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What’s the difference between English R vs. rolled Spanish & German R?

The video provides clarity on three commonly confused IPA sound symbols. It covers the standard English R (/ɹ/), the rolled R sound in Spanish (/r/), and the standard German R (/ʁ/ or /ʀ/). The differences… Read more
Can you pronounce these 10 UK place names?

You know by now how confusing English spelling can be! Often words are spelt very differently to their pronunciation, containing many silent letters. This is especially true for place names in England. In this video… Read more
When & How to pronounce the English R

This video lesson teaches the pronunciation of the letter R in English. It covers the general ‘R’, differences between British and American English, producing the /r/ sound, linking ‘R’ between words, and intrusive ‘R’ between… Read more

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Connected Speech

What is catenation? – Consonant + Vowel Linking in English

The lesson explores consonant-vowel linking in English, known as catenation. It illustrates how words blend together, impacting pronunciation. Despite challenges for English learners, awareness of connected speech features and repeated practice can improve pronunciation. The… Read more
Yod Coalescence & Yod Dropping in Phonology

This video explores yod coalescence and yod dropping in English, focusing on the /j/ sound. Yod coalescence involves the combination of sounds, such as /d/ + /j/ = /dʒ/. This can occur within or across… Read more
What is Aspiration in English Pronunciation?

The video teaches about the three aspirated sounds in English: /p/, /t/, and /k/, which are always aspirated in the onset of a stressed syllable. Despite a bit of nasal pronunciation due to a cold,… Read more

Vowels: Monophthongs

Semi-Vowels in English /j/ & /w/

The video lesson explores English semi-vowels /j/ and /w/, and briefly touches on /r/. It explains the distinction between semi-vowels and regular vowels, and why they are classified as semi-vowels despite being consonants. The lesson… Read more
The Schwa Sound /ə/ – the central vowel sound in English

A video about the central vowel sound schwa /ə/, the most common vowel sound in English. This subtle yet crucial sound often goes unnoticed. Represented by the IPA sound symbol “ə,” this unstressed vowel plays… Read more
Vowel Sounds – Short e & Short æ in English pronunciation

A lesson on the short e & short æ vowel sounds in English. Embark on a journey into vowel sounds with our beginner-friendly tutorial. This video introduces the short e and short æ, guiding you… Read more

Vowels: Diphthongs

The Diphthong /aʊ/ in English Pronunciation

This video teaches you all about the diphthong /aʊ/, a combination of the vowel sound /a/, open back unrounded vowel and /ʊ/, a near-close back rounded vowel. These two come together and as we glide… Read more
The Diphthong /eə/ in English Pronunciation

This video teaches you all about the diphthong /eə/, a combination of the vowel sound /e/, an open-mid front unrounded vowel and /ə/, the mid central vowel sound, also called ‘schwa’. These two come together… Read more
The Diphthong /ɪə/ in English Pronunciation

This video teaches you all about the diphthong /ɪə/. A diphthong is a double vowel sound, a combination of two individual vowel sounds that merge to become one new long vowel sound in its own… Read more

Consonants

When & How to pronounce the English R

This video lesson teaches the pronunciation of the letter R in English. It covers the general ‘R’, differences between British and American English, producing the /r/ sound, linking ‘R’ between words, and intrusive ‘R’ between… Read more
The 4 Pronunciations of the letter X

In this video we will go over the four different ways the letter X could be pronounced in English. Firstly, in words like “extra,” “six,” and “maximum,” “X” is pronounced as /ks/, spread across two… Read more
The 24 Consonant Sounds in English

The video provides a brief overview of the 24 English consonant sounds, categorized into 6 plosives, 9 fricatives, 2 affricates, 3 nasals, and 4 approximants. It explains their arrangement on the phonemic chart and the… Read more

Phonology Topics

The Articulators & Vocal Tract

This video provides a clear explanation of the vocal tract and articulators. The vocal tract, which includes our oral and nasal cavities, pharynx, and larynx, plays a crucial role in sound production. The articulators, such… Read more
British vs. American Phonemic Chart

The video compares the British and American English sound charts developed by Adrian Underhill. Both charts share 24 consonant sounds but differ in the vowel sections. The American chart has fewer monophthongs and diphthongs. The… Read more
Phonemic Charts – Differences Explained

The video explores the phonemic charts for British English, focusing on Adrian Underhill’s chart, widely used in English language study materials. It compares this chart with those from the British Council and English File by… Read more

Intonation & Sentence Stress

The Last Lexical Item Rule (LLI) in English

The Last Lexical Item Rule (LLI) in English states that the main stress falls on the last lexical item in a sentence, unless the speaker wants to change the meaning. Lexical items are content words… Read more
The 3 Ts of Intonation in English

The video explores the three Ts of intonation: tonality, tonicity, and tone as defined by Wells (2006). Tonality concerns speech division into tone units, while tonicity pertains to the prominent syllable location within a tone… Read more
Tone units & Tonic syllables in English

The video explains tone units and tonic syllables in English intonation. It highlights the organization of spoken English into tone units and the importance of paying attention to the HOW of speech, not just the… Read more

Word Stress

The 8 Rules of Word Stress: What is Word Stress? – Part 2

In this second part of the series on word stress, the video emphasizes the importance of correct word stress and its impact on pronunciation and understanding. It explores 8 rules of word stress and commonly… Read more
What is word stress? – Part 1

In this video we are going to have a look at word stress in English. It is important to know which part, or better which syllable, in a word is more prominent so that the… Read more

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