English for Beginners: Learn all the CONSONANT SOUNDS

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.