It is recommended that you study all of the American vowel sounds in detail. (See Chapters One and Two.) However, pay special attention to the vowel sounds highlighted below which are the most problematic ones for Iranian speakers of English.
The /I/ Sound
You might have a tendency to pronounce /I/ (as in sit) incorrectly. Make sure you pronounce the following words differently:
|
/I/ |
/i/ |
1. |
sit |
seat |
2. |
live |
leave |
3. |
fill |
feel |
The /ɘ/ Sound
You might confuse /ɘ/ as in fun, with /ɑ/ as in hop. Practice pronouncing the following words differently:
|
/ɑ/ |
/ɘ/ |
1. |
shot |
shut |
2. |
lock |
luck |
3. |
cop |
cup |
The /ʊ/ Sound
Do not make the common error of confusing /ʊ/ as in good, with /u/ as in food. Make sure that you pronounce the following words differently:
|
/ʊ/ |
/u/ |
1. |
full |
fool |
2. |
pull |
pool |
3. |
look |
Luke |
|