Ted Power
English Language Learning and Teaching

Dutch language backgrounds

27 common English pronunciation problems
FIX PROBLEM ENGLISH SOUND - COMMON ERROR - PRACTICE MATERIALS
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
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 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"
Keep mouth round and tongue back. /ɒ/ "not"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 24;
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 8;
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 9;
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 3;
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 7;
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 12;
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
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
Drop tongue to make mouth a little deeper. /ʌ/ "London" (1st syllable) /ə/ "London" (2nd syllable)
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
Start with tongue not so low. /eɪ/ "late" /aɪ/ "light" "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 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
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 lips tightly rounded. Unround. /ʊə/ "tour"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 48
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 10
"Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 5
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 low front. Then round & unround lips. /aʊə/=/aʊ/+/ə/ "flour"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 45
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 50
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
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
Tip of tongue behind top teeth. /d/ "made" /t/ "mate" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 53
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 27
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 11
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 3
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 4
"Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 9
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
Voiceless. Friction. Front of tongue to palate. /ʃ/ "push"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 68
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 7
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 16
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
Unvoiced: Tip to alveolar. Front to palate. /ʧ/ "cherry"

"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 7
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 18
Voiced: Tip to alveolar. Front to palate. /ʤ/ "wage"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 57
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 35
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 8
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 19
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
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 low front to high front to centre. /aɪə/=/aɪ/+/ə/ "fire"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 45
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 50


EXTERNAL LINK: Non-native pronunciations of English: Dutch L1

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