Rhotic R words
American and most Canadian, Irish and Scottish English are rhotic: R is pronounced everywhere it is written. Standard British and Australian English are non-rhotic and drop R unless a vowel follows it, so car ends on a long open vowel. Switch accents on these words and the R appears and disappears.
Accent
15 words · intermediate · your accent and voice are remembered across the site. More options on the settings page.
The words
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Voiced TH words
The buzzing TH in this, that and mother. Feel your vocal cords vibrate on every one of these.
Voiceless TH words
The soft breathy TH in think, three and mouth. No vocal cord buzz, just airflow over the tongue.
R vs L minimal pairs
Rice or lice, right or light. Hear the R and L contrast that trips up many learners, pair by pair.
V vs W minimal pairs
Vest or west, vine or wine. Practise the lip position that separates English V from W.
S vs Z sounds
Sip or zip, price or prize. The only difference is voicing, and it changes the word completely.
SH vs CH sounds
Ship or chip, share or chair. One flows, one starts with a tiny stop. Hear the pairs contrasted.
Keep practising
Browse every practice list, hear two accents back to back on Compare, or test your ear with the listening quiz.