Study the whole book, but also pay special attention to a few points directly related to native Farsi speakers. These are outlined below.

The th Sound

Review Chapters Three and Four to learn the correct pronunciation of this sound. Note that you might make the common mistake of substituting a /t/ or a /d/ for a th.

Confusing /v/ and /w/

All explanations and exercises for the “v” and “w” sounds are in Chapter Four. Be careful not to make the common mistake below.

The /s/ Sound + Consonant

The Farsi language has no word that begins with an s and is followed by another consonant. There is usually a vowel in front of the s. Therefore, you will have a tendency to put an extra /ɘ / sound before English words that begin with this letter. Make sure you don’t insert an extra vowel sound when you say the following words:

The /l/ sound

Make sure that you don’t quickly release the tip of your tongue for the l at the ends of words. This will cause you to over-pronounce the /l/. The American /l/ sound is softer and longer than the Farsi /l/, and the tip of the tongue is more relaxed. Review the exercises for the American /l/ sound in Chapter Four.

Pronouncing ing

Over-pronouncing ing is another common mistake for Farsi speakers. Make sure you don’t release the /g/ sound in words that end with ing, such as going and doing. Review the rules for this sound in Chapter Four.

The /r/ Sound

You need to learn to create the correct American /r/ sound by studying Chapter Three, and doing all of the /r/ exercises in Chapter Four. Make sure you do not roll the /r/ with the tip of your tongue, as this creates a harsh-sounding Farsi /r/.

Farsi speakers tend to roll the /r/ particularly when it is followed by another consonant (as in bring, program, friend) or when it is in the beginning of a word (such as red and right).