Wednesday, February 11, 2009

English P and F sound

When we don't know how to spell a word, we normally just write it like how we say it. The only problem is that if we couldn't pronounce it right then we definitely couldn't spell it correctly either.


I saw this sign in one of the city's markets and as a former call center trainer, I know how challenging it is for most Filipinos to speak words with p and f sounds.

The greeting "Good Afternoon" becomes "Gud Apternun". Saying "I feel fine" becomes "I pil pine" or even explaining a situation like "The charge is part of your monthly fee" may sound like "The charge is fart of your monthly pee."

Doesn't sound good huh?

Mispronouncing both p and f sound not only affects your accent but also changes the message that you want to deliver to the receiver.


To produce the p sound: Place your lips together and force out the air very shortly

To produce the f sound: Gently bite your lower lip and push your voice and air out with a continued sound

Try pronouncing these sounds correctly as a simple drill. It may help improve your pronunciation which will make it easier for you to get your message across accurately at the same time.


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