B
BolFluent
44 Phoneme Drills
English's tricky sounds — /v/ vs /w/, /θ/ and /ð/ (think and this), the schwa, /ʒ/ — don't exist in Hindi, so they need repeated practice.
Explained
English has phonemes (sounds) that don't exist in Hindi. The biggest trouble-makers for Hindi speakers: /v/ vs /w/, the two 'th' sounds (/θ/ in 'think', /ð/ in 'this'), the schwa (the lazy 'uh' in 'about'), and /ʒ/ (in 'measure'). This lesson drills each through minimal pairs — words that differ only by that one sound.
/v/ vs /w/ (very / wary)
| Word | Example |
|---|---|
| vine vs wine /v/ bites lower lip; /w/ rounds lips ज लबों के सहारे / गोल होंठ | The vine on the wall is for wine. दीवार पर बेल वाइन के लिए है। |
| vest vs west /v/ requires teeth; /w/ does not /v/ में दाँत — /w/ में होंठ गोल | He wore a vest going west. वो वेस्ट पहनकर पश्चिम जा रहा था। |
| verse vs worse the swap Hindi speakers make most /v/ ज़बानी कट / /w/ हवाई | This verse is worse than the last. ये वर्स पिछले से ख़राब है। |
| Tongue-twister for /v/ /w/ /v/ /w/ की प्रैक्टिस | Wally Vasu wove a velvet vest in winter. वैली वासू ने सर्दियों में मख़मली वेस्ट बुना। |
| vow vs wow /v/ vs /w/ /v/ कोमल — /w/ खुली | I take a vow — wow, that's serious! मैं वचन लेता हूँ — वाह, गंभीर बात है! |
/θ/ and /ð/ — the two 'th' sounds
| Word | Example |
|---|---|
| think vs sink /θ/ unvoiced — tongue between teeth जीभ दाँतों के बीच, हल्की हवा | I think the sink is leaking. मुझे लगता है सिंक टपक रहा है। |
| this vs dis /ð/ voiced — tongue lightly between teeth गुणी — जीभ दाँतों के बीच, गला हिले | This is the one! यही वाला है! |
| thought vs taught vs fought /θ/ tongue between teeth; /t/ tongue behind teeth; /f/ lip under teeth तीनों आम confusion | I thought the teacher had taught me, but really I fought to learn. मैंने सोचा teacher ने सिखाया, असल में मैंने मेहनत की। |
| Tongue-twister for /θ/ /θ/ का अभ्यास | Three thin thieves thought about thirty thumbtacks. तीन पतले चोर तीस कीलों के बारे में सोच रहे थे। |
| mother / father / brother / weather common /ð/ words /ð/ वाले रोज़ के शब्द | My mother and father are home, but my brother is out in this weather. मेरे माँ-पापा घर हैं, पर भाई इस मौसम में बाहर है। |
Schwa /ə/ — the lazy 'uh' vowel
| Word | Example |
|---|---|
| about / ago / among schwa in unstressed syllable बेज़ोर uh | It's about ten minutes ago among friends. लगभग दस मिनट पहले दोस्तों के बीच। |
| banana two schwas: bə-NAN-ə बeNANə (पहली और आख़िरी uh) | I'll have a banana for breakfast. मैं नाश्ते में एक केला लूँगा। |
| of / for / to (in fast speech) weak form — pronounced 'uh' rapid English में uh ban jaate हैं | A cup of tea for me, please. मेरे लिए एक कप चाय। |
/ʒ/ — the 'zh' sound
| Word | Example |
|---|---|
| measure / pleasure / treasure /ʒ/ — voiced; soft as a hum ज़ की जगह — कोमल झ़ | Take your measure — it's a pleasure. अपनी माप ले लो — ख़ुशी की बात है। |
| vision / decision / television /ʒ/ in -sion endings vi-zhən / di-si-zhən | It was a tough decision about the television. टीवी के बारे में मुश्किल फ़ैसला था। |
Practise
1. Which sound is /θ/?
- think
- sink
- drink
- tank
Show the answer
think
2. Pick the /v/ /w/ pair.
- sink / think
- vine / wine
- boat / coat
- hand / hand
Show the answer
vine / wine
3. Schwa /ə/ is in ___.
- banana (a-A-a)
- bee (only ee)
- ten (only e)
- cat (only a)
Show the answer
banana (a-A-a)
Related lessons
- PronunciationSounds Hindi speakers find tricky
- Word & Sentence StressPHOto vs phoTOgrapher; meaning shifts
- Connected Speechgonna, wanna, lemme — recognise them
- Listening: Gist vs DetailTop-down listening for news, IVR, podcasts
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