English Pronunciation · Sound Practice

English Sound Practice: Three Sentences

Every British English sound, with three practice sentences each – the target words in bold.

Alle Laute des britischen Englisch – mit je drei Übungssätzen.

  • 12 vowels
  • 8 diphthongs
  • 24 consonants
  • 132 sentences
  • 10-question quiz

How to Practise

  1. Say the sound alone – check your lips, tongue and jaw in a mirror.
  2. Say the bold words slowly – they all contain the target sound.
  3. Say the whole sentence at a natural speed, keeping the sound clear.
  4. Record yourself and compare – then move on to the next sound.
Pronunciation follows British English (RP / General British). Sounds marked added complete the set.
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Vowel Sounds

Long vowels are marked with ː. Keep short vowels short and long vowels long – the length can change the word (ship – sheep).

/iː/as in see
  1. Please meet me by the tree.
  2. Can you see the bee?
  3. Do you have the key?
/ɪ/as in sit
  1. The kid will sit with me.
  2. Big fish swim in the lake.
  3. He hit the ball.
/e/as in bet
  1. I will set the table.
  2. The hen laid two eggs.
  3. Can you see my red pen?
/æ/as in cat
  1. The cat is on the mat.
  2. I saw a cat chase a rat.
  3. I just saw a bat.
/ɑː/as in father
  1. Do you know my father?
  2. Is she in the car?
  3. I’d like half, please.
/ɒ/as in hotadded
  1. The pot is hot.
  2. Tom got a job in a shop.
  3. Stop the clock!
/ʌ/as in cut
  1. Please cut the bread.
  2. The sun is hot today.
  3. I hugged my mum.
/ɔː/as in door
  1. Please close the door.
  2. The floor is clean.
  3. Throw away the apple core.
/ʊ/as in full
  1. The book is full of stories.
  2. Please put that bag on the shelf.
  3. I could cook a good pudding.
/uː/as in blue
  1. The blue skies are beautiful today.
  2. Do you like the new school?
  3. We flew to Peru in June.
/ɜː/as in birdadded
  1. The bird heard a word.
  2. Thirty girls work here.
  3. It’s my turn first.
/ə/as in aboutadded
  1. The doctor had a banana.
  2. Today is Saturday.
  3. Can I have a cup of tea?
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Diphthongs

A diphthong glides from one vowel position to another. Give it time to complete the movement.

/eɪ/as in dayadded
  1. They came late today.
  2. Take the train to Spain.
  3. Wait for the rain to stop.
/aɪ/as in timeadded
  1. I like my bike.
  2. It’s time to fly tonight.
  3. Mike tried to smile.
/ɔɪ/as in boyadded
  1. The boy enjoyed the toy.
  2. Joy has a lovely voice.
  3. Don’t boil the oil.
/aʊ/as in nowadded
  1. How are you now?
  2. The brown cow is loud.
  3. Our house is in the town.
/əʊ/as in go
  1. We will go to the park today.
  2. Can you see the red bow?
  3. I will know the answer soon.
/ɪə/as in hear
  1. I can hear the music from here.
  2. Can you clear the table for me?
  3. There’s nothing to fear, my dear.
/eə/as in care
  1. Taking care of a puppy is important.
  2. I’ll share my toys with you.
  3. Let’s share the sweets fairly.
/ʊə/as in pure
  1. The pure love of a child is precious.
  2. You can surely find the lost key.
  3. The tourists were sure about the tour.
Note on /ʊə/: many British speakers now say sure and pure with /ɔː/ (/ʃɔː/, /pjɔː/). Both are correct – choose one and use it consistently.
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Consonant Sounds

Many consonants come in pairs: the same mouth position, voiceless (/p, t, k, f, θ, s, ʃ, tʃ/) or voiced (/b, d, g, v, ð, z, ʒ, dʒ/).

/p/as in pat
  1. Peter picked peppers in the garden.
  2. The map shows the best paths.
  3. Please pass the paper.
/b/as in bat
  1. Birds build their nests in spring.
  2. The job was done before noon.
  3. Bob bought a big blue ball.
/t/as in top
  1. The tall trees sway in the wind.
  2. Stop at the next traffic light.
  3. He makes the best tea ever.
/d/as in dog
  1. The dog runs through the garden.
  2. Don’t forget to lock the door.
  3. The boy did his homework early.
/k/as in cat
  1. The cat kept the mice away.
  2. Can you see the kite in the sky?
  3. I like to cook kale for dinner.
/g/as in go
  1. The great gorilla sat in the sun.
  2. Go and get some ice cream for us.
  3. The big gift is for you.
/f/as in fish
  1. The frog jumped into the fountain.
  2. She finds flower arrangements lovely.
  3. Fish swim in the fresh water.
/v/as in van
  1. I’ll visit my friend in November.
  2. The vase is filled with flowers.
  3. Please vote for your favourite video.
/θ/as in thin
  1. Thin ice is not safe to walk on.
  2. I will think about your suggestion.
  3. She threw the ball to the dog.
/ð/as in this
  1. This book is very interesting.
  2. They gave their mother the other one.
  3. They have a big surprise for you.
/s/as in sit
  1. The sun is so bright today.
  2. Can you see the seagull?
  3. Sam sings songs on Sundays.
/z/as in zoo
  1. The zebra has black and white stripes.
  2. Zoe is lazy at the zoo.
  3. I saw a zany clown at the circus.
/ʃ/as in ship
  1. The shoe shop is very crowded today.
  2. She has shiny new jewellery.
  3. I can hear the shimmer of water nearby.
/ʒ/as in measure
  1. It’s a pleasure to measure the garage.
  2. He found treasure in the usual place.
  3. The television showed a collision.
/tʃ/as in chip
  1. The cheese is on the table.
  2. Can you choose a nice tea for us?
  3. They chatted about their plans for summer.
/dʒ/as in jump
  1. The joyful jumpers were having fun.
  2. Please just relax and enjoy the show.
  3. He just arrived from a long journey.
/m/as in manadded
  1. My mum makes marmalade.
  2. Meet me at the museum.
  3. The moon came out at midnight.
/n/as in noadded
  1. Nine nice nurses.
  2. Nobody knows the answer.
  3. I need a new pen.
/ŋ/as in singadded
  1. The singer is singing a long song.
  2. Bring the ring.
  3. I’m thinking about nothing.
/h/as in hatadded
  1. He has a huge house.
  2. Hello, how are you?
  3. Henry hurt his hand.
/l/as in legadded
  1. Lucy likes lemons.
  2. The little girl fell.
  3. Let’s all go to the hall.
/r/as in redadded
  1. Robert ran round the rock.
  2. The red rose is very pretty.
  3. Rain is rare in the desert.
/w/as in wetadded
  1. We went for a walk.
  2. What would you like?
  3. The wind is wild in winter.
/j/as in yesadded
  1. Yes, you can use it.
  2. Your yellow yacht is beautiful.
  3. A few young people came yesterday.
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Quiz: Spot the Sound

Choose the best answer. You’ll see the explanation straight away.

Score: 0 / 0
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One sound, three sentences, every day.
Short, regular practice beats long sessions. Pick two or three sounds a day and say each sentence until it feels easy.
Take the free pronunciation test →

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