Category Archives: Pronunciation

New series of How Not to Teach English articles

Posted on 27/05/2026 by alexcase

I started this series to come back to old topics in a new way, and it also turned out to be a great way to combine basic advice and more debatable talking points, and so provide something for almost everyone. … Continue reading →

Posted in minimal pairs, reported speech | Comments Off on New series of How Not to Teach English articles

New pronunciation pages

Posted on 05/09/2023 by alexcase

New and newish pages on connected speech, schwa, magic E, doubled letters, and IELTS pronunciation, available with many other pronunciation pages here: Pronunciation games/ worksheets

Posted in Photocopiable worksheets, Pronunciation, pronunciation games | Comments Off on New pronunciation pages

New silent letters lists, article, PDFs and links

Posted on 12/08/2020 by alexcase

Although you can argue about the usefulness of teaching intonation, using minimal pairs, etc, I don’t think anyone can fail to appreciate the usefulness and instant impact of learning which letters in words are written but not pronounced. For example, … Continue reading →

Posted in Photocopiable worksheets, Pronunciation | 1 Comment

New teaching English syllables materials and teaching ideas

Posted on 15/11/2015 by alexcase

Recently had the hard but rewarding experience of writing and giving a nine-hour course just on pronunciation. Spent about 3 hours of that on making sure my students could recognise and produce the right number of syllables, including in famously … Continue reading →

Posted in consonant clusters, Pronunciation | 4 Comments

The RP straw man

Posted on 04/10/2012 by alexcase

This point struck me again when I was reading Teaching the Pronunciation of English as a Foreign Language by Robin Walker, which started as a much more balanced and practical view of that area but started to go downhill with … Continue reading →

Posted in English as an International Language/ Lingua Franca, Pronunciation | 1 Comment

Minimal pairs for Spanish speaking learners of English

Posted on 17/06/2012 by alexcase

Ones in blue linked to graded lists of minimal pairs. Will add more as more lists go up. Article on pronunciation for Spanish speakers also now available here. Updated 19 July 2020. If you like this and want more, please … Continue reading →

Posted in minimal pairs, Teaching English in Spain | 6 Comments

A better way of using minimal pairs for consonant clusters?

Posted on 10/05/2012 by alexcase

Just come up with another variation on my last post about combining this vital pronunciation point and this easy to use activity . It is to use minimal pairs that are also consonant clusters, practising both the vowel or consonant distinction … Continue reading →

Posted in minimal pairs | Comments Off on A better way of using minimal pairs for consonant clusters?

Minimal pairs for Korean learners of English

Posted on 17/04/2012 by alexcase

Links are to list of relevant minimal pairs divided by level. If you like this and want more, please support TEFLtastic.  Updated 26 July 2020.  Voiced and unvoiced consonants b and p (bore and pore) v and f (van and … Continue reading →

Posted in minimal pairs, Teaching English in Korea | Comments Off on Minimal pairs for Korean learners of English

Practising consonant clusters with minimal pairs

Posted on 29/01/2012 by alexcase

I’m hoping to do a whole article on the tricky but important point of practising consonant clusters, but not sure I have enough ideas for 700 words on the topic yet. I have come up with two ways of using … Continue reading →

Posted in consonant clusters, minimal pairs | 5 Comments

Stretching the definition and use of minimal pairs

Posted on 01/12/2011 by alexcase

My regular reader may have noticed that I’ve been playing fast and loose with the definition of minimal pairs recently. Or rather, that I’ve been using the definition “easily confused words in which only one sound is different” in ways that … Continue reading →

Posted in minimal pairs | 2 Comments