Sound Check
Short videos presented by Freya (British accent) and Cody (American accent): one sound or rule per unit, with a quick game to check it.
About this video series
Short videos about the English sounds that are easy to get wrong. Freya (British) and Cody (American) show you how to make each sound, then test your ears with a quick game.
Units (21)
1E or I? G or J? And is it zed or zee? Learn the English letter names that are easy to mix up.
3:13
2The TH in think (voiceless /θ/)
Think, three, mouth: put your tongue between your teeth and blow. Not s, not t, not f: th.
2:06
3This, that, mother: put your tongue between your teeth and use your voice. Not z, not d: th.
2:14
4The H sound (/h/): hello, house, happy
The English h is a little breath: hello, house, happy. Say it where it is written, and don't add it where it isn't.
2:35
5The R sound (/r/): red, right, car
The English r is made in the mouth, not the throat. At the end of a word, Americans say it and the British don't: car. Both are correct.
2:36
6The two i sounds: ship & sheep (/ɪ/ vs /iː/)
Ship or sheep? The long ee is a big smile, held long. The short i is quick and relaxed. Mix them up and you say a different word.
2:21
7The a sound: bad & bed (/æ/ vs /e/)
Bad or bed? For bad, open your mouth wide and drop your jaw. For bed, keep your jaw small and relaxed.
2:19
8A or O? Hat & hot (/æ/ vs /ɒ/)
Hat or hot? For a, spread your lips and drop your jaw. For o, make your lips round. Mix them up and you say a different word.
2:11
See the other 13 units
9E or I? Pen & pin (/e/ vs /ɪ/)
Pen or pin? For e, open your jaw a little. For i, keep it almost closed. Mix them up and you say a different word.
2:16
10Cot or Caught? The accent clash (/ɒ/ vs /ɔː/)
In British English, cot and caught have two different sounds. In most American English, they sound the same. Both are correct: hear Freya and Cody compare.
2:54
11Schwa is the quietest sound in English: a relaxed 'uh'. You hear it in small words like the, a, to and and.
2:40
12Say the ending: final consonants
Finish every word: seat, not sea; band, not ban. And a final e is silent, but it changes the vowel: hop, hope.
2:48
13Vet or wet? For v, your top teeth touch your bottom lip. For w, round your lips and keep your teeth away.
3:25
14Short & long oo: full & fool (/ʊ/ vs /uː/)
Full or fool? Both have round lips, but the long oo in fool is held longer. Mix them up and you say a different word.
2:12
15O or U? Cot & cut (/ɒ/ vs /ʌ/)
Cot or cut? For o, make your lips round. For u, keep them relaxed. Mix them up and you say a different word.
2:12
16Street, splash, three: say all the sounds together in one smooth breath, with no extra vowel in between.
2:22
17One ending, three sounds: the -ed ending
The -ed ending has three sounds: t in worked, d in played, id in wanted. Learn which one to use.
3:31
18One ending, three sounds: the -s ending
The -s ending has three sounds: s in cats, z in dogs, iz in buses. Learn which one to use.
3:57
19Whose is it? The possessive 's
The 's in Jack's sounds like s. The 's in Sam's sounds like z. Learn when it hisses and when it buzzes.
3:49
20Every English word with two or more syllables has one strong beat. Find it, and say that part louder and longer.
4:03
21Thirteen or Thirty? Number stress
Thirteen or thirty? In -teen numbers, the stress is at the end: thirTEEN. In -ty numbers, it is at the start: THIRty.
3:20
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