Ted Power
English Language Learning and Teaching

Turkish language backgrounds

33 common English pronunciation problems
FIX PROBLEM ENGLISH SOUND - COMMON ERROR - PRACTICE MATERIALS
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
Keep lips spread and tongue fixed high. /i:/ "pea" /ɪə/ "pier" "Ship or Sheep" Unit 22
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
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 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
Start with tongue low front. /aɪ/ "buy"

"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
Voiced. Vibration. Trap air with lips. /b/ "rib" /p/ "rip" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 50-51
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 25
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 11
"Listening Comp: Pronunciation" Unit 7
Tongue more central. Lips relaxed. /ʌ/ "cup" /æ/ "cap" "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. 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
Back of tongue high. Keep lips tightly rounded. /u:/ "tool" /ʊə/ "tour" "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" Unit
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, back & fixed. Jaws together. /ɔ:/ "bought" /əʊ/ "boat" "Ship or Sheep" Unit 20
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 2
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 12
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 15
"Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 11
"Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 6
Mouth more open. Make sound longer. /ɑ:/ "cart" /ʌ/ "cut" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 23
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 6
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
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
Unvoiced: Tip to alveolar. Front to palate. /ʧ/ "watch" /ʃ/ "wash" "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
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
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
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
Contact. Brief "schwa" after release. /ɫ/ "tall" (dark l)

"Ship or Sheep" Unit 47
"Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 5
"Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 7
Tongue touches alveolar ridge. Nasal. /n/ "sun"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 71
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 44
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 18
"Headway Pronunciation EL" Unit 11
"Headway Pronunciation PRE-INT" Unit 6
"Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 3
Tongue from centre front. Draw back to centre. /eə/ "bear" /eɪ/ "bay" "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
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
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;
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
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"
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. 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
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. Friction with top teeth & bottom lip. /v/ "vet" /w/ "wet" "English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 81
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 38
"Headway Pronunciation INT" Unit 2
"Headway Pronunciation UPP-INT" Unit 4
Lips tightly together. Nasal. /m/ "home"

"English Pronunc. Illustrated" pp. 76
"Ship or Sheep" Unit 43
"Pronunciation Tasks" Unit 18


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

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