheep" Unit 20 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 2 "Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 12 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 15 "Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 11 "Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 6 |
| Tongue low & back. Jaws together. Long. | /ɔ:/ | "nought" | /ɒ/ | "not" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 28 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 9 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 7 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 15 "Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 6 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 41 |
| Move front of tongue a little higher. | /e/ | "set" | /æ/ | "sat" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 19 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 4 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 11 "Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 12 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 35 "Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 2 |
| Move front of tongue a little lower. | /e/ | "set" | /ɪ/ | "sit" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 17 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 3 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 2 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 4 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 35 "Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 1 |
| Weak endings: e.g. "London" "England" | /ə/ | "the" (schwa) | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 32-33 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 13 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 31 "Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 1 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 12 |
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| Voiced. Friction. Tongue between lips. | /ð/ | "clothe" | /z/ | "close" /z/ | "Ship or Sheep" Unit 42 "Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 5 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 7 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 22 |
| Back of tongue to back roof. Nasal. | /ŋ/ + /k/ | "think" | /ŋ/ + /g/ | "thin" + k or g | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 72 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 45 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 18 "Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 11 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 6 "Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 12 |
| Voiced stop: back of tongue to back roof. | /ŋ/ + /g/ | "thing" | /ŋ/ + /k/ | "think" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 55 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 29 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 10 "Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 4 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 6 "Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 7 |
| Voiced: Tip to alveolar. Front to palate. | /ʤ/ | "Jerry" | /ʃ/ | "sherry" | "Ship or Sheep" Unit 35 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 14 "Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 11 "Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 10 |
| Voiced: Tip to alveolar. Front to palate. | /ʤ/ | "age" | /ʃ/ | "Asia" | "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 14 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 35 "Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 8 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 19 |
| Unvoiced: Tip to alveolar. Front to palate. | /ʧ/ | "cherry" | /ʃ/ | "sherry" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 56 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 34 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 14 "Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 13 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 8 "Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 9 |
| Tongue central. Then tightly round lips. | /əʊ/ | "bone" | /ɔ:/ | "born" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 42 "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 44 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 15 "Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 11 "Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 6 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 47 |
| Voiced: Front of tongue to palate. Friction. | /ʒ/ | "confusion" | /ʃ/ | "Confucian" | "Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 9 "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 69 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 33 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 7 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 17 |
| British "r" is weaker & usually silent unless followed by a vowel. |
silent | "survivor" | /r/ | "Sir Ivor" | "Ship or Sheep" Unit 49 "Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 3 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 27 |
| Voiceless. Friction. Tongue between teeth. | /θ/ | "thin" | /s/ | "sin" | "Ship or Sheep" Unit 41 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 7 "Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 5 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 21 |
| Voiced. Friction with top teeth & bottom lip. | /v/ | "van" | /f/ | "fan" | "Ship or Sheep" Unit 37 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 12 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 9 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 11 |
| Unvoiced. Use more air. Trap it with lips. | /p/ | "pit" | /b/ | "bit" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. p50 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 25 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 11 "Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 10 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 1 "Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 7 |
| Tongue low front. Then round & unround lips. | /aʊə/=/aʊ/+/ə/ | "flour" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 45 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 50 |
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| Tongue low front to high front to centre. | /aɪə/=/aɪ/+/ə/ | "fire" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 45 "How Now Brown Cow" Unit 50 |
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| Start with lips tightly rounded. Unround. | /ʊə/ | "tour" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 48 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 10 "Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 5 |
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| Unvoiced: Tip to alveolar. Front to palate. | /ʧ/ | "watch" | /t/ | "what" | "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 56 "Ship or Sheep" Unit 34 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 14 "Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 13 "Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 8 "Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 9 |
EXTERNAL LINK: Non-native pronunciations of English: Arabic L1