In this lesson we will finish the consonants. There are just three more to do.
Review
Review the American English phonetic chart:
The /h/ sound
This sound is made from your throat (glotis). Don’t say it from the back of your mouth as /x/ or /χ/.
Words
- hear
- he
- hat
- have
- ahead
- hold
- hip hop
Phrases
- a helping hand
- hardy har har
- ha ha ha
- heh heh heh
- Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!
- Happy Holidays
Song
The /ʔ/ sound
This is called a glottal stop. You make it by stopping the air at your glottis (vocal chords).
Words
- uh-oh
- huh-uh
- button
- kitten
- rotten
- apartment
- put
- that
Phrases
- might be late
- meet you tomorrow
- it walks
Video
The /ɾ/ sound
This is called an alveolar tap or flap t.
Words
- water
- bottle
- better
- little
- tittle
- daughter
- thirty
- forty
Comparison
- writer, rider
- title, tidal
Phrases
- water bottle
- a lot of little people
- itty bitty spider
- about a day or two
Tongue twister
Betty Botter bought a bit of butter;
“But,” she said, “this butter’s bitter!
If I put it in my batter
It will make my batter bitter.
But a bit o’ better butter
Will make my batter better.”
Then she bought a bit o’ butter
Better than the bitter butter,
Made her bitter batter better.
So ’twas better Betty Botter
Bought a bit o’ better butter.