Pronounce English Accurately

Video Text

This is the difference between /l/ and /r/:

[lə - lə - lə - lə]

[rə - rə - rə - rə]

The place of articulation for /r/ is nothing like that for /l/ - /l/ is alveolar; /r/ is retroflex and is produced much further back in the mouth.

/r/ is an approximant, so the tongue does not actually contact the hard palate - /l/ does make contact.

and /l/ compared with /n/:

[lə - lə - lə - lə]

[nə - nə - nə - nə]

/l/ is lateral, so it's possible to hold one's nose and still make a perfectly good /l/ sound as the air does not pass through the nasal cavity. /n/ is nasal, so you cannot make a proper /n/ sound while holding your nose.

Minimal pairs with /l/ vs. /r/:

lane - rain, reign

lighting - writing

loyal - royal

long - wrong

lift - rift

lime - rhyme

load - node

complies - comprise

pilot - pirate - the second vowel is identical

palate - parrot - the second vowel is identical again

overload - overrode

And /l/ vs. /n/:

lock - knock

lame - name

law - nor, gnaw

lab - nab

lest - nest

lick - nick

And /l/ vs /n/ in final position:

call - corn

file - fine

filed - fined, find

Minimal triplets with /l/ contrasting with /n/ and /r/:

light - night - right

collect - connect - correct

line - nine - Rhein

Practice sentences

Never let roudy know-alls knock you down!

Let's now all live the rest of our miserable lives anew!

Laura, the unlucky nerd, was noisily lampooned by literally all her nasty enemies.

It's wrong to look left at roundabouts; look right as that's where the traffic is!

Realising it was the end of the line, the old lady rapidly legged it up the lane.