Top 10 Consonant Mistakes in American English by English Learners

Master your American English accent! 🗣️ In this special 20th-anniversary live stream, Jennifer Tarl from Tarle Speech breaks down the Top 10 most common consonant mistakes made by English learners and provides clear, actionable steps to fix them.

Whether you struggle with the "TH" sound, mix up your "V" and "W," or find the American "R" nearly impossible, this comprehensive guide covers the mechanics of each sound to help you speak more clearly and confidently.

What you’ll learn in this lesson:

[01:39] #1: The TH Sound – Learn why keeping the air moving is the secret to avoiding "T" or "D" substitutions.

[07:56] #2: The NG Sound – Fix the "N+G" or "NK" mistakes by mastering back-of-the-tongue placement.

[14:02] #3: The V Sound – Stop substituting "B" or "W" and learn the "smiling lip" technique.

[19:10] #4: The W Sound – Perfect your rounded, puckered lips for words like "work" and "what."

[22:39] #5: The Z Sound – Why spelling often tricks you into saying "S" instead of "Z."

[27:10] #6: The SH Sound – Understanding digraphs and rounding your lips correctly.

[32:06] #7: The CH Sound – Master the "stop-and-release" movement of the tongue.

[34:37] #8: The J Sound – How to avoid "D," "Z," or "CH" sounds in words like "job" and "magic."

[38:04] #9: The R Sound – The "long and strong" approach to the American R (without touching your teeth!).

[43:03] #10: The L Sound – Differentiating from "W" or "R" by finding the alveolar ridge.