UH
The UH is a very
easy sound to make. Open your mouth
just a little. Don’t move your tongue
or lips. Say “uh.” Easy, right? The problem occurs when people try to pronounce this sound as it
is spelled—and it is spelled at least ten different ways! So just remember to try to pronounce it the
same—“uh”—regardless of how it is spelled.
Instructions to make
this sound: Is your mouth slightly open?
Are your lips and the muscles of your mouth relaxed? Is your tongue resting on the bottom of your
mouth?
Common problems:
Because this sound has so many different spellings, people tend to pronounce
the words like they are spelled.
Common spellings: A
as in “about,” AI as in “bargain,” E as in “system,” EI as in “foreign,” I as
in “engine,” IO as in “region,” O as in “color,” OU as in “famous,” U as in
“but”
about about a
month
of a
ton of machinery
husband a young husband
but but it
was funny
none none on
campus will come
cover run for
cover
Publicity showed
the ugly conditions in the slums.
What American customs do visitors find annoying?