Check the short E in words like bed, red, friend and many. Read ten sentences aloud and see which words need practice. This version uses B1 sentences: natural, connected speech at intermediate level.
The short E in bed and red is made with the mouth half open and the tongue in the middle of the mouth, slightly forward. It is shorter and more relaxed than the E in many other languages. Learners often confuse it with the short A in bad or the short I in bit, which changes the meaning of words like men and man or pen and pin.
At B1 you speak in full sentences, and sounds start to change when words join together. These intermediate sentences make you keep the sound clear at a natural speed, which is exactly what people notice in a real conversation.
Opening too wide, so men sounds like man
Closing too much, so pen sounds like pin
Adding a Y sound, so bed sounds like bayd
Pronouncing the A in many and any as an A
Each sentence trains one sound. The orange label above the sentence tells you which one.
Last summer I spent two weeks in Florence.
I have made several new friends from different countries.
Good neighbours can quickly become good friends as well.
I did not speak much German when I arrived.
Within a few hours, people started sending me questions.
Technology has changed almost every part of our daily lives.
Now she has a small studio in the city centre.
Stress at work is a common problem for many people today.
Uniforms can also be expensive for parents to buy every year.
Last year I wrote her a letter to say thank you.
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Hear each sentence read by a natural British or American voice, at normal speed or slowly.
Tap the microphone and read the sentence. Your words appear on screen as you speak.
See a score out of 100 with every word in green, amber or red, then practise the red words.
Each sentence above comes from a full ten-sentence pronunciation test. Take the complete test to keep practising.
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Start the testTake the free Being a Good Neighbour English Pronunciation Test: read ten natural sentences about being a good neighbour aloud and see every unclear word in red.
Start the testPractise intermediate English pronunciation with the Moving to Another Country English Pronunciation Test. Read ten natural sentences about moving to another country and get an instant score.
Start the testTake the free Selling Things Online English Pronunciation Test: read ten natural sentences about clearing out my room aloud and see every unclear word in red.
Start the testTake the free How Technology Has Changed Our Lives English Pronunciation Test: read ten natural sentences about how technology has changed our lives aloud and see every unclear word in red.
Start the testThis test at other levels: A1 · A2 · B2 · C1 · C2
This test in other languages: Deutsch · Português · Español · Italiano
The test shows you what to fix. A tutor shows you how. Practise the exact sounds you find difficult in a free lesson.
