L Sound
The L sound is a voiced alveolar lateral approximant. Airflow is blocked centrally by the tongue tip touching the alveolar ridge, but escapes around the sides of the tongue.
Place the tip of your tongue on the alveolar ridge (the bumpy spot behind your upper front teeth). Keep the tongue tip there while voicing, allowing air to flow around the sides of the tongue. The back of the tongue position varies for light L (usually lower) vs. dark L (usually higher, often found at ends of words or after vowels in American English).
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Example Words
/laɪt//laɪk//lʌv//lʊk//həˈloʊ//fil//bɔl//ˈteɪbəl//ˈlɪtəl//blu/Pronunciation Practice
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/laɪt//raɪt//loʊ//roʊ//lid//rid//ˈbɛli//ˈbɛri//lɪp//rɪp/Tongue Twister
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