Spanish language backgrounds

26 common English pronunciation problems

FIX PROBLEM Relax the mouth and keep sound short. Keep tongue front & low and jaws apart. Back of tongue high. Lips rounded but relaxed. Short. Tongue low, back & fixed. Jaws together. Fix tongue in central position. Long. ENGLISH SOUND // "sit" COMMON ERROR /i:/ "seat" // PRACTICE MATERIALS Minimal Pairs // or / i: / practice Minimal Pairs // or // practice Minimal Pairs // or / u: / practice

// //

"ran"

"run"

"full"

/u:/

"fool"

/:/ /:/

"bought" // "bird"

"boat" Minimal Pairs /e/ or /:/ practice Minimal Pairs // or /:/ practice Minimal Pairs /:/ or /:/ practice

Tongue central. Then tightly round lips.

//

"note"

//

"not"

Minimal Pairs // or // practice

Voiced. Vibration. Trap /b/ air with lips. Voiced. Friction with /v/ top teeth & bottom lip. Voiced. Friction. // Tongue between teeth.

"bet" "vet" "clothe"

/v/ /b/ //

"vet" "bet" "cloth" Minimal Pairs // or // practice Minimal Pairs // or /t/ practice Minimal Pairs // or /d/ practice Minimal Pairs // or /s/ practice Minimal Pairs // or /d/ practice

Tip of tongue behind top /d/ teeth. Voiceless stop: back of /k/

"laid"

//

"lathe"

"come"

/g/

"gum"

Spanish language backgrounds

26 common English pronunciation problems
FIX PROBLEM tongue to back roof. Voiceless stop: back of tongue to back roof. Voiceless: tip of tongue behind top teeth. Friction. Voiceless: tip of tongue behind top teeth. Friction. Voiceless. Friction. Front of tongue to palate. Voiceless. Friction. Front of tongue to palate. Quickly push air from throat out of mouth. ENGLISH SOUND /k/ /s/ "could" "rice" COMMON ERROR /w/ /z/ "would" "rise" Minimal Pairs /s/ or /z/ practice PRACTICE MATERIALS

/s/

"mass"

//

"mash"

//

"sherry"

//

"cherry"

//

"push"

/s/

"puss"

/h/

"hot"

"ch" in "loch"

Minimal Pairs /h/ or silent "h" practice

Tongue touches alveolar /n/ ridge. Nasal. Back of tongue to back /k/ roof. Nasal. Voiced stop: back of tongue to back roof. British "r" is weaker & usually silent unless followed by a vowel. Glide /j/(i:) the tongue quickly to next sound Start with lips tightly rounded. Unround & glide. Start with lips tightly rounded. Unround & //

"sun" "think" // /k/ "thing" Minimal Pairs // or /k/ practice Minimal Pairs // or /k/ practice

"thing"

"think"

silent

"survivor" /r/

"Sir Ivor"

/j/

"yam"

//

"jam"

Minimal Pairs // or /j/ practice

/w/

"win"

"(g)win"

/w/

"will"

/b/

"bill"

Spanish language backgrounds

26 common English pronunciation problems
FIX PROBLEM ENGLISH SOUND "wage" "Jerry" // "sherry" COMMON ERROR PRACTICE MATERIALS glide. Voiced: Tip to alveolar. // Front to palate. Voiced: Tip to alveolar. // Front to palate.

http://www.btinternet.com/~ted.power/l1spanish.html