|
Practice technique for pronouncing /p/ : Take a deep breath. Bring you lips together for /p/ and hold your breath. When you can't hold your breath any longer, open your lips and let the air out. You will hear a big puff of air. Now you know the sound of /p/. Do it without holding your breath and it will sound natural. The consonant /p/ in word-initial position and at the beginning of stressed syllables in word-medial position is voiceless and aspirated; you can clearly hear the puff of air as the lips close and then open. Practice these examples of voiceless, aspirated /p/:
The consonant /p/ is not aspirated in medial position when the syllable beginning with /p/ is unstressed. Pronounce these words:
The consonant /p/ is voiceless and unaspirated in final position, but it must be formed for the word to sound correct. Pronounce these words:
The consonant /b/ is also pronounced by pressing the lips together and opening the mouth quickly. It is voiced in initial, medial, and final positions. Practice:
|