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Okay, let's start.
Today we will practice some of the most difficult words to pronounce in English.
Words that start with th as in this or that and words that end in li as in constantly or definitely.
And with a mini story you will improve your fluency.
English pronunciation can be a big problem for some English students, and their native language determines, for the most part, what types of difficulties students will have.
However, most English students worldwide find it difficult to pronounce words that start with TH.
TH is one of the hardest sounds to pronounce and we pronounce it in three different ways as TH, as in this that these Those, they or them.
We also pronounce it as the voiceless th, as in three, thing, thought.
Some students often say dat instead of that.
But we also pronounce it as a t, as in tie.
I've asked my students what words they found difficult, and many of them were words beginning with TH.
The words were thought, through, three, threaten, throughout, and theft.
I will give an example for each word, but first let's pronounce them one by one.
Listen and repeat.
Thought.
Through.
Threaten.
Throughout.
Theft.
Examples.
I never thought my wish could one day come true.
Through repetition, you will improve your English fluency.
I had three exams last week and passed all of them.
They tried to threaten to take away my scholarship, but in the end, they had a change of heart.
You have always been by my side, especially throughout the difficult times.
They were put in prison for theft.
Okay, let's continue.
My students also find it hard to pronounce words that end in "-ly".
Examples Independently Significantly Unfortunately Definitely Consciously, Excitedly.
You have difficulty pronouncing words ending in -ly, because it's often part of a consonant blend.
You have to say two or even three consonants together.
If you want to pronounce words ending in -ly, you first need to know how to pronounce the consonant L correctly in English.
In the words independently and significantly, we have consonants N, T, and L one after the other.
That's what makes these words difficult to pronounce.
Listen and repeat after me several times independently independently Significantly, Significantly.
Examples The two sections operate independently of each other.
Teens tend to like to act independently.
You can reduce your health problems significantly if you have a healthy diet.
American English is significantly different from British English.
Let's continue with unfortunately and definitely.
In unfortunately and definitely, we have the consonant group TL.
Again.
Listen to the words unfortunately and definitely and repeat after me several times unfortunately unfortunately definitely, definitely examples.
Unfortunately I can't talk much, my time is limited.
They thought I was exaggerating, but unfortunately, all the reports have turned out to be true.
I'm definitely excited about our trip to New York.
I'm definitely going to get in touch with the company.
Next word is consciously.
In the word consciously, we have the consonant cluster SL.
Listen to the word consciously and repeat after me several times.
Consciously Consciously Examples You have made a decision, whether consciously or unconsciously.
I wouldn't think he is consciously rude to people.
It's just his personality.
The last word is excitedly.
In the word excitedly, we have the consonant group dl.
Listen to the word excitedly and repeat after me several times.
Excitedly.
Excitedly.
Examples People were gathering and talking excitedly.
She waved excitedly as the car approached.
That's all for now.
I hope you have practiced your English pronunciation with these exercises and examples.
Now let's continue with a mini-story.
Mini story is very simple.
I ask easy questions on purpose, so that you can simulate a conversation in English.
It's like talking with another person.
Let's get started.
Tom was a chef and he enjoyed cooking continuously.
Was Tom a lawyer?
No, no.
Tom wasn't a lawyer.
He was a chef.
Did he hate cooking?
No, no.
He didn't hate cooking.
He loved cooking.
Did he cook every day?
Yes, he cooked every day.
He cooked continuously.
Every week he excitedly made a selection of ingredients for his delicious dishes.
When did he make a selection?
Every week.
He made a selection of ingredients every week.
Did he make the selection excitedly?
Yes, he made the selection excitedly.
He was excited about his work.
Were his dishes inedible?
No, no.
His dishes were not inedible.
His dishes were delicious.
Unfortunately, one day something terrible happened.
Tom lost his inspiration.
Did something wonderful happen?
No, no.
Unfortunately, something terrible happened.
Was Tom inspired to prepare new dishes?
No, no.
Tom wasn't inspired.
He lost his inspiration.
Was he significantly inspired?
No, he wasn't significantly inspired.
Tom lost his inspiration.
But luckily, Tom realized that what he needed was to operate more independently.
Was Tom able to realize something?
Yes.
Luckily, Tom realized something.
Did Tom need more supervision?
No, no.
Tom needed to become more independent.
He needed to operate more independently.
So he definitely opened up his own restaurant and worked as a chef there.
What did Tom open?
A bakery?
No, no.
Tom didn't open a bakery.
He opened a restaurant.
Was it his own restaurant?
Yes, Tom opened his own restaurant.
Did he work as a waiter there?
No, no.
Tom worked as a chef in his own restaurant.
That's how he recovered his inspiration and worked continuously and excitedly for the rest of his life.
What did he recover?
His dignity?
No, no.
He didn't recover his dignity.
He recovered his inspiration.
Did he work again continuously?
Yes, he worked again continuously and excitedly.
How long did he continue to work as a chef?
For the rest of his life.
Tom continued to work as a chef for the rest of his life.
Perfect!
It's the end of this mini-story.
As you can see through questions and answers, you can practice and improve your speech, just like in a real conversation.
This is one of the techniques that I use in my premium courses.
I recommend that you take a look at Okay, this is the end of this episode.
Remember to listen to it several times.
It will help you with your English.
A new course is now available to help you with your pronunciation.
And it's for all levels.
Pronunciation course dot com and get it now for a special price.
I repeat pronunciation course dot com.
