Ted Power
English Language Learning and Teaching

Swedish language backgrounds

[ see also my article on the teaching of English Pronunciation to Swedes ]

23 common English pronunciation problems

FIX PROBLEM ENGLISH SOUND - COMMON ERROR - PRACTICE MATERIALS
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
Move tongue to a lower front position. /æ/ "man" /e/ "men" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 18-19
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 4
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 2
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 11
"Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 12
"How Now Brown Cow"
Back of tongue high. Lips rounded but relaxed. Short. /ʊ/ "full" /u:/ "fool" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 29
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 10
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 11
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 3
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 8
"Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 13
Back of tongue high. Lips tightly rounded. Long. /u:/ "fool"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 30
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 11
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 5
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 8
"Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 13
"How Now Brown Cow"
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
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
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
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
Don't lengthen the ending too much. /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
Don't make last part too strong. /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
Relax the mouth and keep sound short. /ɪ/ "sit" /i:/ "seat" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 15-16
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 2
Minimal Pairs /ɪ/ or / i: / practice
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 7
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 9
"Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 6
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
Start with lips tightly rounded. Unround & glide. /w/ "west" /v/ "vest" "Ship or Sheep" Unit 38
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 17
"Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 2
"Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 4
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 11
Start with lips tightly rounded. Unround. /ʊə/ "tour"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 48
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 10
"Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 5
Voiceless. Friction. Tongue between teeth. /θ/ "thin"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 61
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 41
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 13
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 5
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 7
"Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 3
Voiced. Friction. Tongue between lips. /ð/ "they" /d/ "day" "Ship or Sheep" Unit 42 "Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 5
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 7
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 22
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
Voiced: tip of tongue behind top teeth. Friction. /z/ "rise" /s/ "rice" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 65
"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 66
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 31
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 12
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 3
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 15
Voiced: Front of tongue to palate. Friction. /ʒ/ "measure" /j/
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 33
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 7
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 17
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
Voiced: Tip to alveolar. Front to palate. /ʤ/ "job" /j/ "yob" "Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 14
"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 57
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 35
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 8
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 19
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
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


EXTERNAL LINKS: Non-native pronunciations of English: Swedish L1
Swenglish and Finglish
Consonant clusters in Swedish - phonological development

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