Can you hear the difference?
TH vs S
/θ/ vs /s/
The TH sound requires your tongue tip to touch or protrude between your teeth. S...
TH vs F
/θ/ vs /f/
TH uses the tongue against the teeth. F uses the lower lip against the upper tee...
R vs L
/r/ vs /l/
For R, the tongue floats — it curls slightly back but touches nothing. For L, th...
V vs W
/v/ vs /w/
V requires upper teeth touching the lower lip with continuous friction and voici...
/ae/ vs /e/
/æ/ vs /ɛ/
For /ae/, drop your jaw wide open and push your tongue forward. For /e/, your ja...
EE vs IH
/iː/ vs /ɪ/
EE is long, tense, with lips spread like a smile. IH is short, relaxed, with a s...
Final Voiced vs Voiceless
/voiced/ vs /voiceless/
Voiced final consonants have vocal cord vibration and a slightly longer precedin...
N vs NG
/n/ vs /ŋ/
N is made with the tongue tip on the alveolar ridge. NG is made with the back of...
S vs Z
/s/ vs /z/
S and Z are made in the same position, but S is voiceless (no vibration) and Z i...
Light L vs Dark L
/l/ vs /ɫ/
Light L (before vowels) has the tongue tip touching the ridge with a clear, brig...
Stressed vs Schwa
/full/ vs /ə/
English reduces unstressed vowels to schwa /ə/ — a short, lazy 'uh'. Chinese spe...
R-Colored Vowels
/ɜːr/ vs /ɑːr/
R-colored vowels blend a vowel with the R sound. 'ER' /ɜːr/ (bird, her) keeps th...
UH vs OO
/ʊ/ vs /uː/
UH /ʊ/ (book, put) is short and relaxed with slightly rounded lips. OO /uː/ (boo...