Pronunciation workshops · Language assistant notebook

Before you start

The aim is not for students to sound like anyone in particular. The aim is for them to be understood easily, and to understand English speakers from many places. A strong accent does not stop someone from being understood; some specific sounds and patterns do. Each unit is tagged so you know where to spend your time:

Priority: being understood Priority: understanding others Bonus: sounding natural

Your own accent is the model. Whether you come from Australia, the United States, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, India, New Zealand, Scotland or anywhere else, use your natural pronunciation and talk about it. Students gain a lot from hearing that English has many voices.

A pronunciation workshop in 15 minutes

2 minListen: say the target words, students only listen. 3 minContrast: minimal pairs, students point or show fingers. 3 minRepeat: tongue twister, slowly then faster. 5 minPlay: the game of the unit. 2 minUse it: each student says one sentence of their own with the sound, using the sentence starters.

Listen in: Voice Speed The Listen buttons use the voices installed on this device, so the choice varies from one phone or computer to another. They are only a backup: your own voice is the model.

Symbols used in this notebook

/θ/ think · /ð/ this · /h/ hat · /ɪ/ sit · /iː/ seat · /ə/ about · /ɜː/ work (UK) · /ɝ/ work (US) · /ɔː/ walk · /æ/ cat · /ɑː/ half (UK) · /ʌ/ cup · /ʃ/ ship · /tʃ/ chip · /dʒ/ page · /ʒ/ garage · /ŋ/ think · /j/ yes · ˈ main stress before the syllable · ˌ secondary stress. UK means a common British pronunciation, US a common American one, AU Australian: they are examples, not rules.

1. The “th” sounds /θ/ and /ð/

Bonus: sounding natural

English has two th sounds. /θ/ is voiceless, as in think, three, month. /ð/ is voiced, as in this, they, mother. Place the tip of the tongue lightly against, or just between, the upper front teeth and let the air flow gently. For /ð/, add voice: a hand on the throat feels a buzz.

What students often do: replace them with /s/ /z/ or /t/ /d/, so think becomes sink. Listeners usually still understand from context, which is why this is a bonus point rather than a priority.

Listen and repeat

/θɪŋk/ /θriː/ /mʌnθ/ /ðɪs/ /ðeɪ/ /ˈmʌðə/ UK, AU · /ˈmʌðɚ/ US

Minimal pairs and contrasts

Tongue twister

I thought a thought, but the thought I thought wasn't the thought I thought I thought.

Three thin things think they're thicker than this.

Game: selfie mirror, then pair ping-pong

Students open the front camera of a phone (or use a small mirror) and check that the tip of the tongue is visible on think and this. Then play pair ping-pong: you say one word of a pair, students hold up one finger for the first word or two fingers for the second. After three rounds, a student takes your place.

Sentence starters: “I heard number …” · “Was it “think” or “sink”?” · “Can you say it again, please?”

Your accent is welcomeIn some accents th is pronounced differently. In parts of Ireland it can sound close to a t or d made with the tongue against the teeth (three, that). In parts of London and the southeast of England many speakers say fink for think. Model your own way, then play the Listen button in two different voices and ask students to describe what changes.

2. The breath sound /h/

Priority: being understood

/h/ is simply a soft breath before a vowel: hair, hand, happy. Students often drop it (eat for heat) or, when they concentrate, add one where there is none (h-ear for ear). Since it can change the word completely (I hate it or I ate it), it is worth working on.

A few common words have a silent h: hour, honest, heir, and honour (spelt honor in American English).

Listen and repeat

/heə/ UK · /her/ US /ˈhæpi/ /ˈaʊə/ UK · /ˈaʊɚ/ US /ˈɒnɪst/ UK · /ˈɑːnɪst/ US

Minimal pairs and contrasts

Tongue twister

In Hertford, Hereford and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen.

Harry hid his hat in the hall.

Game: the paper test

Each student holds a strip of paper in front of the mouth. On hair the paper moves; on air it stays still. Then: breath or no breath? You say a word, students open a hand for /h/ and close it for no /h/.

Sentence starters: “I can feel the air on …” · “No breath on …” · “Is there an h in “hour”?”

Your accent is welcomeThe word herb is /hɜːb/ in British and Australian English and usually /ɝb/, without h, in American English. In casual speech many accents in England drop h at the start of words. Tell students how h behaves in your variety and let them catch it in your speech.

