Learn the 44 sounds of GB English

Every English pronunciation learner’s journey begins here: the 44 sounds (20 vowels and 24 consonants) – mouth positions, articulations and essential joining techniques.

What will I learn?

Mouth Movements

How to move the lips, tongue and jaw to accurately produce the 44 sounds of English.

IPA

The IPA phonemes for each sound so you can use phonetic alphabet to build accuracy.

Spelling to Sound

How to choose sounds based on their spellings: the rules and exceptions.

Minimal Pairs

How to distinguish similar sounds like those in BEAT/BIT or HUT/HAT.

SYLLABUS

Level 1 follows The Sound of English – Pronunciation.

1V: Vowels Intro

Introduction
– IPA Chart
– Spelling to Sound
– Articulators

2V: Schwa

– /ə/
– Spelling to Sound
– Function vs Content
– American R colouring

3V: Short Vowels

– /ɪ,ʊ,ɛ,ʌ,ɒ,a/
– Spelling to Sound
– Unusual Spellings
– Northern /ʌ/

4V: Long Vowels

– /iː,uː,əː,ɔː,ɛː,ɑː/
– Spelling to Sound
– Reduced Vowels
– TRAP/BATH Split

5V: Diphthongs

– /ɪə, eɪ, aʊ, əʊ, ʌɪ, ɔɪ/
– Spelling to Sound
– Word Construction
– /ʊə/ (new vs old)

1C: Consonants Intro

– IPA Chart
– Articulators
– Voicing
– Place of Articulation

2C: Fricatives

– /f,v,θ,ð,s,z,ʃ,ʒ,h/
– /θ/ vs /ð/
– Homophones
– S Endings
– TH Fronting

3C: Plosives

– /p,b,t,d,k,g,tʃ,dʒ/
– /t/ vs [ʔ]– ED Endings
– Silent Letters

4C: Approximants

– /w,r,j,l/
– Clear vs Dark /l/
– Silent R
– Linking R
– Rhoticity

5C: Nasals

– /m,n,ŋ/
– Clusters
– Syllabic Consonants
– G Droppin’

Whichever course option you choose, Level 1 also includes 12 months’ access to the library of online materials to allow for extensive practice and revision in each area.

What’s included?

Ebook & Audio

Level 1 follows ‘The Sound of English’ Pronunciation course book.

Video Tutorials

Each topic has a 5-10 minute video tutorial explaining the key takeaways.

Quizzes

Test your skills after each class with a 10 question interactive online quiz.

Certificate

You’ll receive your Level 1 Certificate of Completion when you finish.

We provide the level 1 course online (self-study), in group (Zoom) or 121 (Zoom/London). Purchasing any of the options gives instant access to the materials.