Ted Power
English Language Learning and Teaching

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29 common English pronunciation problems

FIX PROBLEM ENGLISH SOUND - COMMON ERROR - PRACTICE MATERIALS
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
Keep tongue front & low and jaws apart. /æ/ "cat" /ɑ:/ "cart" "Ship or Sheep" Unit 6
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 6
"Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 3
Keep mouth open and tongue low central. /ɑ:/ "part"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 22
"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 26
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 6
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 40
Mouth more open. Make sound longer. /ɑ:/ "part" /ɒ/ "pot" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 26
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 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 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
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
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
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
Quickly push air from throat out of mouth. /h/ "hot"
"ch" in "loch" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 78
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 40
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 10
"Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 1
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 23
"Listening Comp: Pronunciation"
Tip of tongue behind top teeth. /t/ "tie" /d/ "die" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 52
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 26
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 27
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 11
"Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 5
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 3
Voiceless: tip of tongue behind top teeth. Friction. /s/ "mass" /ʃ/ "mash" "Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 8
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 14
Voiceless. Friction. Front of tongue to palate. /ʃ/ "push" /s/ "puss" "Ship or Sheep" Unit 32
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 8
"Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 8
"Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 9
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 16
Voiced: Front of tongue to palate. Friction. "beige" 129 "bays" /z/ "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/ "which" /t/+/s/ "wits" "Ship or Sheep" Unit 35
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 14
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 7
"Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 9
"Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 11
"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
Voiceless stop: back of tongue to back roof. /k/ "come" /g/ "gum" "Ship or Sheep" Unit 28
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 29
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 10
"Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 4
"Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 6
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 5
Voiced stop: back of tongue to back roof. /g/ "regal" /j/ "real" "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
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 & 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
Glide /j/(i:) the tongue quickly to next sound /j/ "yam" /ʤ/ "jam" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 79
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 39
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 14
"Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 14
"Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 10
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 1
Start with lips tightly rounded. Unround & glide. /w/ "win"
"(g)win" "Ship or Sheep" Unit 38
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 10
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 11
Tongue low front to high front to centre. /aɪə/=/aɪ/+/ə/ "fire"

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


EXTERNAL LINKS: Non-native pronunciations of English: Greek L1
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