3. Short /ɪ/ and long /iː/

Priority: being understood

Short /ɪ/ is quick and relaxed (ship, live, fit). Long /iː/ is longer and tenser, with lips spread as in a smile (sheep, leave, feet). Students often use one vowel for both, and the meaning changes. Keeping the length contrast is one of the most useful things for being understood.

Listen and repeat

/ʃɪp/ /ʃiːp/ /lɪv/ /liːv/

Minimal pairs and contrasts

Tongue twister

Six sick sheep sleep on a big ship.

Will we leave, or will we live here?

Game: stretch or snap

Students stretch an imaginary elastic band between their hands on a long /iː/ and snap their fingers on a short /ɪ/. Then ship or sheep bingo: each student draws a grid of six words from the list; you read, they cross out.

Sentence starters: “That was the long sound.” · “That was the short sound.” · “Did you say “live” or “leave”?”

Your accent is welcomeVowels change a lot from one variety to another. In New Zealand English the vowel in fish is more central, so to other ears it can sound a little like fush. In Australian English the vowel in see often glides slightly. Students enjoy discovering that English has many shapes: what matters for them is to keep short and long apart.

4. The schwa /ə/

Priority: understanding others

The schwa is the most common vowel sound in English: a short, relaxed sound in unstressed syllables and small grammar words (a, the, to, of). Students tend to pronounce every written vowel fully. In English, unstressed vowels shrink, and hearing that helps students follow fast speech.

Listen and repeat

/əˈbaʊt/ /təˈdeɪ/ /ˈkænədə/ /əˈmerɪkə/ /kəmˈpjuːtə/ UK, AU · /kəmˈpjuːtɚ/ US /pəˈlaɪt/ /ˈlʌndən/

Tongue twister

A photo of a doctor and a teacher from Canada.

Today a lot of people travel to America.

Game: hunt the schwa

Write a sentence on the board or a phone screen. Read it twice at normal speed. Students underline every small, weak vowel they hear. Compare answers, then read it together, keeping the schwas tiny.

Sentence starters: “I can hear a schwa in …” · “The weak vowel is in the first, second or third syllable.” · “Can you read it more slowly?”

Your accent is welcomeCompare teacher, better, computer. In American and Canadian English, and in Ireland and Scotland, an r is heard at the end. In most accents of England, and in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, the ending is a plain schwa. Say the words your way, then let students listen to two Listen voices and decide which one is closer to yours.

5. Past endings: /t/ /d/ /ɪd/

Priority: being understood

The -ed ending has three pronunciations:

/t/ after voiceless sounds such as /p k f s ʃ tʃ/: worked, helped, watched
/d/ after voiced sounds and vowels: played, called, lived
/ɪd/, an extra syllable, only after a /t/ or /d/ sound: wanted, needed

What students often do: add a syllable to every verb (walk-ed), or drop the ending, which removes the past meaning.

Listen and repeat

/wɜːkt/ UK · /wɝkt/ US /helpt/ /wɒtʃt/ UK · /wɑːtʃt/ US /pleɪd/ /kɔːld/ /lɪvd/ /ˈwɒntɪd/ UK · /ˈwɑːntəd/ US /ˈniːdɪd/ /dɪˈsaɪdɪd/

Minimal pairs and contrasts

Tongue twister

She looked, laughed and walked away; he played, called and stayed; they waited, needed and started again.

Game: count it on your fingers, then stand up for /ɪd/

Students count syllables on their fingers: walked is one finger, wanted two. Then read a list of past verbs: everyone stands up only when they hear an extra syllable, and sits down again for /t/ and /d/.

Sentence starters: ““Walked” has one syllable.” · “I hear an extra syllable in …” · “Is it /t/, /d/ or /ɪd/?”

Your accent is welcomeMany American and Australian speakers say the extra syllable closer to /əd/, many British speakers closer to /ɪd/. In fast American speech wanted can even lose its t. Say a few verbs your way and invite students to notice the small differences between the Listen voices.

6. The -s endings: /s/ /z/ /ɪz/

Priority: being understood

Plurals, the third person (she works) and ’s follow the same pattern:

/s/ after voiceless sounds: cats, helps, books
/z/ after voiced sounds and vowels: dogs, plays, lives
/ɪz/, an extra syllable, after /s z ʃ ʒ tʃ dʒ/: buses, watches, changes

What students often do: drop the final s entirely (he work), which hides the meaning, or make every s sound like /s/.

