Soundsand Drills

Merriam-Webster’s Pronunciation Key

VOWELS

Orientation on Challenging Sounds

Vowels ConsonantsShort a (æ/ă) bItalian a (ä) dLong e (ē) fShort i (i/ĭ) pLong o (ô) sSchwa (ə) t

Short u (u/ŭ) voiced th (th) andLong u (ü/ū) unvoiced/voiceless th

vZ

Contrastive Vowel and Consonant Sound Pairs

short a vs italian a

Word Drills/æ/ /ä/bag bog

black blockmad mod

shack shocktap top

Sentence Drills

1. I was shocked to see her messy shack.

2. The clock tells me it’s time to snack.

3. There was a black cat on top of the mop.

4. She put on tanning lotion instead of sun block.

5. The cat was trapped in the bag.

Here’s a Challenge!Can you think of your own sentences?

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Contrastive Vowel and Consonant Sound Pairs

short a vs schwa

Word Drills/æ/ /ə/ban bundam dumbham humsack suckstand stunned

Phrase Drills

1. fun in the sand

2. can’t understand

3. some plan

4. pun on Sam

5. done with the can

Sentence Drills

1. The goal was blocked.

2. The jock rocked but could not roll.

3. She used up all the coal in stock.

4. Fiona’s collar was rolled up

5. She stole the pope’s top hat and cloak.

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Contrastive Vowel and Consonant Sound Pairs

long e vs short i

Word Drills/ē/ /ĭ/

bead bideach itchgreen grinheed hidteam Tim

Phrase Drills

1. lean Lyn

2. neat trip

3. tin of beans

4. slipped in and out of sleep

5. stitch and steam

Sentence Drills

1. Sam stayed under the sun to get a tan.

2. The burger and bun were bland.

3. Susan, you need not wear a hat in this hut.

4. Kindly pass the ham hun.

5. She never mentioned having fun as part of the plan.

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Contrastive Vowel and Consonant Sound Pairs

Italian a vs long o

Word Drills/ä/ /ō/

block blokecroc (crocodile) croak

clock cloakcon coneton tote

Phrase Drills

1. blocked the bloke

2. loaned the lock

3. tot in a tote

4. cloaks in the stock

5. dropped the roll

Sentence Drills

1. Tina is rich beyond reach.

2. He bid for the vintage beads.

3. It is not hip to leap in the heap.

4. The chips were cheap.

5. The climb to get to its tip is very steep.

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Contrastive Vowel and Consonant Sound Pairs

short u vs long u

Word Drills/u/ /ü/full foollook Lukepull poolnook nukesoot suite

Phrase Drills

1. crooked loop

2. good food

3. cool cook

4. took his tools

5. shook the stool

Sentence Drills

1. Brook was that cool cook who taught in school.

2. I wonder how I got all this soot on my suit.

3. He looks foolish with his hair full of blue ribbon.

4. Sue had no clue that it was the actor’s hand she shook.5. Luke found the book near the tool shed.

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CONSONANT

S

Contrastive Vowel and Consonant Sound Pairs

/b/ vs /v/

Word Drills/b/ /v/

base vasebend vendboat votecurb curve

banish vanish

Phrase Drills

1. best move

2. violet banner

3. bartered vase

4. bolted vault

5. vampy Betty

Sentence Drills

1. Betsy’s vocabulary was envied by her best friend.

2. Billy quoted a verse from the bible.

3. The brave knave dared not shave his beard.

4. Boisterous were the boys who vied Violet’s vase.

5. The fable was about the venomous viper.

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Contrastive Vowel and Consonant Sound Pairs

/f/ vs /p/

Word Drills/f/ /p/

feign painfill pill

faint paintfancies pansiesfawn pon

Phrase Drills

1. pile and file

2. enough pork

3. freshly painted

4. parted few

5. fun pack

Sentence Drills

1. Peter parked the Ferrari near the fence.

2. Father wanted the porch painted fuchsia.

3. Fiona tried to find the fancy pearl.

4. She fancied purple pansies.

5. The pantry was filled with participants.

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Contrastive Vowel and Consonant Sound Pairs

/s/ vs /z/

Word Drills/s/ /z/bus buzzice eyeslice liessup zapsue zoo

Phrase Drills

1. eyes the dress

2. enough pork state of Missouri

3. miserable mice

4. dizzied by the dice

5. cups and pans

Sentence Drills

1. She paid her pet snake a visit.

2. Daisy sneezed after the kiss.

3. Susan does not like going to the zoo.

4. Dan claimed the last piece as his.

5. He dozed off after having a dose of the drug.

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Nice Job!