LISTEN

/p/…/p/…/p/…/p/

p​eace…price…top​…apple

WHAT IS IT?

​Pronunciation:
The sound /p/ is a voiceless, bilabial, stop consonant.

• Press your lips together.
• Move your lips outward while pushing air out in a short burst.
• Your vocal cords should not vibrate.

​Note: A /p/ at the beginning of a word or syllable should be pronounced with a stronger burst of air than a /p/ at the end of a word or syllable (or in a consonant cluster). This is called aspiration.
​​
The sound /p/ can be in these consonant clusters:

Spelling:

• “p” – pie, tap
• ”pe” – grape, rope​
• “pp” – apple, ripped

Grammar Tip:
The sound /p/ is in the common prefix “pre-“. This prefix usually means “before” and can be part of a noun or verb. Pay attention to whether the prefix is stressed or unstressed.

• predict
• prepay
• pretest
• precaution

The sound /p/ is also in the prefix “pro.” This prefix can mean “for,” “advance/forth,” “forward/in front of” or “in place of.” Pay attention to whether the prefix is stressed or unstressed.

• proclaim
• produce
• promote
• proportion

COMPARE

Compare /p/ and /b/:

/p/…/b/…/p/…/b/…/p/…/b/

These are both bilabial stop consonants. However, /p/ is voiceless and /b/ is voiced. There is no aspiration after /b/ at the beginning of a word. At the end of a word, the vowel before /b/ will be longer than the vowel before /p/.

You can hear the difference between /p/ and /b/ in these words.

1. A. pie, B. buy
2. A. planned, B. bland
3. A. pride, B. bride
4. A. cup, B. cub
5. A. mops, B. mobs
6. A, staple, B. stable​

​Practice recognizing words with /p/ and /b/ by taking the quiz here (external site).

Now compare /p/ and /f/:

/p/…/f/…/p/…/f/…/p/…/f/

These are both voiceless consonants that are pronounced using the lips. However, /p/ is a bilabial stop and /f/ is a labio-dental fricative. When you pronounce /p/, your teeth should not touch your lips and the air in your mouth should be stopped.

You can hear the difference between /p/ and /f/ in these words.

1. A. pat, B. fat
2. A. plush, B. flush
3. A. praise, B. phrase
4. A. lap, B. laugh
​5. A. gulps, B. gulfs
6.​ A. coffee, B. copy

Practice recognizing words with /p/ and /f/ by taking the quiz here (external site).

PRACTICE

​Now, practice /p/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.

1. please – sweep – mop
Please sweep and mop the floor.
2. spring – plant – grapevines
In spring we will plant some grapevines.
3. employment – apply – position
Contact the employment agency to apply for a position.
4. purpose – project – provide
The purpose of this project is to provide new community resources.
5. public – harp – performance
We attended a public harp performance last night.
6. explain – company – procedures
​Can you explain the company’s hiring procedures?

To practice with different varieties of English, choose another native English speaker by clicking one of the links below:

Male – US Midwest (St. Louis)

Male – US Midwest (Iowa)

Male – US Midwest

Female – US Northeast

Female – US Southeast

Prepare:
Which of these items do you have at your desk or workspace?

Record:
In your recording, describe what your workspace looks like. Give enough details that the listener will be able to picture the workspace.

©2024, Christine Wingate

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.