R
hard“Rory carefully carried three fragile red rulers.”
Keep the tongue slightly raised and pulled back for /r/. Start slowly, then increase speed without turning R into L.
Practice this one→Hard tongue twisters
Trickier sound changes and denser phrases for learners ready to push their clarity.
16 drills on this pageEnglishPronunciation practice
SH
hard“Sharp scissors sliced shiny silver sheets.”
Round the lips slightly for /ʃ/ and keep the airflow smooth. Contrast it clearly with /s/.
Practice this one→S
hard“Six students studied science after sunset.”
Keep a narrow stream of air through the center of the tongue for /s/. Avoid adding a SH sound.
Practice this one→TH
hard“The thirsty athlete breathed through three stretches.”
Place the tongue tip lightly between the teeth. Use air for /θ/ and add voice for /ð/.
Practice this one→W
hard“White wings swept over the windy wetland.”
Round the lips and move quickly into the following vowel. Avoid replacing /w/ with /v/.
Practice this one→L
hard“Yellow tulips lined the lovely garden wall.”
Touch the tongue tip just behind the upper teeth for /l/. Keep each L clear before increasing speed.
Practice this one→CH-J
hard“George joined the children near the jungle gym.”
Begin with a brief stop and release into friction. Keep CH /tʃ/ and J /dʒ/ distinct.
Practice this one→K-G
hard“Gray clouds gathered over the quiet creek.”
Lift the back of the tongue toward the soft palate. Keep /k/ unvoiced and /g/ voiced.
Practice this one→L
hard“Leo carefully folded the long blue blanket.”
Touch the tongue tip just behind the upper teeth for /l/. Keep each L clear before increasing speed.
Practice this one→P-B
hard“Pablo bought a box of pink buttons.”
Close both lips. Release a stronger puff for /p/ and use voice for /b/.
Practice this one→R
hard“Rita's brother brought bright roses from Rome.”
Keep the tongue slightly raised and pulled back for /r/. Start slowly, then increase speed without turning R into L.
Practice this one→SH
hard“She shared fresh cherries beside the shore.”
Round the lips slightly for /ʃ/ and keep the airflow smooth. Contrast it clearly with /s/.
Practice this one→S
hard“Small sailboats slipped smoothly across the sea.”
Keep a narrow stream of air through the center of the tongue for /s/. Avoid adding a SH sound.
Practice this one→TH
hard“Their healthy breakfast included thin wheat toast.”
Place the tongue tip lightly between the teeth. Use air for /θ/ and add voice for /ð/.
Practice this one→F-V
hard“Vivian found five forgotten files in the van.”
Touch the lower lip to the upper teeth. Use air for /f/ and add vocal vibration for /v/.
Practice this one→W
hard“William watched the weather from the window.”
Round the lips and move quickly into the following vowel. Avoid replacing /w/ with /v/.
Practice this one→