Why should you take the time to understand common pronunciation errors in English? The language is full of quirks that can make speaking it smoothly quite the challenge. It's natural to make mistakes —sometimes without even realizing it.
By identifying these errors, you can actively work toward correcting them. But if they go unnoticed, they can turn into habits that make clear communication more difficult.
This guide will help you recognize and fix these pronunciation slip-ups before they become ingrained. Let’s nip these pronunciation errors in English in the bud!
1. Mispronouncing “R” and “L” Sounds One of the most common errors in English pronunciation is mistaking the “R’ sound for “L.” You may hear someone mispronounce "The light is red" as "The right is led ."
This error is common among speakers of East Asian languages, largely because both sounds are not distinct in their languages. In Korean , for example, they use the same phoneme /ɹ/ as either "R" or "L," depending on its position in a word.
To voice the “R” sound correctly, follow the instructions given by BoldVoice Coach Eliza in the video below:
VIDEO
And now, for the “L” sound, watch as Coach Ron guides you through the sound step by step:
VIDEO
Note that the most significant difference here is the tongue:
For the “R” sound, the tongue tip does not touch the back of the front teeth. For the “L” sound, the tongue tip does touch the back of the front teeth.
Work through pronunciation practice exercises to get the hang of the differences. For more expert lessons like the ones above, download the BoldVoice app and start tackling errors in English pronunciation today!
2. Confusing “TH” Sounds Like the L/R error, this is another pronunciation error common among foreigners and English learners.
The English “TH” sound has two variants: the voiceless θ and the voiced ð. The confusion with this sound presents itself in multiple ways, as you’ll see below.
The θ and ð mixup
We pronounce the voiceless θ by placing the tip of the tongue lightly between the upper and lower teeth. Next, exhale air gently through the gap created without using your vocal cords.
Some words that carry this sound include:
Math /mæθ/ Bathroom /ˈbæθˌruːm/ Thinks: /θɪŋks/
The voiced version has the vocal cords vibrating during production. The tongue placement is identical to /θ/, but we activate the vocal cords as we gently push air through the teeth. For example:
Breathe /briːð/ Father /ˈfɑːðɚ/ That /ðæt/
The difference between both sounds is that the voiceless θ has no vibration while the voiced ð activates the vocal cords.
Replacing the “TH” sound with the “S” or “Z” sounds
Because many languages don’t have the “TH” sound, speakers may approximate it with sounds they already know, like the “S” or “Z” sound . Therefore, they may pronounce “think” as “sink” or “this” as “zis.”
To avoid these errors in English, ensure you are familiar with mouth positioning and tongue placements. If your tongue stays behind your teeth entirely, you might produce /s/ or /z/, and if it touches the roof of your mouth, you might produce /t/ or /d/.
To produce the “TH” sound, either voiced or unvoiced, the tongue must be between the teeth, as demonstrated by BoldVoice Coach Ron:
VIDEO
Master the differences with ease with the BoldVoice app !
3. Adding Extra Vowel Sounds in Consonant Clusters This error is prevalent among non-native English speakers, especially those with native languages like Arabic and Japanese , where consonant clusters are either used differently or nonexistent.
To simplify words with these sounds, many speakers make it a habit to add extra vowel sounds , unintentionally turning words like “street” into “sta-reet” or “blue” into “bu-lue.”
If you want to avoid this error, you must consciously focus on identifying and eliminating the extra vowels. You can do this by very slowly transitioning from one consonant sound to another, gradually increasing the speed as you become more comfortable.
4. Word Stress Word stress refers to the emphasis placed on certain syllables within a word when spoken. It plays a crucial role in shaping meaning, distinguishing between words, and maintaining the rhythm of speech.
For instance, take the word “present.” When stressed on the first syllable (PREsent), it functions as a noun, meaning a gift. Shift the stress to the second syllable (preSENT), and it becomes a verb, meaning to introduce.
English stress patterns can be unpredictable, and many languages don’t use stress in the same way. While you might naturally pick up on these patterns through conversation, understanding the underlying rules can make a significant difference in your pronunciation.
One key rule is that two-syllable nouns and adjectives are usually stressed on the first syllable, while two-syllable verbs and prepositions tend to stress the second. For example:
TAble /ˈteɪbəl/ PICture /ˈpɪktʃər/ reLAX /rɪˈlæks/ beTWEEN /bɪˈtwiːn/
Mastering word stress will not only improve your clarity but also make your speech sound more natural and confident.
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5. Dropping Final Consonants In some languages, leaving off final consonants is perfectly normal, but in English, it can make your speech harder to understand. These sounds are often the key to distinguishing words—for example, “cap” and “cat” might sound identical if the final consonant is dropped.
To improve clarity, practice fully pronouncing the final consonant in words, paying special attention to words where you're most likely to drop them. Focusing on these endings will help ensure your speech remains clear and precise.
6. Pronouncing V as W (or Vice Versa) This mix-up is quite common among ESL speakers, particularly those whose native languages don’t differentiate between the “V” sound and the “W” sound as distinctly as English does. Speakers of languages like Hindi and German, for instance, often struggle with this distinction.