Listen and repeat

/kæts/ /bʊks/ /dɒɡz/ UK · /dɔːɡz/ US /pleɪz/ /ˈbʌsɪz/ /ˈwɒtʃɪz/ UK · /ˈwɑːtʃɪz/ US /ˈtʃeɪndʒɪz/ /ˈhaʊzɪz/

Minimal pairs and contrasts

Tongue twister

She sells seashells by the seashore.

Kate's cat chases buses, watches boxes and plays with dogs.

Game: three-column race

Draw three columns headed /s/, /z/ and /ɪz/. In pairs, students sort twelve words as fast as possible, then say them aloud to check. The pair that finishes first reads its columns to the group.

Sentence starters: ““Buses” goes in the /ɪz/ column.” · “I think it's /z/ because …” · “She works, he plays, it changes.”

Your accent is welcomeSay garages your way. British speakers often say /ˈɡærɑːʒɪz/ or /ˈɡærɪdʒɪz/; American speakers usually stress the second syllable, /ɡəˈrɑːʒəz/. Ask students to listen for both the ending and the stress.

7. Word stress

Priority: being understood

In an English word, one syllable is louder, longer and higher: PHOtograph, phoTOgraphy, photoGRAPHic. The other syllables shrink, often to a schwa. Students tend to give every syllable the same weight, or to put the stress on the last syllable. Listeners rely a lot on stress to recognise words.

Researchers do not all agree on how essential word stress is (see Research basis), but most teachers keep it as a priority, and students find it very rewarding.

Listen and repeat

/ˈfəʊtəɡrɑːf/ UK · /ˈfoʊtəɡræf/ US /fəˈtɒɡrəfi/ UK · /fəˈtɑːɡrəfi/ US /ˌfəʊtəˈɡræfɪk/ UK · /ˌfoʊtəˈɡræfɪk/ US /kəmˈpjuːtə/ /dɪˈveləp/ /ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃn/ UK · /ˌɪnfɚˈmeɪʃn/ US /həʊˈtel/ UK · /hoʊˈtel/ US

Minimal pairs and contrasts

Tongue twister

PHOtograph, phoTOgrapher, photoGRAPHic.

An inforMAtion deVELoper with a comPUter.

Game: clap it, then odd one out

Students clap once loudly on the stressed syllable and tap softly on the others. Then odd one out: hotel, design, problem, away (problem is stressed on the first syllable, the others on the second). Students make their own sets for the group.

Sentence starters: “The stress is on the first, second or third syllable.” · ““Problem” is the odd one out because …” · “Is it a REcord or to reCORD?”

Your accent is welcomeSome words move their stress between varieties. Advertisement is /ədˈvɜːtɪsmənt/ in British English and often /ˌædvɚˈtaɪzmənt/ in American English. Address, the noun, is /əˈdres/ in British English and often /ˈædres/ in American English. Ask: how do you say these where you come from?

8. Sentence stress and weak forms

Priority: being understoodPriority: understanding others

In a sentence, the words that carry meaning (nouns, main verbs, adjectives, negatives) are stressed. Small grammar words are usually weak: to /tə/, of /əv/, and /ən/, can /kən/, was /wəz/, from /frəm/. Weak forms mainly help students understand fast speech.

The most important word in a group of words takes the main stress, and that changes the meaning. This main stress is a real priority for being understood: My SISTER lives in Sydney (not my brother) or My sister lives in SYDNEY (not in Perth).

Listen and repeat

/aɪ kən ˈswɪm/ /aɪ ˈkɑːnt ˈswɪm/ UK, AU · /aɪ ˈkænt ˈswɪm/ US /ə ˈlɒt əv ˈtaɪm/ UK /frəm ˈsɪdni tə ˈpɜːθ/ AU

Minimal pairs and contrasts

Tongue twister

Cats chase mice. The cats will chase the mice. The cats have been chasing the mice.

Game: which question am I answering?

Write two questions: Who lives in Sydney? and Where does your sister live? Say My sister lives in Sydney with the stress on one word; students say which question you answered. Then they take turns. For rhythm, tap a steady beat and say the three cat sentences: the stressed words fall on the beat and the small words squeeze in between.

Sentence starters: “You stressed the word …” · “You were answering the question …” · “Did you say “can” or “can't”?”

