Native Phrase Lab
WillowbrookThe Sound Map · Every sound of British English
Forty-four sounds. Hear every one in my voice.
English has 26 letters and 44 sounds, which is why the spelling keeps lying to you. So forget the spelling for a minute. Tap a sound: I say it, then a word it lives in. Then you say it back and watch your own voice on the line next to mine.
- Tap a sound.You hear me say it, then the word.
- See how it’s made.Lips, tongue, and whether your voice is on.
- Say it back.Your voice draws in red, right next to mine.
New My pronunciation game
Play the Sound Atlas free.
This map is really a map of your mouth. Every sound sits where your mouth makes it. Travel across it with me, one sound at a time: see it, hear it, say it, and win three stars.
Four sounds are completely free. Choose one and start now:
No key, no email. You can also meet and hear all 44 sounds. All 44 sounds, fully, come free with Native Phrase Lab ($29) →
Show the map The same sounds laid out by where in your mouth they’re made. For the curious.
Vowels
Front of the mouth on the left, back on the right. Close at the top, open at the bottom. Arrows are diphthongs: one vowel gliding into another.
Consonants
Columns are where the sound is made, lips to throat. Rows are how. Pairs share a mouth shape. The difference is your voice.
Practice
Read it, then say it.
Two sentences that use most of the map. Read them at normal speed and listen to yourself. The microphone above works on any sound you open.
Then try the words that trick everyone: how to pronounce 100 tricky words, like Wednesday, receipt and Leicester, all in my voice.
She sells seashells by the seashore.
/ʃiː selz ˈsiːʃelz baɪ ðə ˈsiːʃɔː/
I thought the weather here was terrible, but I was wrong.
/aɪ ˈθɔːt ðə ˈweðə hɪə wəz ˈterəbl̩ bət aɪ wəz ˈrɒŋ/
Next step Sounds of English
All 44 sounds, fully, come free with Native Phrase Lab.
- Six short steps for every sound: Meet, Hear, Spot, Say, Use, Challenge
- Record yourself and get feedback on your recording
- A route for your first language, and a warm-up every day
- About 1,260 recordings in my voice
One payment, no subscription. You also get 1,000 real English phrases. Already have Phrase Lab or All Access? Open Sounds of English.
Want me to actually listen?
Record ninety seconds, send it, and get a personal video back: your three biggest issues and exactly how to fix them.
Get a Sound Check for $35 →