Practice Your English Pronunciation of these Difficult Words!

ESL Pronunciation Practice: Same Vowel, Different Sound

Instructions:

Practice Your English Pronunciation of these Difficult Words!

• Watch the video of difficult words below and practice while watching it. Repeat as often as you need.

• Review the word pairs below. Keep practicing the words! They may look similar and share vowel letters, but they sound different.

• Study the definitions and word forms to understand meaning and grammar.

• Write a sentence for each word.

• Read your sentences out loud for pronunciation practice.

• Practice tongue twisters to improve fluency and clarity.

• Work with a partner or record your voice to hear your pronunciation.

📖 Word Pairs, Definitions, Word Forms, and IPA

• Family (noun) – A group of people related by blood, marriage, or adoption.

  IPA: /ˈfæm.əl.i/

• Familiar (adjective) – Well-known or easily recognized.

  IPA: /fəˈmɪl.i.ər/

  
  

• Mine (pronoun/noun) – Belonging to me; a place where minerals (like coal or gold) are dug from the earth.

  IPA: /maɪn/

• Determine (verb) – To decide or find something out after study or calculation.

  IPA: /dɪˈtɜː.mɪn/

  
  

• Face (noun/verb) – The front of the head; to confront or deal with something.

  IPA: /feɪs/

• Surface (noun/verb) – The outer layer of something; to come to the top.

  IPA: /ˈsɜː.fɪs/

  
  

• Real (adjective) – True, not fake or imagined.

  IPA: /rɪəl/ or /riːəl/

• Realization (noun) – The act of becoming aware or understanding something clearly.

  IPA: /ˌrɪə.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/

  
  

• Several (adjective) – More than two but not many.

  IPA: /ˈsev.rəl/

• Severe (adjective) – Very serious, extreme, or harsh.

  IPA: /sɪˈvɪə(r)/

  
  

• Sure (adjective) – Confident or certain about something.

  IPA: /ʃɔːr/ or /ʃʊr/

• Pleasure (noun) – A feeling of happiness or satisfaction.

  IPA: /ˈpleʒ.ər/

  
  

• Lines (noun, plural) – Long narrow marks or rows (on paper, in writing, etc.).

  IPA: /laɪnz/

• Loneliness (noun) – The feeling of being alone or isolated.

  IPA: /ˈləʊn.li.nəs/

  
  

• Wild (adjective) – Untamed, uncontrolled, or natural.

  IPA: /waɪld/

• Wilderness (noun) – A wild, natural area with little or no human activity.

  IPA: /ˈwɪl.də.nəs/

  
  

• South (noun/adjective/adverb) – A direction on the compass; toward the bottom of a map.

  IPA: /saʊθ/

• Southern (adjective) – Related to or located in the south.

  IPA: /ˈsʌð.ən/

  
  

• Nation (noun) – A country or a group of people united by culture or government.

  IPA: /ˈneɪ.ʃən/

• National (adjective) – Related to a nation or country as a whole.

  IPA: /ˈnæʃ.ən.əl/

  
  

✍️ Write & Speak Practice

Write one sentence for each word. Then read them out loud to practice pronunciation.

Word	Sentence
Family
Familiar
Mine (pronoun)
Mine (noun)
Determine
Face
Surface
Real
Realization
Several
Severe
Sure
Pleasure
Lines
Loneliness
Wild
Wilderness
South
Southern
Nation
National

🔁 Tongue Twister Practice

Practice these tongue twisters slowly, then try to say them faster for fluency!

• Family / Familiar

  "My family feels familiar in every faraway place."

  
  

• Mine / Determine

  "Determine if the diamond mine is mine or yours."

  
  

• Face / Surface

  "She faced the slippery surface with steady steps."

  
  

• Real / Realization

  "The real realization revealed the real reason."

  
  

• Several / Severe

  "Several severe storms struck suddenly."

  
  

• Sure / Pleasure

  "I’m sure sharing stories is a simple pleasure."

  
  

• Lines / Loneliness

  "Lines of letters lessened her loneliness."

  
  

• Wild / Wilderness

  "Wild winds whipped through the wilderness."

  
  

• South / Southern

  "Southern songs sound sweet in the South."

  
  

• Nation / National

  "A national anthem unites the whole nation."