Hello. I'm Gill at engVid, and today's lesson
is on consonants in English. Okay? So all
the consonant sounds, not the vowel sounds,
but the consonant sounds. So, just to explain
that the way I've got them written up on the
board here is this column here, and then down
in this column down to the line, they are pairs of consonants because they are formed
in the same way, the way you shape your mouth
to make that sound. They're the same way that
you form your mouth, but you put more force
behind some of them than the others. They're
lighter and heavier, but they're the same shape. And then the rest of them below this
line are single consonants that don't belong
in a pair. So, I think that will become clearer
as I start to go through them and demonstrate how to make the sound.
Okay, so first of all, and also to explain that I've put the phonetic symbols at the
side for... Don't worry if you don't know
the phonetic symbols; you don't need to know
them. This is maybe for people who have learnt
the phonetic symbols who find them useful,
so don't worry if... You certainly don't need
to learn these. I have difficulty remembering
them all myself, so don't worry. As long as
you know how to pronounce it, that's the main
thing. But these are to show that each one is a different sound.
So, the first pair, then, is "p" and "b",
so as they appear in the example words "pen"
and "back". So, it's "p", "p", "p", "b", "b",
"b". So, you can see what I mean by the pair
of consonants formed in the same way by your
mouth. You put your lips together, "p", "p",
"b", "b". And the difference is just that the "p", the "p" sound is lighter, and the
"b" sound is heavier. You use your vocal cords
more to make the "b" sound. "p", "p", "p",
"b", "b", "b". So, feel free to repeat them
after me, each one as I say it. "p", "p", "p",
"b", "b", "b". So, "pen", "back". Okay? So that's the first pair. Then the second pair
is "t" and "d". So, again, in your mouth you'll
feel that your tongue is going up to the roof
of your mouth, "t", and then coming away again,
"t", "t", "t", like that. "d", "d", "d". So,
the "t" is lighter, "d" is heavier. So, we've
got "t" as in "tea", "tea", "tea", and "d"
as in "day", "day", "day". Okay. Good. Right,
the next pair, so we have "ch", "ch", "ch",
and "j", "j", "j". And you can feel, I hope,
in your mouth, your tongue is in the same
position for both of those, "ch", "ch", "ch",
"j", "j", "j". And the only difference is
the "j" is a strong sound. Okay? So, "ch" as in "cheer", "cheer", and "j", spelt with
a "j", but this is the phonetic symbol for it, "j", "j", "j". So, we have "cheer" and
"jump", "cheer", "jump". "Ch", "ch", "ch",
"j", "j", "j", "j". Okay? Good. And the next
pair are "th", "th", "th", "th", "th", "th".
So, for this one, if you do it, you can feel
your top teeth on your bottom lip, like that,
almost as if you're going to bite your lip,
like that. "Th", "th", "th", "th", "th", "th".
You might feel it tickles a little bit, "th".
If I do that... See if you can do that as a long, continuous sound, "th", it really
tickles at my bottom lip when I do that. So,
"th", "th", "th", "th", "th". So, "few", "few",
"few", and "view", "view", "view". Right?
Then we have... You might think "th", we have
"th" twice. You might like to watch my other
video on the two different ways of pronouncing
"th", because again, one is lighter, the other
is heavier. So, it's "th" as in "thing", and
"th" as in "then". "Thing", "then". So this
second one is heavier, using more of your
vocal cords. Okay? And those are the symbols
for those. So, "thing", "then", and your tongue
is touching your front teeth, top teeth. "Th",
"th", "th", "th", "th", "th" for both of those. Okay?
And then the next pair is "sh", "sh", "sh" as in
"fish", and "zh", "zh", "zh" as in "pleasure",
"pleasure", "zh". So, "sh", "zh", "sh", "zh".
And the second one, all... All of these, the
first is light, the second one is heavy. "Sh", "zh", "fish", "pleasure". Okay? Good.
And the next pair is "k", "k", "k" as in "key",
"k", "k". So if you can feel where your tongue
is sort of going towards the back of your
throat, "k", "k", "k" to make the "k" sound.
And then "g", "g", "g", much heavier, "g",
"g", "g", but your tongue is in the same place
for that. So, "k" as in "key", and "g" as in "get". Okay?
And then the last pair is "s", "s", "s", "s"
as in "soon", and "z", "z", "z" as in "zero".
So, "s", "s", "s", "s", "z", "z", "z", "z", "z",
you'll feel your tongue is in the same position
for both of those. Okay. Good.
Right, so those are all the pairs, and now these are just the single ones that don't
belong in a pair. So, we have the "h" sound,
"h". If you "h", "h", "h", breathe on your
hand, "h", you should be able to feel "h",
"h", the heat from your breath, "h". So, "hot",
"h", "hot", "h", "h", "hot". So that's "h" as in "hot".
And then the "l", "l", "l", you have your
tongue touching the roof of your mouth, "l",
"l", "l", "l", "l". So, "l" as in "lead", "lead", "lead". Okay.
"M" as in "some", so you bring your lips together,
"m", "m", "m", "m". "Some", "some". Okay.
And then "n" as in "sun", so your lips aren't
totally together, you've got "n", "n", "n"
as in "sun", but then "sun", and you keep your lips a little bit more open, "n", "n",
"n", "sun", "sun". And your tongue should
be up on the roof of your mouth, "sun", "n",
"n", "sun". Okay.
And then this is "sun" with a "g" added, so "sung", "ung", "ung", "ung", "ung", "ung".
So this is the symbol for "ng", "ng", so "ng"
together, "sung", "ng", "ng", "ng". Okay.
And then "r" as in "red", "r", "red", "red".
Okay. Where your tongue will curl back into
your mouth to make the English "r" sound.
It's not like, for example, a French sounding
"r", "r", "r", "r", where your tongue is catching
at the back of your throat. The English "r",
"r", "r". You bring your lips together, "r",
but curl your tongue back towards the back
of your throat, "r", "r", "r", "r". "Red",
"red", "red". You'll see another of my videos
all about pronouncing "r" in English, so have
a look for that one if you'd like to practice
that. Okay. And then "w" as in "wet", "w". So, "w", "w", "w", "w", "w", "w", "w", "w".
Bring your lips together like that. Okay. "Wet". And finally, although it looks like
a "j", this is the symbol, phonetic symbol, it's actually "y", "y", "y", "y", "y", as
in "yet", "yet". Okay. So, I hope that's been
a helpful run-through of all the consonants
that you use in English, whether it's British
English or American English, it's the same
more or less, except "r" in American English,
sometimes you hear a more pronounced "r", and
also in some parts of the UK, some areas, different regions might make more of an "r"
sound, but that is a variation within the
UK. So, I hope that's been helpful. So, thank
you for watching, and I hope to see you again soon. Bye for now.