Liquids & glides
How to pronounce /l/ L as in light
lightyellowcall
How to make it
Tongue tip behind your top teeth, air slides off the sides.
- Tongue
- Tip presses the ridge behind the top teeth
- Lips
- Neutral
- Voice
- Buzzing on
Watch the mouth
Tongue tip pressed behind your top teeth, voice on.
Where learners slip
- Vietnamese speakersFinal L often disappears — call can land as caw.
- Portuguese speakersFinal L turns into a W sound — call can land as cow.
- Japanese speakersL and R blur together — light can land as right.
- Korean speakersL and R blur together — light can land as right.
- Chinese speakersFinal L often disappears — call can land as caw.
Say it on real English. See if it lands.
Lang Shadow scores /l/ every time you say it — in Shorts, in role plays and in your own words — and colours it next to the other 40 sounds.