Learn Consonant Clusters S Sound - Consonant Clusters SCR, SPH, SPL, SPR, STR, SQU

Hi, everybody.

I’m Doctor Don here to give you some more tips and exercises to use to improve your

English pronunciation skills.

This is my fourth video in a series on pronouncing initial consonant clusters.

Later, I’ll show you how to do medial and final consonant clusters, diphthongs, and

vowels.

Keep watching and practicing this series, and your English pronunciation will improve.

In the first two videos, which you can find linked below, I showed you how to pronounce

consonant clusters with the L and R sounds.

Then in the third video I did some of the initial consonant clusters that use the S

sound.

Today, I’m going to show the rest of the initial consonant clusters that use S. These

clusters have 3 consonant sounds in them and can be some of the more difficult clusters

to pronounce.

The first one is SCR.

The sounds you need for this are in the word “sucker.”

Try to say that word and then shorten it to get to the SCR cluster.

Scrap, screw, scroll, scrum.

Try to repeat these words slowly and then quickly: scrap, screw, scroll, scrum.

The next example is SPH.

The letters “PH” here have the “F” sound.

So say the word “soft” but leave off the T at the end “sof.”

Then shorten that into just the SF sound.

Sphere, sphinx, sphincter, sphenoid.

Try to repeat these words slowly and then quickly: sphere, sphinx, sphincter, sphenoid.

The next example is SPL.

The sounds you need for this are in the word “supple.”

Try to say that word and then shorten it to get to the SPL cluster.

Splash, spleen, splice, splotch.

Try to repeat these words slowly and then quickly: splash, spleen, splice, splotch.

The next example is SPR.

The sounds you need for this are in the word “spore.”

Try to say that word and then shorten it to get to the SPR cluster.

Spray, spree, sprig, sprout.

Try to repeat these words slowly and then quickly: spray, spree, sprig, sprout.

The next example is STR.

The sounds you need for this are in the word “stir.”

Try to say that word and then shorten it to get to the STR cluster.

Stray, street, strong, stride.

Try to repeat these words slowly and then quickly.

Stray, street, strong, stride

The last example is a strange one and it can also be a little difficult: SQU.

This cluster has the S sound plus the hard K sound plus a W sound.

Try to pronounce each letter separately one after the other, then pull them all together.

Square, squeal, squirm, squawk.

Try to repeat these words slowly and then quickly: square, squeal, squirm, squawk.

Here are some challenge sentences for you.

Try to say these quickly.

A stray spray split the square.

The strong squad strode through the sphere.

The sphinx’s scroll squirmed in the street.

Practice those clusters and I’ll be back later to show you the fifth and final set

of initial consonant clusters in English.