Lips
Round your lips and push them forward, like telling someone to be quiet. Keep your teeth close together. This is different from /s/, where the lips are spread.
Voiceless consonants
/ʃ/as in she
Voiceless. Tongue pulled back, lips slightly rounded.
Example words: she, wash, sure, shop, station
Accent
Mouth
How do you pronounce the /ʃ/ sound?
Tongue
Raise the flat blade of your tongue toward the roof of your mouth, a little further back than for /s/. The air passes through a wider channel.
Video lesson
Try it
- Round your lips and push them forward.
- Pull your tongue slightly back from the /s/ spot and raise the blade toward the palate.
- Blow air through to make a soft "shhh", like hushing a baby. No voice.
- Hold it for two seconds, then say: she, wash, sure.
Check
Say "sss" then "shhh" in front of a mirror. Your lips should visibly move from spread to rounded, and the sound should change from sharp to soft.
Common trap
Do not leave your lips spread. If your lips stay in the /s/ smile, the sound turns thin and sharp. The lip rounding is what gives /sh/ its soft, hushing quality.
Practice: /ʃ/
Words
sheʃi
washwˈɔʃ
sureʃˈʊɹ
shopʃˈɑp
stationstˈeɪʃən
Sentences
She washed the dishes after lunch.ʃˌi wˈɔʃt ðə dˈɪʃᵻz ˈæftəɹ lˈʌntʃ.
The shop sells fresh fish.ðə ʃˈɑp sˈɛlz fɹˈɛʃ fˈɪʃ.
Are you sure the show starts soon?ˌɑɹ ju ʃˈʊɹ ðə ʃˈoʊ stˈɑɹts sˈun?
I should finish my shopping soon.ˌaɪ ʃˌʊd fˈɪnəʃ maɪ ʃˈɑpɪŋ sˈun.
We took a short walk to the station.wˌi tˈʊk ɐ ʃˈɔɹt wˈɔk tə ðə stˈeɪʃən.
Words
sheʃiː
washwˈɒʃ
sureʃˈʊə
shopʃˈɒp
stationstˈeɪʃən
Sentences
She washed the dishes after lunch.ʃˌiː wˈɒʃt ðə dˈɪʃɪz ˈɑːftə lˈʌntʃ.
The shop sells fresh fish.ðə ʃˈɒp sˈɛlz fɹˈɛʃ fˈɪʃ.
Are you sure the show starts soon?ˌɑː juː ʃˈʊə ðə ʃˈəʊ stˈɑːts sˈuːn?
I should finish my shopping soon.ˌaɪ ʃˌʊd fˈɪnɪʃ maɪ ʃˈɒpɪŋ sˈuːn.
We took a short walk to the station.wˌiː tˈʊk ɐ ʃˈɔːt wˈɔːk tə ðə stˈeɪʃən.
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Sounds in the same group
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