Ted Power
English Language Learning and Teaching

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26 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"
Mouth more open and tongue to low central. /ɑ:/ "part" /e/ "pet" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 22
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 6
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 40
Tongue back a little & mouth open. /ɑ:/ "cart" /æ/ "cat" "Ship or Sheep" Unit 6 "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 6
"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;
Tongue low & back. Jaws together. Long. /ɔ:/ "nought" /ɒ/ "not" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 28
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 9
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 7
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 15
"Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 6
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 41
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
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
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
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"
Start with lips tightly rounded. Unround. /ʊə/ "tour"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 48
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 10
"Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 5
Voiced. Vibration. Trap air with lips. /b/ "bet" /v/ "vet" "Ship or Sheep" Unit 37
"Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 11
"Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 9
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 2
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/ "clothe" /θ/ "cloth" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 63
"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 66
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 42
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 13
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 5
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 7
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
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/ "age" /ʃ/ "Asia" "Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 14
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 35
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 8
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 19
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/ "wet"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 80
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 38
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 16
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 6
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 5
"How Now Brown Cow" Unit 10
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: Portuguese L1
Portinglês

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