P and F drills

For P and F, they are the opposite of B and V. This is because they are voiceless.

/p/

• press your lips together
• let the air explode from between them
• do not add your voice!!!
• note: this is the same position as /b/, but without your voice

/f/

• rest your upper front teeth on your lower lip
• don't press too hard, make sure there is space between them for air to pass through
• blow air gently through
• note: this is the same position as /v/, except that it is voiceless.

Drills

/p/                                           /f/

plea                                      flee

vampire                                samphire

pace                                    phase 

supper                                 suffer

/p/

1. Lap up the milk, pretty kitten.
2. Pinch the pampered pets and plead guilty.
3. Patty pruned her petunias before September.
4. I spent plenty of time preparing for class.

/f/

1. I felt fulfilled before I even met Fred.
2. Frank played the fiddle while Farrah finished cleaning the fireplace.
3. Fancy knowing federal agents are flat-footed.
4. Fat flower bugs feed on fizzy water.

TONGUE TWISTERS

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Fancy Fiona thinks she is cool. But people know that she is a fool. Feeling perfect and circumspect, she faces people with fabulous cool. But Fiona, fancying herself an expert on needle-thin heels, started walking ferociously forward. Needless to say, we found the fool in the pool.

S and SH drills

S and SH sound drills

/s/

• place your tongue gently on the roof of your mouth
• blow air out and make a hissing sound, like a snake

/sh/

• place your tongue in the same position as /s/
• pull it back gently and purse your lips
• tighten your tongue as it curls backward
• make a shhhh sound in that position

Note: don't forget that these two sounds are unvoiced!

Drills

/s/                            /sh/

sea                              she

fist                            fished

 whist                       wished

lass                           lash

sip                               ship

sake                         shake

/s/

1. I see seven simple seagulls starting to sing.
2. Slip the slip under your skirt.
3. Saddle the silver horse and slowly sit on him.

/sh/

1. Shade your sheer, shivering self.
2. She wants to crush the Irishman who shouted at her.
3. Shape Sherman’s shoulder-length hair.

TONGUE TWISTER

She sells seashells on the seashore.

On the seashore she sells seashells.

Seashells at the seashore she sells.

If she sells seashells at the seashore,

Those seashells are real seashells I am sure.

Credits for the tongue twister belongs to its creator. I didn't make this at all.

T and TH (voiceless)

t and voiceless th drills

/t/

• this is popped /t/ sound. refer to The Five Sounds of T article from before.

/th/

• put your tongue between your teeth
• it must be very slightly curved upwards
• there must be a space between your tongue and lower teeth and the sides of your mouth for air to pass through
• do not bite your tongue, and then blow air gently out.
• this is a voiceless sound

Drills

PRONUNCIATION DRILLS /t/ & /θ/

/t/                      /θ/

           taught                 thought         

 toot                      tooth   

Thai                       thigh

     

         tread                    thread         

      debt                   death           

/t/

1. He does not want to go to school.
2.  I might eat some hot buttered toast.
3. Eat the bitter butter after the fantastic party.
4. Our first guest gave me a rotten toy.

/θ/

1. We asked for three thousand thimbles.
2. I was thrilled by the case of healthy wealthy Arthur.
3. The path of thoroughness is filled with thorns and thistles.
4. I thought of faith as the theme of both movies.

TONGUE TWISTER

The thunderstruck thundering thunderer thunders like a thunderbolt in a thunderstorm!

Better never trouble trouble,

Until trouble troubles you;

For you only make your trouble

Double trouble if you do.