The sounds of English.
English spelling hides its sounds. A few of them — the th, the schwa, and the r/l and v/w pairs — don’t exist in many languages, so they’re worth direct practice. Tap 🔊 to hear each.
The two “th” sounds
Put your tongue lightly between your teeth. It’s voiceless in some words, voiced in others.
The schwa — English’s laziest sound
The most common vowel sound is a relaxed “uh” (/ə/) in unstressed syllables. It’s why “banana” sounds like “buh-NA-nuh”.
Tricky pairs
- r vs l: right / light — r curls back, l touches the ridge behind your teeth.
- v vs w: vest / west — v uses teeth on lip; w rounds the lips.
- b vs p: bin / pin — p adds a puff of air.
Minimal pairs — train your ear
These differ by one sound. Say them slowly, then quickly:
Audio uses your device’s built-in voices, so quality varies by browser — but it’s enough to check the shape of a sound.
Frequently asked
What is the schwa sound? The schwa is the weak unstressed vowel sound. It is the most common sound in English, appearing in unstressed syllables of words like about and teacher.
How do I pronounce the English th sound? Place the tip of your tongue lightly between your teeth and push air out. It is voiceless in think and voiced in this.