Consonants of American English Pronunciation

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Consonants of American English Pronunciation

This course is part of The Pronunciation of American English Specialization

Instructors: Meg Parker

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5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

973 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

973 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

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Assessments

20 assignments¹

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Taught in English

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This course is part of the The Pronunciation of American English Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

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There are 5 modules in this course

In this first course of The Pronunciation of American English specialization, you will learn and practice all of the consonant sounds of American English, including some pairs of consonants that are especially tricky. Each week you will receive practical advice from successful English learners and practice an effective technique called shadowing to improve your pronunciation of consonant sounds. You will also have opportunities to record yourself and to respond to the recordings of other learners.

Welcome to Consonants of American English Pronunciation! In this course, you’ll practice all the consonant sounds of American English—like the first sounds in “town,” “zoo,” or “night.” You’ll also practice some pairs of consonant sounds that may be confusing, like the first sounds in “thick” and “sick” or “boat” and “vote.” Some of these consonant sounds will probably be very easy for you, but some may be more of a challenge. Don’t give up. Keep listening to the sounds, learning about how they’re pronounced, and practicing the ones you find difficult. Good luck practicing the pronunciation of the consonant sounds of American English.

What's included

1 video1 reading

What's included

8 videos9 readings5 assignments

8 videosTotal 28 minutes

Introduction to Week 11 minute
Consonants Pretest Review4 minutes
Consonant Overview6 minutes
Consonant Overview Practice Activity4 minutes
Voiced and Voiceless Sounds4 minutes
Voiced and Voiceless Sounds Practice Activity2 minutes
Pronunciation Tips3 minutes
Shadowing a Conversation4 minutes

9 readingsTotal 69 minutes

Consonants Pretest Directions2 minutes
Consonants Supplemental Materials1 minute
Consonant Overview Directions1 minute
Consonant Overview Practice Activity Directions1 minute
Voiced and Voiceless Sounds Directions1 minute
Voiced and Voiceless Sounds Practice Activity Directions1 minute
Pronunciation Tips1 minute
Shadowing a Conversation Directions1 minute
Shadowing a Conversation Assignment60 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 150 minutes

Week 1 Graded Quiz 30 minutes
Consonants Pretest 30 minutes
Consonants Overview Practice Quiz 30 minutes
Voiced and Voiceless Sounds Practice Quiz 30 minutes
Week 1 Speaking Assignment30 minutes

What's included

11 videos9 readings5 assignments

11 videosTotal 58 minutes

Introduction to Week 21 minute
Consonant Sounds that Pop Part 16 minutes
Consonant Sounds that Pop Part 25 minutes
Consonant Sounds that Pop Practice Activity5 minutes
Consonant Sounds that Hiss Part 16 minutes
Consonant Sounds that Hiss Part 27 minutes
Consonant Sounds that Hiss Practice Activity6 minutes
Confusing Consonant Pairs 110 minutes
Confusing Consonant Pairs 1 Practice Activity4 minutes
Pronunciation Tips5 minutes
Shadowing a Conversation3 minutes

9 readingsTotal 68 minutes

Consonant Sounds that Pop Directions1 minute
Consonant Sounds that Pop Practice Activity Directions1 minute
Consonant Sounds that Hiss Directions1 minute
Consonant Sounds that Hiss Practice Activity Directions1 minute
Confusing Consonant Pairs 1 Directions1 minute
Confusing Consonant Pairs 1 Practice Activity Directions1 minute
Pronunciation Tips1 minute
Shadowing a Conversation Directions1 minute
Shadowing a Conversation Assignment60 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 150 minutes

Week 2 Graded Quiz30 minutes
Consonants that Pop Practice Quiz 30 minutes
Consonant Sounds that Hiss Practice Quiz30 minutes
Confusing Consonant Pairs 1 Practice Quiz30 minutes
Week 2 Speaking Assignment30 minutes

What's included

9 videos9 readings5 assignments

9 videosTotal 44 minutes

Introduction to Week 31 minute
Consonant Sounds that Hum4 minutes
Consonant Sounds that Hum Practice Activity6 minutes
Consonant Sounds that Flow5 minutes
Consonant Sounds that Flow Practice Activity6 minutes
Confusing Consonant Pairs 210 minutes
Confusing Consonant Pairs 2 Practice Activity6 minutes
Pronunciation Tips4 minutes
Shadowing a Conversation3 minutes

9 readingsTotal 68 minutes

Consonant Sounds that Hum Directions1 minute
Consonant Sounds that Hum Practice Activity Directions1 minute
Consonant Sounds that Flow Directions1 minute
Consonant Sounds that Flow Practice Activity Directions1 minute
Confusing Consonant Pairs 2 Directions1 minute
Confusing Consonant Pairs 2 Practice Activity Directions1 minute
Pronunciation Tips1 minute
Shadowing a Conversation Directions1 minute
Shadowing a Conversation Assignment60 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 150 minutes

Week 3 Graded Quiz40 minutes
Consonant Sounds that Hum Practice Quiz 30 minutes
Consonant Sounds that Flow Practice Quiz30 minutes
Confusing Consonant Pairs 2 Practice Quiz20 minutes
Week 3 Speaking Assignment30 minutes

What's included

9 videos9 readings5 assignments

9 videosTotal 50 minutes

Introduction to Week 41 minute
Final Consonants and Consonant Clusters8 minutes
Final Consonants and Consonant Clusters Practice Activity6 minutes
Pronunciation of -s and -ed Endings8 minutes
Pronunciation of -s and -ed Endings Practice Activity5 minutes
Variations of Some Consonant Sounds7 minutes
Variations of Some Consonant Sounds Practice Activity8 minutes
Pronunciation Tips4 minutes
Shadowing a Conversation4 minutes

9 readingsTotal 68 minutes

Final Consonants and Consonant Clusters Directions1 minute
Final Consonants and Consonant Clusters Practice Activity Directions1 minute
Pronunciation of -s and -ed Endings Directions1 minute
Pronunciation of -s and -ed Endings Practice Activity Directions1 minute
Variations of Some Consonant Sounds Directions1 minute
Variations of Some Consonant Sounds Practice Activity Directions1 minute
Pronunciation Tips1 minute
Shadowing a Conversation Directions1 minute
Shadowing a Conversation Assignment60 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 150 minutes

Week 4 Graded Quiz30 minutes
Final Consonants and Consonant Clusters Practice Quiz30 minutes
Pronunciation of -s and -ed Endings Practice Quiz 30 minutes
Variations of Some Consonant Sounds Practice Quiz 20 minutes
Week 4 Speaking Assignment40 minutes

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Instructors

Instructor ratings

(389 ratings)

Helen Nam

University of California, Irvine

15 Courses1,346,269 learners

Marla Yoshida

11 Courses401,633 learners

Offered by

University of California, Irvine

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Reviewed on May 6, 2023

This was a great course! I enjoyed every class. Really useful for me - finally got a chance to learn the right pronunciation of the consonants.

Reviewed on Sep 21, 2021

It's a really useful course I learn more and more from it . How I can improve my pronunciation in English and be understood by another native speaker

Reviewed on May 30, 2022

Great Program! We can learn the correct way to pronounce all of the consonant sounds. And with plenty of opportunities to practice, we can identify the sounds that we need to improve on.

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Frequently asked questions

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When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

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