English pronunciation for french speakers

1. 1

   /h/: h as in hat

   h drops ('hair' → 'air') or appears where it shouldn't ('air' → 'hair')

   Fix: Open your mouth in the position of the next vowel.

2. 2

   /tʃ/: ch as in chair

   /tʃ/ softens to /ʃ/: 'chair' → 'share', 'catch' → 'cash'

   Fix: Start as if saying /t/, tongue on the ridge. Practise: chair vs share

3. 3

   /dʒ/: j as in job

   /dʒ/ softens to /ʒ/: 'job' loses its initial punch

   Fix: Start as if saying /d/, tongue on the ridge. Practise: jet vs yet

4. 4

   /ɪ/: i as in sit

   /ɪ/ vs /iː/ merge: 'live'/'leave'

   Fix: Relax your lips and jaw, no smile. Practise: ship vs sheep

5. 5

   /θ/: th as in think

   /θ/ → /s/, /ð/ → /z/: 'think' → 'sink', 'this' → 'zis'

   Fix: Place the tip of your tongue lightly between your top and bottom teeth. Practise: think vs sink, three vs tree

6. 6

   /ŋ/: ng as in sing

   /ŋ/ gains a hard g: 'singing' → 'sing-ging'

   Fix: Raise the back of your tongue to the soft palate, the /k/ /ɡ/ position. Practise: thin vs thing

• French stresses phrase-finally and evenly; English stress is per-word and must be learned (PHOto, phoTOgrapher).
• Practise vowel reduction: French gives every vowel full value; English shrinks the unstressed ones.
• Watch the habit of rising at every clause end; English statements finish with a fall.

Browse the whole word bank · Take the 60-second check

• ✓h-breath drill: fog a mirror, then 'house, hotel, behind, perhaps'.
• ✓ch-pop practice: 't'+'sh' as one sound: chair, church, question.
• ✓Pick 20 common words and drill their stress: HOtel is hoTEL, VILlage is VILlage; verify each.

• English pronunciation for Spanish speakers→
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• All 44 English sounds→
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