The /n/ sound

This consonant sound is one of the biggest problems for Chinese speakers, who tend to either completely drop the /n/ or pronounce it incorrectly when it is at the end of the word as in “phone” or before another consonant as in “nonsense.”

Linking the final /n/ of a word to the vowel of the next word automatically solves this problem. So, when “can eat” becomes “c/æ/ + neat,” the problem is solved. You should always practice linking words since this will fix other consonant problems that occur at the end of the word, particularly with the letters m, r, d, t, and th.

If there is not a vowel sound following the difficult consonant, it’s a bit more challenging. You will need to really make an extra effort to clearly pronounce this sound and other consonant sounds that never occur at the ends of Chinese words.

The /n/ sound is never a problem when it is in the beginning of the word because the Chinese n in this position is the same as the American n. The American n sound is always produced in the front of the mouth, with the tip of the tongue touching the gum ridge which is behind the upper teeth. The Chinese /n/ sound is produced in the back of the mouth, with the back of the tongue touching the upper part of the mouth, similar to the “ng” sound in English. This is why some Chinese speakers of English tend to pronounce thin and thing the same way.

Practice Words

When the tip of your tongue makes contact with the gum ridge, make sure that you are continuing to produce sound by allowing air to come out through your nose. Otherwise your n will be silent, and will not sound like the American /n/.

1. one
2. invent
3. financial
4. man
5. convent
6. attention
7. nine
8. pronounce
9. mention
10. nineteen
11. content
12. consonant

Practice Sentences

1. He came to London in nineteen ninety nine.
2. He gained ten pounds in one month.
3. The sun shone after the rain.
4. That town is known for its fine wine.

The /l/ sound

All explanations and exercises for this /l/ sound are in Chapter Four. Make sure you learn to correctly produce a strong American l. Otherwise you will end up pronouncing code and cold, and too and tool, the same.

As you are raising the tongue for the /l/, don’t raise the jaw with it. Look in the mirror and try to make your tongue move up without the jaw moving. This will strengthen your tongue and help you to create a better sounding l.

Confusing /n/ and /l/

Make sure you do not confuse n and l, especially with words that contain both of these sounds, as in analysis or only. The primary difference between the two sounds is the location of the air flow. For n the air is coming out through your nose, whereas for l the air is coming out through the sides of your mouth. The tongue position is very similar for these two sounds. The tip of the tongue is a bit flatter for the n. With the l the jaw needs to open more to create space for the air to come out through the sides of the mouth. Practice keeping the jaw open while only moving the tongue for the l.

The /r/ Sound

All explanations and exercises for pronouncing r are in Chapter Four. Make sure that you clearly pronounce the final r at the end of words and before another consonant.

The /v/ Sound

Native Chinese speakers have a tendency to drop /v/ in the middle or at the end of words. If you are speaking quickly, make sure that you don’t drop the v. All explanations and exercises for this sound are in Chapter Four.

Practice Sentences

1. I have to have five.
2. He will prove that he can improve the government.
3. I have been involved with them for eleven or twelve years.

Also pay close attention to words with w. Do not make the common mistake of confusing the /v/ and /w/ sounds. All explanations and exercises for /v/ versus /w/ sounds are also in Chapter Four.

The /z/ Sound

Sometimes Chinese speakers skip the /z/ sound. Make sure you have a strong /z/ sound in the middle and end of words. note that this sound is often spelled with an s. Also, be careful when there is a th and an s in the same word or near each other.

Practice Words

1. position
2. business
3. because
4. easy
5. thousand
6. these

Consonant Clusters

Consonant clusters (two or more consonants together) don’t occur in Chinese words, so there’s a tendency for Chinese speakers to pronounce only the first consonant of the group. Therefore card can sound like “car” and extra can sound like “estra.” Remember, the letter x represents two sounds: /ks/. When there are two or more consonants next to each other, make sure that you pronounce every consonant. Review the “consonant clusters” section in Chapter Four for more information.