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    Pronunciation · consonant

    The /p/ sound: p as in pen

    In short

    /p/ is a voiceless bilabial plosive, the consonant you hear in pen, happy, stop. It is voiceless: only air, no vocal-cord vibration. Below: exactly how to position your mouth, audio you can copy, the mistakes learners actually make, and drills to fix them.

    How to pronounce /p/

    1. 1Press both lips together and block the air.
    2. 2Release with a small puff of air (aspiration) at the start of words.
    3. 3No voice; your throat should not vibrate.

    /p/ in words, with audio

    Listen, then copy. The slow (turtle) version exaggerates the mouth movement.

    • penpen · sound is initial
    • happyˈhæpi · sound is medial
    • stopstɒp · sound is final
    • peopleˈpiːpəl · sound is initial
    • importantɪmˈpɔːtənt · sound is medial

    The mistake almost everyone makes

    Skipping the puff of air so 'pen' sounds like 'ben' and 'pay' like 'bay'. Hold a hand in front of your mouth; you should feel a burst on p, not on b.

    Who struggles with this sound:

    • Arabic speakers: no /p/ in Arabic: 'pen' → 'ben', 'pay' → 'bay'. The aspiration puff is the fix

    Spellings of /p/

    These letter patterns commonly spell /p/: p pp. English spelling is unreliable; trust the IPA, not the letters.

    Don't confuse it with…

    Minimal pairs isolate the exact contrast, the fastest way to train both your ear and your mouth.

    Words that drill /p/

    Each has a full breakdown, audio in both accents and a recording drill. Practising a sound inside a real word transfers better than practising it alone.

    epitomeih-PIT-uh-meeparadigmPA-ruh-dymetemperatureTEM-pruh-chuhplumberPLUM-uhpresentPREZ-untprojectPROJ-ektpermitPUR-mitprogressPROH-gres

    Browse the whole word bank

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    Frequently asked questions

    How do you pronounce the /p/ sound?
    Press both lips together and block the air. Release with a small puff of air (aspiration) at the start of words. No voice; your throat should not vibrate.
    What is the most common mistake with /p/?
    Skipping the puff of air so 'pen' sounds like 'ben' and 'pay' like 'bay'. Hold a hand in front of your mouth; you should feel a burst on p, not on b.
    Which spellings make the /p/ sound?
    Common spellings include “p”, “pp”, as in pen /pen/, happy /ˈhæpi/, stop /stɒp/.
    Does /p/ matter for IELTS?
    It matters moderately. Errors are noticeable but only sometimes affect understanding. Fix the high-priority vowel contrasts and final consonants first, then polish this one.

    Next step

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