Your accent is welcomeCompare can't. British, Australian, New Zealand and South African speakers usually say /kɑːnt/; American and Canadian speakers say /kænt/. Students who know both understand more people. Say both sentences your way and let them decide: can or can't?

9. Intonation in questions

Priority: understanding others

The tune of a question carries meaning and politeness. Common patterns:

Wh-questions usually fall at the end: Where do you live? ↘
Yes or no questions often rise: Do you like music? ↗
Question tags: a falling tag expects agreement (It's cold today, isn't it? ↘); a rising tag is a real question (You're from Perth, aren't you? ↗)

What students often do: use a flat tune, which can sound bored or abrupt, or make every question rise.

Listen and repeat

↘ ↗ ↘ ↗

Tongue twister

What's your name? Where are you from? Do you like it here?

Game: hum it

Hum a sentence without words (mm mm MM mm). Students guess: statement or question? Then echo questions for surprise: one student says I went to the moon last week, the others answer You went WHERE? with a big rise.

Sentence starters: “It goes up at the end.” · “It goes down at the end.” · “That sounds like a real question because …”

Your accent is welcomeMany speakers in Australia and New Zealand, and more and more elsewhere, use a rising tune at the end of statements, sometimes called uptalk or the high rising terminal. It often checks that the listener is following. If it is part of your speech, model it and ask students what they think it means.

10. Linking and connected speech

Priority: understanding others

Fluent speakers join words together. A final consonant links to the next vowel: an hour, pick it up, turn it off. Between two vowels a tiny /j/ or /w/ appears: I am /aɪ jæm/, go on /ɡəʊ wɒn/. In accents without a final r, a linking r appears before a vowel: far away /fɑːr əˈweɪ/.

Students who know this recognise phrases they already know when they are spoken fast.

Listen and repeat

/ən ˈaʊə/ UK /ˈpɪk ɪt ˈʌp/ /ˈtɜːn ɪt ˈɒf/ UK /aɪ jæm/ /ɡəʊ wɒn/ UK /fɑːr əˈweɪ/ UK, AU

Minimal pairs and contrasts

Tongue twister

Pick it up, put it on, turn it off and go out.

Game: backchaining

Build long phrases from the end: up, it up, pick it up, pick it up at eight. Students repeat each step. Starting from the end keeps the natural tune and links. Then word chains: say the phrase slowly with gaps, then faster and faster.

Sentence starters: “It sounds like one long word.” · “Can you say it slowly first?” · “I heard a little /w/ between …”

Your accent is welcomeListen to the t between vowels. In American, Canadian and much Australian speech, water, better, get it have a quick tap that sounds close to a d. In many British accents it can become a catch in the throat, a glottal stop. In careful speech it is a clear t. Say Not at all your way, then play two Listen voices.

11. Silent letters, and walk or work

Priority: being understood

English spelling keeps letters that are no longer pronounced. When reading aloud, students often pronounce them: k-nife, lis-ten with a t, Wed-nes-day in three syllables. A short list of common words solves most problems.

A useful bonus pair: walk /wɔːk/, with a silent l, and work /wɜːk/. Mixing them up changes the meaning.

Listen and repeat

/naɪf/ /nəʊ/ UK · /noʊ/ US /raɪt/ /ˈlɪsn/ /ˈkɑːsl/ UK · /ˈkæsl/ US /ˈaɪlənd/ /ˈwenzdeɪ/ /hɑːf/ UK · /hæf/ US /kʊd/ /klaɪm/ /daʊt/ /ˈmʌsl/ /ˈfɒrən/ UK · /ˈfɔːrən/ US /saɪn/

Minimal pairs and contrasts

Tongue twister

The knight knew the wrong way to write Wednesday.

I walk to work, and I work while I walk.

Game: silent letter detectives

Show word cards. Students find and cross out the silent letter, then say the word. Then catch the extra sound: you read a sentence and pronounce one silent letter on purpose; the first student who spots it explains.

Sentence starters: “The silent letter in “knife” is …” · “You pronounced the … in …” · ““Walk” or “work”?”

Your accent is welcomeSome words are said both ways. Often is said with or without the t, and both are accepted. Half has a long /ɑː/ in southern England and a short /æ/ in North America and the north of England. Ask: do you say the t in often?

To check what students have retained, the gap-fill worksheet uses words from these units.

Gap-fill worksheet Oral toolkit