Welcome back to another Eat Sleep Dream English video. If you haven't met me before my name
is Tom and I teach fresh modern British English so that you can take your English to the next
level and achieve your life goals. Today we've got a really important lesson. Now I know
how much you guys love pronunciation videos so today I'm going to take you through ten
really difficult words to pronounce in English and by the end you'll be able to pronounce
them perfectly. So if you are ready, let's do this!
First of all thanks to all of you that wrote in on Facebook and Instagram telling me which
words were the most difficult for you to pronounce. I've tried to include as many as i can. I
couldn't do all of them so I promise that I'll try and do another video at some point
with all the other words. Another thing to remember guys is that I teach British English
and therefore my pronunciation will be mostly British English. Now British English comes
in all different accents. Mine is a London accent so I'm going to teach the pronunciation
that I have. It's not the only pronunciation ok. There are many different varieties. I
can only teach the one that I have.
Ok, our first pair of words are these two. Now these two are very commonly mispronounced.
Now we have thing and think. And they are very similar. The first thing we've got going
on is the /th/ that th /th/. This is a difficult sound if you are not sure how to position
your mouth. So that's really important, is what are we doing with our mouth? Well the
first thing, to make the /th/ sound. We need our tongue, touching our top teeth, ok? So
tongue, top teeth and we are blowing air out. Thing. Now to make the /ing/ I'm bringing
my tongue down on to the bottom of my mouth, thing. So starting on my top teeth and then
coming down as I make the sound, thing. And it's a kind of -ing sound, you've got a vibration
just there, thing. Ok, now the other word, think, same sound so -th sound that -th think
and you're bringing the tongue down 'think' and at the end you just add the /k/ sound
which comes from the back so you are pushing air out again /k/. So 'think'. Ok, so let's
try this one 'thing' 'think'. Ok, let's do a practice sentence.Ok, you're turn. Ok, let's
try another practice sentence. You're turn. Alright, so thing and think. Practise guys.
Remember this is really important when you are doing pronunciation practise, practise,
practise, ok? So repeating it as I do it, stopping the video and repeating. It's really
important. Ok, let's move on to the next one.
So many of you asked me about this one. These two words here similar sounds, we've got girl
and world. It's that -rl combination that you are finding so difficult. So let's try,
I'm going to go really slow with this one so you can see what happening with my mouth.
Ok, here we go. 'Girl' 'World' Can you see what's happening with my mouth? So, first
of all, my mouth is open and it's starting, it's opening up quite big. So 'girl' and then
as I come out of the girl sound as I finish the word my mouth closes again and my tongue.
Watch what my tongue does. 'Girl' so my tongue goes down and then it comes back up again
to finish that sound. Let's try again. 'Girl'. Ok, so my tongue kind of comes back up and
slightly pulls in to my mouth, so 'girl' and I'm finishing in that position 'girl'. A similar
sound with 'world', exactly the same 'world' so my mouth opens up and then closes again.
The tongue finishes coming back up 'world'. Alright, it sounds very strange when you do
it slowly but 'girl' 'world'. Now the sound in British English is different from American
English. In American English it's a much stronger /r/ so it's 'girl' whereas in English it's
'girl' not quite so pronounced the /r/ there. Alright, let's do a practise sentence. Ok,
This word has two different pronunciations. We have 'our' as in the letter /r/ or the
very to be but with they 'they are' 'our' or 'our' like minutes and hours 'our' so you
can use both. 'Our' or 'our' it depends on what you feel at the time. I think I use both
to be honest. I probably usually say our but both are totally fine, totally normal so which
ever you prefer you use that 'our' or 'our'. Both totally fine.
This next word also has two different pronunciations. One of them is American English and one of
them is British English however I commonly use both. So I don't think it's that important
which one is American and which one is British English just that there are two pronunciations
and you can use either one you want, don't worry too much about whether it's British
English or American English, just use both, ok? The first pronunciation is 'schedule'
and that is the American English pronunciation. In British English we would say 'schedule'
so it's the -sh sound. So in American English -sk in British English -sh 'schedule'. As
I said, I use both, I don't really think of them as being one American and one British,
I just, whatever I feel like saying I'll say it and I think a lot of people feel the same.
