{"id":3300,"date":"2016-06-06T08:00:32","date_gmt":"2016-06-06T15:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/?p=3300"},"modified":"2020-12-10T13:43:27","modified_gmt":"2020-12-10T21:43:27","slug":"tongue-twisters-for-native-chinese-speakers-l-th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/tongue-twisters-for-native-chinese-speakers-l-th\/","title":{"rendered":"Tongue Twisters for Native Chinese Speakers: L and TH"},"content":{"rendered":"

For native Chinese speakers<\/a>, distinguishing between the English “L” sound and\u00a0voiced “th” sound<\/a>\u00a0can be hard. Today we’ll practice these two sounds with some tongue twisters. We’ll focus on “L” and voiced “th” at the beginning of words; words starting<\/em> with these sounds are especially challenging for Chinese ESL learners.<\/p>\n

Examples of\u00a0Voiced “th” and “L”<\/h2>\n

Before we started– how can you know a word starts with a voiced “th” and not an unvoiced one? There’s actually an easy way to tell.<\/p>\n

Structure words<\/em>— words that have a grammar function rather than a specific dictionary meaning– use voiced “th” at the beginning. Examples include\u00a0this, that, these, those, the, than, then,\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0they<\/em>.\u00a0Vocabulary words<\/em> with specific meanings start with an unvoiced “th” (thing, through, thought<\/em>, etc…)<\/p>\n

To native Chinese speakers, the voiced “th” sounds a lot like the “L” sound, especially at the beginning of words. This confusion is understandable. Both sounds can be made with the same mouth movements. You can make the th\/L<\/em> sounds by pushing your tongue against the back of your upper front teeth:<\/p>\n

FIGURE 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"tongue<\/p>\n

Or sticking your tongue out between your upper and lower teeth:<\/p>\n

FIGURE 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"tongue<\/p>\n

Most commonly, the “L” sound is made by the mouth position in\u00a0Figure 1<\/strong>, while the “th” sound is made by the mouth motion in\u00a0Figure 2<\/strong>. But again, both of these movements can make either the “L” or “th” sounds. So how can you distinguish the two?<\/p>\n

One thing you can do is\u00a0listen closely<\/em> to both sounds in English. Let’s do this with the similar-sounding words\u00a0they<\/em> and\u00a0lay<\/em>. Check out the audio below:<\/p>\n

THEY<\/strong><\/p>\n

https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/files\/2016\/05\/THEY.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

LAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/files\/2016\/05\/LAY.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Can you hear the difference? If you don’t feel confident yet, listen to me say these words again. This time I’ll say the beginning sound of each word just\u00a0a little bit slower:<\/p>\n

THEY, LAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/files\/2016\/05\/THEY-LAY.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By now, most of you probably noticed the difference. But if any of you still have doubts,\u00a0listen once more to\u00a0the beginnings of those words, spoken\u00a0really<\/em> slowly:<\/p>\n

THEY, LAY (slowly)<\/strong><\/p>\n

https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/files\/2016\/05\/THEY-LAY-SLOWLY.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I\u00a0know<\/em> you heard the difference that time!\u00a0Now you’re ready to try saying these two sounds yourself.<\/p>\n

Tongue Twisters with Voiced “th” and “L”<\/h2>\n

Again,\u00a0many Chinese ESL students have a really hard time distinguishing these sounds. So read this tongue-twisting set of words out loud very carefully:<\/p>\n