To pronounce the fricative “V,” place your upper teeth lightly on your lower lip and create a vibration:
For W, round your lips without letting them touch and push air out—your tongue and teeth shouldn’t make contact with anything inside your mouth:
If you already produce both sounds correctly in isolation, focus on differentiating them in full sentences. If the mistake happens because you speak too quickly, slowing down can help you gain better control over these sounds.
Practicing tongue twisters is an effective way to sharpen your pronunciation. Try this one to train your “V” and “W” sounds:
"Vivid wolves venture very wisely while waving their velvet vests."
With enough practice, you’ll naturally separate these sounds and make your speech clearer.
7. Replacing Schwa (/ə/) Sounds with Full Vowels The schwa /ə/ is a unique neutral, unstressed vowel sound found in weak syllables. It’s different from a regular vowel and is pronounced like a quick, relaxed "uh."
Many foreigners tend to replace the schwa sound with full vowel sounds, making their speech sound overly formal or stilted. Usually, when we pronounce this sound, we keep the jaw, tongue, and lips relaxed in a neutral position.
Listen as BoldVoice Coach Ron walks you through the tricky schwa sound:
VIDEO
You'll find this sound in words like:
Banana /bəˈnænə/ Celebrate /ˈsɛləˌbreɪt/ About /əˈbaʊt/
8. Overemphasizing Silent Letters Silent letters are written, but not pronounced. These include the "k" in "knight," the "b" in "subtle," and even the "h" in "honest."
Words that contain silent letters are particularly tricky for ESL speakers who might instinctively try to pronounce every letter they see. This further leads to overly enunciating words and saying "k-night" instead of "/naɪt/" or "sub-tle" instead of "/sʌtəl/.”
The only way to correct these kinds of pronunciation errors in English is by familiarizing yourself with common patterns that occur frequently. Let’s learn some very common silent letter patterns you might encounter in English:
Silent K
The letter “k” is silent when it appears before “n” at the start of words, like in the examples below:
Knight /naɪt/ Knee /niː/ Know /noʊ/
Silent B
This letter is silent when it follows an “m” at the end of a word, such as:
Thumb /θʌm/ Bomb /bɑːm/ Climb /klaɪm/
Silent H
“H” is often silent when it follows “w” in some words, or in a few other words of Old English origin.
Whistle /ˈwɪsəl/ White /waɪt/ Honest /ˈɒnɪst/
Silent P
The letter “p” is silent in certain words that come from Greek and Latin, typically when followed by consonants.
Psychology /saɪˈkɒlədʒi/ Pterodactyl /ˌterəˈdæktɪl/ Receipt /rɪˈsiːt/
9. Difficulty with the flap “T” in American English In American English , when a T sound appears between two vowel sounds, it often transforms into what’s known as the flap T. This sound is a softer, quicker version of D, which is why “water” /ˈwɔtɚ/ sounds more like wad-er.
However, many English learners either pronounce it as a full D, making it too heavy, or as a crisp T, which sounds overly precise and unnatural in casual speech.
To produce the flap T, place the tip of your tongue near the alveolar ridge (the bumpy area behind your upper front teeth) and keep it relaxed. Then, lightly tap the ridge in a quick, fluid motion—almost like a flick.
Avoid holding the position or creating a strong burst of air like a traditional /t/. Unlike regular T sounds, the flap T requires minimal air pressure, making it sound smoother.
For reference, plosive sounds —like /p/, /t/, /k/, /b/, /d/, and /g/—are created by briefly blocking airflow and then releasing it in a small burst. The flap T, however, is much lighter and blends naturally into the flow of speech, making American English sound more fluid.
Watch this brief lesson to master the sound:
VIDEO
And download the BoldVoice app for access to hundreds more expert pronunciation lessons and reduce your errors in English!
10. Pronouncing “ED” Suffixes Incorrectly The “ED” ending or suffix in past tense verbs has complex rules governing its pronunciation. In English, it has three variants:
/t/ as in worked /wɔːkt/ /d/ as in played /pleɪd/ /ɪd/ as in wanted /ˈwɑːntɪd/
The error usually happens when learners apply the default /ɪd/ pronunciation for all verbs, or pronounce the ending exactly as it’s spelled. However, the pronunciation of the “-ED” ending depends on the sound that comes before it.
We pronounce the sound as /t/ when the verb ends in an unvoiced consonant sound:
Asked /æskt/ Jumped /dʒʌmpt/ Hoped /hoʊpt/
When the verb ends in a voiced sound, we pronounce it as a /d/:
"Called" /kɔːld/ "Played" /pleɪd/ "Loved" /lʌvd/
Finally, say /ɪd/ when the verb ends in /t/ or /d/ sounds as seen below:
"Wanted" /ˈwɑːntɪd/ "Decided" /dɪˈsaɪdɪd/ "Started" /ˈstɑːrtɪd/ Fine-Tuning Your Pronunciation for Clearer Speech
Mastering English pronunciation isn’t just about speaking—it’s about being understood. Many common mistakes stem from linguistic differences, but if left uncorrected, they can turn into lasting habits.
By identifying these patterns and actively working to improve them, you can enhance your clarity and confidence. With structured practice and the right feedback, refining your pronunciation becomes a natural and rewarding process.
For more precise guidance, BoldVoice offers AI-powered speech analysis to pinpoint specific pronunciation challenges, alongside expert lessons and interactive practice exercises. Try it for free with a 7-day trial and start making noticeable improvements today.