So let's do the American English again 'schedule' in British English 'schedule'. And the stress
is on the first syllable 'schedule' Alright, an example sentence. Alright,
this word causes a lot of problems but it's actually really simple. Two syllables 'mirror'.
It's not mir or, 'mirror' it's really easy 'mirror'. A similar word 'error' So we are
using that schwa sound, the -eh, which is the most common sound in the English language,
Let's tackle three words that are spelled very similarly but the pronunciation is very
different. Ok, the first one 'though' kind of means like however 'though'. So the -th
sound. Now we know that there are two different ways to pronounce that -th. Here it's 'though'.
This is a voiced sound, you feel it in your throat 'though'. How we make that sound is
we put the tongue up against the top teeth and we make a kind of humming sound in your
throat. Sounds like a bee flying around or something . And then to create the 'o' we
release the tongue 'though' and open the mouth 'though'. Good so that's the first word 'though'.
Now this word we're adding the /r/ but the -th sound totally changes. Now we're moving
to the other sound which is, it's the voiceless sound 'through'. So here remember with thing
and think we're putting the tongue against the teeth and we're blowing air out. You can
feel the air on your hand 'through' and then my lips are going outwards. 'Through'. Alright
and the last word in this little combination 'thorough'. If you do something thoroughly
you do something properly, completely. So it's the same -th sound 'thorough'. So the
first word was though, with the voiced, then through, voiceless with the air and then thorough
was the last sound. Though, through, thorough. -Th spelling but different sounds each time.
Alright here's a really tricky one 'regularly' here are four syllables there however when
we say it we cheat slightly. We make life easier for ourselves by just saying 'regularly'.
So three sounds there 'regularly. The stress is on the first syllable 'regularly'. Alright,
good job 'regularly'.Alright the final one, we're going to look at the difference between
this word and this word. Very similar sounds in many ways however it's what we do with
out lips and our tongue that really determine which word we say. So the first one 'free'.
Now in this word my lips are doing a lot of work 'free' and they open up as the sound
comes out 'free'. My tongue isn't really doing anything in this one so 'free' it's not touching
anything it's not moving anywhere so just let it relax. Now the other word 'three' the
tongue is really important because just like with thing and think 'three' the tongue is
touching the top teeth, we're blowing air out 'three'. So this word 'free', this word
'three' 'free 'three' 'free' three'. Now there's a great tongue twister for this one and it's
to do with basketball. I don't know if you have every played basketball but in basketball
they have something called a free fro. Sorry a free throw, a free throw.
That's a tough one. Ok, practise that one because that's really going to get you to think about the
sounds that you're making and particularly the lips and the tongue and what you are doing
with them to help you make the right sounds. Guys how was that? Did you enjoy that lesson?
Which words do you find most difficult to pronounce? Let me know in the comments below.
I've done lots of other pronunciation videos that will help you to say them perfectly in
British English. Check them out, they are just above me right now. And if you'd like
any other pronunciation videos please let me know, I really enjoy these ones. I think
they are so helpful and so useful for you guys. i know the feedback you give me, tells
me how useful they are. So yeah, if you'd like me to do any other ones let me know and
remember guys if you haven't already discovered my Patreon page I would love you to go check
it out. It's a community where I offer extra English resources for you guys, ok? So go
check it out, if you haven't already. The link will be below and also at the end. So
please go check out my Patreon page. I have some wonderful Patrons there who are getting
extra English materials to help them take their English to the next level. Also guys
remember my new videos are out every Tuesday, every Friday. Hit that subscribe button so
that you don't miss any of my lessons. Thank you so much as always guys, this is Tom, the
Chief Dreamer, saying goodbye.