Monthly Archives: February 2022

• President’s Day

  The letter “s” can sometimes be an “s” sound (e.g., case), and sometimes a “z” sound (e.g., rise).  Common spellings for the “s” sound are the letters “c” and “s” (e.g., peace, bus).  Common spellings for the “z” sound are the letters “z” and “s” (e.g., prize, lose). The word “President’s” has a “z” sound […]

• Happy Valentine’s Day!

  Some non-native speakers say the “v” sound like a “w” sound. This is common with Russian and Indian accents. A trick for pronouncing the “v” sound is to think of saying the “f” sound. The “v” sound made with your mouth in exactly the same position as the “f” sound.

• On the ball

  The words “on” and “ball” have the same vowel sound as in the word “father”. Some nonnative speakers say this sound with a more closed mouth and rounded lips. This sound is pronounced with a open mouth and no lip rounding. The expression “on the ball” means to have things under control, or to understand […]

• Martin Luther “King” Jr.

  The “ng” sound in “King” is one sound. It does not have a “n” sound or a “g” sound. Instead it is a different sound altogether. Some nonnative speakers add a hard “g” sound, saying “King-g” instead. To make the “ng” sound, the back of the tongue hits softly against the throat. To make the […]

• Joyous Jan(y)u(w)ary

  The word “January” is spoken as “Jan(y)u(w)ary”. In American English, we link two vowel sounds together with a “w” or “y” sound. The “w” and “y” sounds are in a class of sounds known as “glides”. Some vowel sounds in American English are “glided” vowels. That is, they have a slight “w” or “y” sound […]