okay, let’s start shaping those sounds for standard english pronunciation! focus on these key mouth positions and movements:
1. the “th” sound /θ/ (as in “think”, “this”):
place the tip of your tongue very lightly between your upper front teeth and your lower front teeth.
your tongue should be flat, not rounded.
exhale air gently through this narrow channel between your teeth. your tongue tip acts like a valve.
2. the “th” sound /ð/ (as in “the”, “mother”):
place the tip of your tongue very lightly between your upper front teeth and your lower front teeth, just like for /θ/.
however, this time, let your tongue tip rest slightly more on the lower ridge behind the lower teeth.
make a voiced sound by gently vibrating your vocal cords as you exhale air through the same narrow channel.
3. the “r” sound /r/ (as in “red”, “car”):
start with your tongue curved, forming a small “u” shape in your mouth.
position this curved tongue tip towards the back of your upper molars (the back teeth).
keep your lips relaxed and slightly rounded or spread.
produce the sound by lightly tapping or rolling the tip of your curved tongue against the back upper teeth while vibrating your vocal cords. it’s often described as a “flap” in american english.
4. the “v” sound /v/ (as in “very”, “have”):
bring your upper front teeth close to your lower lip.
gently push your lower lip upwards and outwards, creating a slight gap.
exhale air through this gap, but make sure your vocal cords are vibrating (voicing the sound).
5. the “f” sound /f/ (as in “fish”, “fun”):
similar to the “v” sound, bring your upper front teeth close to your lower lip.
however, push your lower lip downwards and inwards against the upper teeth, creating a tighter seal than for “v”.
exhale air through this tighter gap between your teeth, keeping your vocal cords muted (unvoiced).
focus on practicing these specific mouth shapes and movements. watch videos of native speakers and try to mimic their tongue and lip positions. good luck!