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Short A sound words

Short A requires the jaw dropped and the tongue low and forward, a position most languages lack. Learners often substitute a European ah or eh, making cat sound like cot or ket. Exaggerate the jaw drop until it feels slightly uncomfortable, then relax a little.

Accent

15 words · beginner · your accent and voice are remembered across the site. More options on the settings page.

The words

cat
bad
hand
apple
black
happy
man
sand
practice
angry
stand
laugh
have
catch
tram

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Long O sound words
The gliding O in go, boat and know. Hear how the vowel moves rather than staying still.
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Magic E words
A silent final E that changes the vowel before it: hat to hate, kit to kite. Hear the difference.
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Long A sound words
The /eɪ/ sound in day, rain and eight, spelled six different ways. Train your ear to all of them.
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Long E sound words
The long ee sound in see, meat and field. Hear the tense vowel across all its spellings.
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Short I sound words
The relaxed short i in sit, big and busy. The single hardest vowel for most learners to place.
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Schwa sound words
The most common sound in English, hiding in every unstressed syllable. Learn to hear the schwa.
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Keep practising

Browse every practice list or the word index, hear two accents back to back on Compare, or test your ear with the listening quiz.

To read the rules behind these words, see the pronunciation guides — including silent letters, word stress and American vs British. Or hear each accent on its own page: American, British, Australian.