Ted Power
English Language Learning and Teaching

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15 common English pronunciation problems

FIX PROBLEM ENGLISH SOUND - COMMON ERROR - PRACTICE MATERIALS
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
Keep mouth round (but lax) 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;
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
Fix tongue in central position. Long. /ɜ:/ "bird" /ɔ:/ "bored" "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
Tongue more central. Lips relaxed. /ʌ/ "cut" /ɑ:/ "cart" "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
Voiced. Use less air. /b/ "bit" /p/ "pit" "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
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. Use less air. /g/ "gone" /k/ "con" "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 of tongue behind top teeth. Friction. /z/ "seas" /s/ or /ʤ/ "cease or siege" "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: tip of tongue behind top teeth. More friction & air. /s/ "sin"

"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;
Voiceless. Friction. Tongue between teeth. /θ/ "thin" /t/ "tin" "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 teeth. /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: 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
Voiced: Tip to alveolar. Front to palate. /ʤ/ "gin" /ʧ/ "chin" "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
Voiced. Friction with top teeth & bottom lip. /v/ "van" /b/ "ban" "Ship or Sheep" Unit 37
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 12
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 9
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 11


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