Teach Me the consonant sounds /b/ and /p/
In words, the letters B and P have the sounds /b/ and /p/ respectively. They are similar sounds, but also very different.
Similarity: How do I start?
For both sounds you start with the same mouth position. Lips gently pressed together and teeth slightly parted. This way you stop the air from coming out and build pressure in your mouth. You basically trap the sound in your mouth before letting go.
Difference: What do I do next?
Now you have to release that air by opening your lips in a sudden explosive manner.
The sound /b/ is voiced, meaning that there is voice coming up from the throat as you pronounce it. So, along with the release of the air there should be voice too. You should feel a small vibration in your throat (vocal cords).
The sound /p/ is unvoiced, meaning that only air passes through your mouth (no voice whatsoever). So you don't have to use your vocal cords to make this sound.
Part I
Listen to the sound /b/ carefully.
Okay? Now time for practice. Listen again and repeat the sound yourself as many times as necessary for it to sound the same as the one in the recording.
Below you can see three columns with groups of words which may at first glance look similar but are pronounced completely differently. The column in the middle consists of words with the target sound /b/. Listen and compare with the words on each side. Repeat.
peach - beach - peach
vet - bet - vet
pear - bear - pear
covered - cupboard - covered
Tongue Twister
Betty bought a better bit of butter.
B as a Silent Letter
In some words, we don't pronounce the letter B at all. Listen to the following examples of words where the letter B is silent.
Spelling
|
Pronunciation
|
lamb
|
læm
|
climb
|
klaɪm
|
debt
|
det
|
Beach vs Bitch
It's worth mentioning that many non-natives think the words beach and bitch are homophones (i.e. pronounced the same way), but that is not true.
Beach /biːtʃ/ is pronounced as the word peach, the only difference being the /b/ sound instead of a /p/ sound at the beginning.
Bitch /bɪtʃ/ has the sound /ɪ/ in it and also the /b/ sound is bit more stressed in this word, a bit more aggressively pronounced.
Part II
Listen to the sound /p/ carefully.
Ready? Now time for practice. Listen again and repeat the sound yourself as many times as necessary for it to sound the same as the one in the recording.
The column in the middle consists of words with the target sound /p/. Listen and compare with the words on each side. Then repeat.
big - pig - big
fool - pool - fool
cab - cap - cab
often - open - often
Tongue Twister
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
P as a Silent Letter
In some words, we don't pronounce the letter P at all. Listen to the following examples of words where the letter P is silent.
Spelling
|
Pronunciation
|
receipt
|
rɪˈsiːt
|
psychology
|
saɪˈkɒlədʒi
|
raspberry
|
ˈrɑːzbəri
|
Words with PH
PH is pronounced /f/, as in photo or pheasant.
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