Lips
Rest your upper front teeth lightly on your lower lip. Just a light touch, not a bite.
Voiceless consonants
/f/as in fall
Voiceless: friction between teeth and lip, no buzz.
Example words: fall, safe, phone, office, leaf
Accent
Mouth
How do you pronounce the /f/ sound?
Tongue
Your tongue rests low and neutral. The teeth-on-lip contact makes the sound.
Video lesson
Try it
- Place your upper front teeth gently on your lower lip.
- Blow air through the contact so you hear a steady, soft hiss.
- Keep your throat silent: /f/ has no buzz at all.
- Hold the hiss for two seconds to make sure it is stable, then use it in words.
- Now say: fall, safe, phone.
Check
Say "fan" then "van" with a hand on your throat. "fan" is pure air; "van" buzzes. If both buzz, you are voicing your /f/. If neither hisses, check the teeth-on-lip contact.
Common trap
Using both lips instead of teeth on lip. Lip-against-lip gives you a /p/-like or breathy sound, not /f/. Check a mirror: you should see your upper teeth touching your lower lip.
Practice: /f/
Words
fallfˈɔl
safesˈeɪf
phonefˈoʊn
officeˈɔfəs
leaflˈif
Sentences
My friend found a funny photo.mˌaɪ fɹˈɛnd fˈaʊnd ɐ fˈʌni fˈoʊɾoʊ.
The food in the fridge is fresh.ðə fˈud ɪn ðə fɹˈɪdʒ ɪz fɹˈɛʃ.
Please keep your phone in a safe place.plˈiz kˈip jʊɹ fˈoʊn ɪn ɐ sˈeɪf plˈeɪs.
I laughed at his funny face.ˌaɪ lˈæft æt hɪz fˈʌni fˈeɪs.
The leaf fell off the roof.ðə lˈif fˈɛl ˈɔf ðə ɹˈuf.
Words
fallfˈɔːl
safesˈeɪf
phonefˈəʊn
officeˈɒfɪs
leaflˈiːf
Sentences
My friend found a funny photo.mˌaɪ fɹˈɛnd fˈaʊnd ɐ fˈʌni fˈəʊtəʊ.
The food in the fridge is fresh.ðə fˈuːd ɪn ðə fɹˈɪdʒ ɪz fɹˈɛʃ.
Please keep your phone in a safe place.plˈiːz kˈiːp jɔː fˈəʊn ɪn ɐ sˈeɪf plˈeɪs.
I laughed at his funny face.ˌaɪ lˈɑːft at hɪz fˈʌni fˈeɪs.
The leaf fell off the roof.ðə lˈiːf fˈɛl ˈɒf ðə ɹˈuːf.
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Sounds in the same group
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