Consonant Pronunciation Practice

The 'b' sound:

Bit (b-i-t)    

Cab (c-a-b)

Labor (l-a-b-o-r)

Baby (b-a-b-y)

The 'd' sound:

Day (d-a-y)

Reduce (r-e-d-u-c-e)

Kid (k-i-d)

Defend (d-e-f-e-n-d)

The 'f' sound: 

This sound can be produced from the letters f and ph.

Five (f-i-v-e)

Deaf (d-e-a-f)

Define (d-e-f-i-n-e)

Fifty (f-i-f-t-y)

Phone (p-h-o-n-e)

Phrase (p-h-r-a-s-e)

Elephant (e-l-e-p-h-a-n-t)

The 'g' sound:

Go (g-o)

Bag (b-a-g)

Bigger (b-i-g-g-e-r)

The 'h' sound: 

Hat (h-a-t)

Heaven (h-e-a-v-e-n)

Behold (b-e-h-o-l-d)

Ahead (a-h-e-a-d)

The 'j' sound: 

This sounds can be produced by two letters- 'j' and 'g'. Often, but not always, if 'g' is followed by 'e', 'i', or 'y' it is pronounced like a j.

Job (j-o-b)

Giant (g-i-a-n-t)

Banjo (b-a-n-j-o)

Gerbils (g-e-r-b-i-l-s)

The 'k' sound:

This sound can be produced from the letters k, c, and qu. 

Words beginning with a 'c' are pronounced with a 'k' sound, unless the letter after the 'c' is e, i, or y. In these words the word is pronounced with an 's' sound.

Words beginning with 'qu' are pronounced with a 'k' sound   if the letter before the 'qu' is a or i. All other words are pronounced with a 'q' sound.

Cat (c-a-t)

Tic (t-i-c)

Silk (s-i-l-k)

Flock (f-l-o-c-k)

Wink (w-i-n-k)

Kangaroo (k-a-n-g-a-r-o-o)

The 'l' sound: 

Law (l-a-w)

Lily (l-i-l-y)

Bill (b-i-l-l)

Hollow (h-o-l-l-o-w)

The 'm' sound: 

Mat (m-a-t)

Ram (r-a-m)

Murmur (m-u-r-m-u-r)

Hemp (h-e-m-p)

The 'n' sound: 

This sound is made with either the letters 'n' or 'kn'.

Nap (n-a-p)

Knife (k-n-i-f-e)

Bent (b-e-n-t)

Knee (k-n-e-e)

Ran (r-a-n)

The 'p' sound: 

Pie (p-i-e)

Top (t-o-p)

Pepper (p-e-p-p-e-r)

Lapse (l-a-p-s-e)

The 'q' sound: 

Quiet (q-u-i-e-t)

Quake (q-u-a-k-e)

Request (r-e-q-u-e-s-t)

The 'r' sound:

Red (r-e-d)

Bar (b-a-r)

Revere (r-e-v-e-r-e)

Arrive (a-r-r-i-v-e)

The 's' sound: 

This sound can be made with two letters - ‘s’ and ‘c’.

Some (s-o-m-e)

Less (l-e-s-s)

Sister (s-i-s-t-e-r)

Mist (m-i-s-t)

Cease (c-e-a-s-e)

Princess (p-r-i-n-c-e-s-s)

The 't' sound: 

Time (t-i-m-e)

Retail (r-e-t-a-i-l)

Tot (t-o-t)

The 'v' sound: 

Vim (v-i-m)

Rave (r-a-v-e)

Believe (b-e-l-i-e-v-e)

The 'w' sound: 

Way (w-a-y)

Weather (w-e-a-t-h-e-r)

Between (b-e-t-w-e-e-n)

The 'x' sound: 

This sound is made with either the letters 'x' or 'cks'.

Six (s-i-x)

Socks (s-o-c-k-s)

Tracks (t-r-a-c-k-s)

The 'y' sound: 

Yes (y-e-s)

Yoyo (y-o-y-o)

Yellow (y-e-l-l-o-w)

The 'z' sound: 

This sound is made with either the letters 'z' or 's'. In certain words if the 's' is at the end of the word it has a 'z' sound. See section on ending sounds.

Zoo (z-o-o)

Easy (e-a-s-y)

Pillows (p-i-l-l-o-w-s)

The 'ch' sound:

Chin (c-h-i-n)

Choice (c-h-o-i-c-e)

Church (c-h-u-r-c-h)

The 'sh' sound: 

Ship (s-h-i-p)

Shy (s-h-y)

Finish (f-i-n-i-s-h)

Reshape (r-e-s-h-a-p-e)

The 'sz' sound: 

Vision (v-i-s-i-o-n)

Measure (m-e-a-s-u-r-e)

Treasure (t-r-e-a-s-u-r-e)

Pleasure (p-l-e-a-s-u-r-e)

The 'th' and 'th' sound:

There are two pronunciations for the th sounds, one voiced (th) and one voiceless (th).

The sounds are very similar, the difference between the pronunciation of these sounds is that when pronouncing the voiceless th  the tongue touches the back of the top front teeth at the beginning of the sound and is pulled back into the mouth at the end of the sound.

In the voiced th  sound, the tongue is extended a little beyond the teeth at the beginning of the sound and then pulled back into the mouth.

The 'th' sound:

Think (t-h-i-n-k)

Thin (t-h-i-n)

Tooth (t-o-o-t-h)

Something (s-o-m-e-t-h-i-n-g)

Nothing (n-o-t-h-i-n-g)

Thank (t-h-a-n-k)

The 'th' sound:

The (t-h-e)

Them (t-h-e-m)

Then (t-h-e-n)

Rather (r-a-t-h-e-r)

Math (m-a-t-h)