f v θ ð s z ʃ

[f], [v], [θ], [ð], [s], [z], [ ʃ ], [ʒ], [h]

Sample [f]: Four phone calls are enough. Sample [v]: It was very hot, of course. Spellings [f]: f as in four ff as in affair gh as in enough ph as in phone lf as in half Spellings [v]: v as in very f (only in the word of) ph (only in the name Stephen) vv as in savvy

[f] feel [v] veal fan van proof prove leaf leave shuffle shovel

[v] vine [w] wine verse worse vet wet vest west vile wile

[v] vest [b] best rove robe vote boat vow bow vend bend

BEGINNING fear MIDDLE afford END relief fire default staff fair perfect safe face offend shelf fever defer brief

[fl] flush [fr] afraid [fs] chefs [ft] after sniffle frost graphs left floor frenzy laughs staffed waffle frog reefs raft flame fruit beliefs safety

BEGINNING view MIDDLE event END have voice heaven above verse favor stove virtue river brave value device relative

[vl] gravel [vz] carves [vd] deceived rival shoves moved level slaves lived evil moves saved oval grooves loved

Half of the shelf was overflowing. I was positive there was a live wire on the pavement. It’s the best work of fiction I’ve read in five years. I lost the chance for victory in only seven moves.

Description: [θ], [ð] are cognate sounds. They are both produced by squeezing a breath stream between your tongue and teeth. [θ] is voiceless and [ð] is voiced. Sample [θ]: I thought it was a thin slice of birthday cake. Sample [ð]: My mother said they were the best. Spellings: [θ] [ð] th as in bath th as in with tth as in Matthew the as in bathe

[t] tin [θ] thin taught thought boat both bath tanks thanks

[f] first [θ] thirst free three reef wreath froze throws fink think

[s] sick [θ] thick sigh thigh mouse mouth face faith worse worth

BEGINNING thing MIDDLE pathway END myth thousand python tooth thumb healthy cloth thrive athlete warmth therapy everything fortieth

[nθ] Tenth [θl] lethal [dθ] width [θs] paths Month faithless breadth myths Synthetic ruthless hundredth ninths [ksθ] sixth

[d] day [ð] they dare there ladder lather dough though doze those

[z] teasing [ð] teething close clothes Zen then seize seethe closing clothing

The word the is one the most frequently used in the English language. Yet many are confused on how to pronounce it. Here are some rules to help: It is [ðə] when followed by a consonant. It is [ði] when followed by a vowel. So it’s [ðə] in the beginning and [ði] at the end.

BEGINNING than MIDDLE leather END clothe theirs rhythms smooth that whether with those gather soothe this father breathe

[ðd] breathed [ðz] soothes [rð] northern writhed loathes earthen smoothed breathes further clothed bathes worthy seethed smoothes farther

[θ] It was his third faithless love affair. Old myths and old athletes can stretch beyond truth. [ð] They were within the boundaries. I like bathing is cool, soothing waters.

Sample [s]: The dog lost the scent of the snake in the grass. Sample [z]: They hosed out the cages at the zoo. Spellings [s]: Spellings [z]: s as in snake tz as in waltz z as in zoo ss as in grass sch as in schism x as in Xerox sc as in scent x as in exit se as in hose c as in cent (with [k]) zz as in blizzard ps as in psychology ss as in scissors s as in music

[s] sue [z] zoo racer razor loose lose spice spies device devise

BEGINNING sun MIDDLE basin END juice saint decide mess ceiling bicycle release sorry assign blouse search taste lettuce

[sw] Swim [sp] spare [str] struck [skr] scrape [sts] boasts Swamp wasp destroy transcribe dusts Swallow inspire stretch scribe tests Suede clasp distract screen bursts Swing span street subscribe rusts

[sk] mask [ks] max desk decks ask axe dusk ducks task tacks

BEGINNING zipper MIDDLE design END choose zone hazy because Zebra music his zoo freezing falls zucchini result refuse

As the saying goes, the race is to the swift. Deposit My cans are worth five cents a piece. sister groans when she lends me money. Wood crisis. stoves are my answer to the energy

Sample [ʃ]: She dreamed that he lived in a mansion made of sugar near Chicago’s Russian embassy. Sample [ʒ]: She was vision in beige and azure at the garage. Spellings [ʃ]: t as in nation Spellings [ʒ]: sh as in she sc as in fascist s as in pleasure c as in ocean chs as in fuchsia ge as in beige s as in tension ch as in Chicago z as in azure ss as in fissure j as in bijou sch as in schnapps g as in gendarme

[ʃ] and [ʒ] are cognate sounds. They are lingua-palatal(tongue-soft palate) fricatives. Same production as [s] and [z], except the tongue is further back. Contrast [ʃ] and [ʒ]: [ʃ] [ʒ] glacier glazier pressure pleasure fission vision

BEGINNING shield MIDDLE martial END lush shrimp crashed harsh shock machine finish shower special trash sheep tissue push

MIDDLE END confusion treasure collage END version visual garage massage incision decision mirage camouflage illusion conclusion beige entourage measure casual sabotage rouge prestige

They’re casual about relaxation in Chicago. Shoveling The We sand can be pleasurable. dog could be vicious on occasion. measured the beach erosion while on vacation.

Sample: Helen heated the whole house until it was too hot. Spellings: h as in hot wh as in whole

BEGINNING MIDDLE Heat hungry perhaps MIDDLE exhale Happy who behave rehearse House here behind ahead Humor hat lighthouse coherent Help health Ohio unharmed

He took a huge inhalation at the end of the hallway. The passengers were unharmed in the highjacking. They were happy, but hungry, after the rehearsal.