Ted Power
English Language Learning and Teaching

Persian language backgrounds

24 common English pronunciation problems
FIX PROBLEM ENGLISH SOUND - COMMON ERROR - PRACTICE MATERIALS
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
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"
Tongue more central & mouth open. /ɑ:/ "far" /ɔ:/ "four" "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 5
"Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 3
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
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
Start with tongue low front. /aɪ/ "buy" /ɔɪ/ "boy" "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
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
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 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
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
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
Start with lips tightly rounded. Unround. /ʊə/ "tour"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 48
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 10
"Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 5
Tongue low front to high front to centre. /aɪə/=/aɪ/+/ə/ "fire"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 45
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 50
Tongue low front. Then round & unround lips. /aʊə/=/aʊ/+/ə/ "flour"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 45
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 50
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
Voiceless: tip of tongue behind top teeth. Friction. /s/ "rice" /z/ "rise" "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 12;
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 3;
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 2;
"Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 1;
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 14;
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
British /r/ is weaker & sometimes silent. /r/ "sir"
"sirrrr" "Ship or Sheep" Unit 49
"Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 3
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 27
From low front vowel to lips tightly rounded. /aʊ/ "cow"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 41
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 19
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 8
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 11
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 10
"Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 12


EXTERNAL LINKS: Fingilish (Persian mixed with English)

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