| Because Arabic is a Semitic language, it differs | | | | in fact, Arabic has only 8 and English has 22 |
| significantly from English, which has a European | | | | different vowel and diphthong sounds! Particularly |
| language base. Native Arabic speakers may have | | | | troublesome for many Arabic speakers are the |
| a particularly difficult time with the aspects of | | | | short vowels, which are rarely used in Arabic but |
| English which do not exist in Arabic, such as | | | | are very common in English. Words such as can, |
| certain consonants including v and g, many vowels | | | | truck, beg, sit, and on could be difficult to |
| and diphthongs, and a variety of consonant | | | | understand if the correct pronunciation isn't used. |
| clusters. | | | | Another tricky element of English pronunciation is |
| The missing consonants v and g may be some of | | | | consonant clusters - groups of 2 to 3 consonants |
| the easiest sounds to work on, because very | | | | that are pronounced as one continuous sound, |
| similar sounds do exist in Arabic. These two | | | | without any vowel sounds between them. Since |
| sounds are the voiced counterparts to the | | | | this is a foreign concept to many Arabic |
| unvoiced sounds fand k. | | | | speakers, it is common for them to put a vowel |
| Both the f and v sounds are produced by placing | | | | sound between the consonants, such as saying |
| the top teeth lightly on the lower lip and blowing. | | | | kulock for the word clock. Practice saying |
| To change the f to a v sound, the voice must be | | | | consonant clusters as one continuous sound. |
| turned on. When you are making this sound | | | | Whether the word has the sounds kl, pl, gr, sp, |
| correctly, you will feel your throat vibrate if you | | | | st, orstr, they are all pronounced without a vowel |
| place your hand on it. Try saying fan and van. | | | | sound between them. |
| Similarly, the g sound is the voiced pair of the k | | | | If you find yourself getting frustrated trying to |
| sound. Make a k sound and then turn your voice | | | | pronounce English, please contact a speech |
| on and do it again. It should sound like the g | | | | pathologist trained in accent reduction. He or she |
| sound. Once again, if you put your hand on your | | | | will be happy to help you learn to speak English in |
| throat, you should feel it vibrate when you say g. | | | | a more understandable way. You won't be losing |
| Try saying came and game. | | | | any of your Arabic heritage, but you will be |
| English has many more vowel sounds than Arabic; | | | | getting the best of both worlds. |