One of the biggest challenges of learning a new language is hearing and reproducing unfamiliar sounds. Often teachers focus on vocabulary and practicing simple sentences. But new research suggests people could master languages more rapidly by practicing pronunciation first. This strategy can help in identifying the subtle distinctions between similar phonemes, or speech sounds, across languages. For example, below are 10 sibilant (sounds such as s, sh, ch, zh) syllables from English, French, Russian and Hungarian. Click each one to hear how it is pronounced, then try to reproduce the sound yourself.
Syllable
Language
Pronunciation
Sue
English
Su
French
Sous
French
Shoe
English
Russian
Russian
Chew
English
Tyu
Hungarian
Gyu
Hungarian
Jew
English
Emphasizing phonetics first may also help learners achieve fluency faster. This approach makes a big difference when students face daunting terms like the complex vocabulary below. Tap on a word to hear its pronunciation and see if you can repeat it yourself.
Word
Language
Meaning
Pronunciation
eichhörnchen
German
squirrel
streichholzschächtelchen
German
matchbox
höchstgeschwindigkeitsbegrenzung
German
maximum speed limit
écureuil
French
squirrel
sovramagnificentissimamente
Italian
extremely magnificent
Russian, 19th century bureaucratic
a very polite form of addressing clerks, like your excellency or your highness
fényképezgép
Hungarian
camera
This strategy can help in identifying the subtle distinctions between similar phonemes, or speech sounds, across languages. For example, below are 10 sibilant (sounds such as s, sh, ch, zh) syllables from English, French, Russian and Hungarian. Click each one to hear how it is pronounced, then try to reproduce the sound yourself.
Syllable
Language
Pronunciation
Sue
English
Su
French
Sous
Shoe
Russian
Chew
Tyu
Hungarian
Gyu
Jew
Emphasizing phonetics first may also help learners achieve fluency faster. This approach makes a big difference when students face daunting terms like the complex vocabulary below. Tap on a word to hear its pronunciation and see if you can repeat it yourself.
Word
Meaning
eichhörnchen
German
squirrel
streichholzschächtelchen
matchbox
höchstgeschwindigkeitsbegrenzung
maximum speed limit
écureuil
sovramagnificentissimamente
Italian
extremely magnificent
Russian, 19th century bureaucratic
a very polite form of addressing clerks, like your excellency or your highness
fényképezgép
camera
