{"id":272,"date":"2026-02-07T13:52:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T18:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cci.utk.edu\/tops\/?page_id=272"},"modified":"2026-02-07T13:52:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T18:52:10","slug":"english-pronunciation-help","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cci.utk.edu\/tops\/additional-resources\/esl-and-multilingual-speakers\/esl-general-resources\/english-pronunciation-help\/","title":{"rendered":"English Pronunciation Help"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the help of a native or proficient English speaker, practice these sets of words that represent common English pronunciation problems. At the bottom of the page are some good sentences for pronunciation practice, but be careful: Tongue twisters can be fun, but if it is difficult for most native speakers to say, it may not be a good tool for you to use as an English learner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Word pairs for pronunciation in English:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>It and eat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His, he\u2019s<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fit, feet<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Slip, sleep<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Will, wheel<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pick, peak<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Riches, reaches<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Bed and Bid<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Better, bitter<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dead,did<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wet, wit<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Slept, slipped<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pen, pin<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Peck, pick<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Met and mate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pen, pain<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tell, tale<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Red, raid<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fell, fail<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">West, waste<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Letter, later<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Cot and Coat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On, own<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Clock, cloak<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bat, boat<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lad, load<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not, note<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Glob, globe<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sat and set<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bad, bed<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Man, men<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shall, shell<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cattle, kettle<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Batter, better<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Axe, ex<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>B and V<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bat,vat<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Boat,vote<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Curb, curve<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Serb, serve<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rebel, revel<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dribble, drivel<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>B and P<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Big, pig<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bear, pair<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cab, cap<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bro, pro<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bond, pond<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nab, nap<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>L and R<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Light, right<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Glass, grass<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alive, arrive<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Clack, crack<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Polling, pouring<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Coals, course<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>C and \u201csh\u201d (as in \u201cshe\u201d)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seat, sheet<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sort, short<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lease, leash<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saver, shaver<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sue, shoe<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stick, shtick<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>F and V<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fat, vat<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leaf, leave<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Proof, pove<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Duff, dove<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Define, divine<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Belief, believe<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>S and \u201cth\u201d (as in \u201cthin\u201d)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sing, thing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sick, thick<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moss, moth<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Force, fourth<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Worse, worth<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Truce, truth<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Z and \u201cth\u201d (as in \u201cthis\u201d)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Zen, then<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Zot, thought<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Breeze, breathe<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seize, seeth<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Teasing, teething<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sentences for practice:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My thirsty friend brought drinks Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I regret letting him hit me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether the weather is cold or whether the weather is hot, we\u2019ll be together whatever the weather, whether we like it or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All I want is a proper cup of coffee, made in a proper copper coffee pot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the help of a native or proficient English speaker, practice these sets of words that represent common English pronunciation problems. At the bottom of the page are some good sentences for pronunciation practice, but be careful: Tongue twisters can be fun, but if it is difficult for most native speakers to say, it may [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":304,"featured_media":0,"parent":270,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-272","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>English Pronunciation Help - Tennessee Online Public Speaking Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cci.utk.edu\/tops\/additional-resources\/esl-and-multilingual-speakers\/esl-general-resources\/english-pronunciation-help\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"English Pronunciation Help - Tennessee Online Public Speaking Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With the help of a native or proficient English speaker, practice these sets of words that represent common English pronunciation problems. 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