Many English learners struggle with certain pronunciation sounds, especially when those sounds do not exist in their native language. Based on my experience teaching students from Japan, Spain and China, two of the most common pronunciation mistakes involve the /v/ and /b/ sounds, and the /l/ and /r/ sounds.
Confusing /v/ and /b/ sounds change the meaning of words:
berry - very
boat - vote
The /v/ sound is made by placing your top teeth on your bottom lip and letting air pass through.
The /b/sound is made purely with lips: the lips are pressed tightly together and suddenly move to allow the compressed air to escape in a small explosion
Practise articulation exercises 3 times a day for a week, repeat each line 3 times:
Vet, vote, very, van, veal
Virtually everyone voted to leave the village undeveloped.
Bet, boat, berry, ban, bill
The brace of brown birds was bagged by Billy Butler.
The second most common mistake for Japanese, Chinese and Spanish Speakers of English is mixing up /l/ and /r/ sounds:
light - right
glass - grass
To pronounce the /l/ sound, the tip of the tongue touches the alveolar ridge.
To pronounce the /r/, the tip of the tongue curls back but does not touch the roof of the mouth.
Practise articulation exercises 3 times a day for a week, repeat each line 3 times:
link, lake, love, late, loan
The lanky Lord of London built a castle and a mill.rat, right, role, ring, rock
Three red lorries drove over the rusty railway bridge.
Pronunciation improves with consistent practice. Spend just a few minutes every day repeating these exercises, and you will notice your clarity and confidence improving. Small daily practice can make a big difference. With patience and practice, the correct pronunciation will become your second nature.
You can find more exercises for these sounds in Lessons 26, 35, 33, 42 in the app Get Rid of your Accent (British English) and American Accent App (American English)
Warmly
Olga Smith