English pronunciation by first language

• Hindi and Punjabi speakersv and w, th, z and j, consonant groups
• Nepali speakersv and w, f and p, z and j, sh and s
• Mandarin speakersth, final consonants, -s and -ed endings, v and w
• Vietnamese speakersfinal consonants, -s and -ed endings, consonant groups, th
• Filipino speakersf and p, v and b, th, z and s
• Arabic speakersp and b, v and f, e and i, consonant groups

Try it: three sounds that trip up many learners

Press 🔊 to hear each word, then say it yourself.

“th” (think, this)

Short and long vowels (ship, sheep)

Word endings (walk, walked)

Your accent is fine

The aim is to be clear, not to sound Australian or British. PTE scores pronunciation on how easily most English speakers understand you, and says regional accents are fine. IELTS uses a pronunciation criterion in the speaking test that looks at clarity, stress and intonation, not accent. Fixing the few sounds that change the meaning of words makes the biggest difference.

Stress and rhythm

• Stress one syllable per word: PHOtograph, phoTOGraphy, photoGRAPHic. Check new words in a dictionary that shows stress.
• Stress the important words in a sentence (nouns, main verbs, numbers) and say small words (a, the, of, to) lightly.
• Pause at commas and full stops, not in the middle of a phrase. This matters in PTE Read Aloud.

How to practise (10 minutes a day)

1. Pick one sound a day. Listen to the pairs and repeat each word 5 times.
2. Say the practice sentence slowly, then at normal speed.
3. Record yourself with our speaking recorder and listen back.
4. Use the sound in real tasks: Read Aloud, or your IELTS speaking practice.