Page 25 - 633 102 Professional English for Pharmacists E-Course book

1. Pronouncing the “th”
The “th” is one of the hardest consonant sounds to pronounce. It can be pronounced in
three different ways:

● as a “d” (/ð/) as in this, that, these, those, they or them;

● as the voiceless /θ/ in three, thing, thought;
● as a /t/ as in Thai or Thames.

There are thirty-three different trees.

The mothers are thinking about their three brothers living with the fathers in Thailand.

2. Pronouncing the Schwa

The schwa ([ə]) is a sound that is typical in unstressed syllables, for instance in long
words like mem(o)ry, choc(o)late or shorter ones like th(e) or t(o).

3. Confusing the “l” and the “r”
The “r” and “l” sounds are the stereotypical mistake Japanese students make – they say
lice instead of rice.

4. Pronouncing the Short “i”
The short “i” or [i] as pronounced in words like live, sit, fit, hit usually poses a problem as
Thai students may tend to pronounce them as leave, seat, feet, or heat.

5. Confusing the “w” and the “v”
Thai students usually have a hard time pronouncing the “v” sound.
● water
● west
● vest
● violent
● vegetable
● Value

6. Pronouncing the Magic “e”
Some students may have a hard time noticing the difference between words like not
and note or bit and bite. They may be tempted to split them into syllables as no-te and
bi-te.

7. Pronouncing Silent Consonants
Thai students sometimes tend to pronounce consonants that are silent e.g. the “d” in
Wednesday or the “g” in foreign.

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