For parents of young learners
How to improve your child's English pronunciation
Clear pronunciation helps children feel confident when they speak English. Indian children often mix up a few sounds, like v and w or th and d. Here are the most common ones, word pairs to practise, and easy daily tips.
By the Eloqova team · Updated 29 October 2026
Clear, not foreign: the aim is to be easy to understand, not to copy a British or American accent. An Indian accent is perfectly fine.
Sounds children often mix up
| Sounds | Practice pairs | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| v and w | vest / west, vine / wine, vet / wet | For v, top teeth touch the lower lip. For w, round the lips with no teeth. |
| th (soft) and t | thin / tin, three / tree, thank / tank | Put the tongue lightly between the teeth and blow. |
| th (hard) and d | they / day, then / den, those / doze | Tongue between the teeth, with your voice on. |
| z and j | zoo / Jew, zip / jip, zero / jeero | For z, make a buzzing bee sound with the teeth close. |
| s and sh | sip / ship, see / she, sell / shell | For sh, push the lips forward like saying "shh". |
| short i and long ee | ship / sheep, sit / seat, live / leave | Short i is quick; long ee is stretched with a smile. |
12 tips for clearer pronunciation
- Listen before speaking: audiobooks and read-alouds give children a model.
- Read aloud for five minutes every day.
- Slow down; most unclear speech is simply fast speech.
- Open the mouth wider when speaking.
- Say word endings clearly: "asked", not "ask".
- Clap the syllables of long words: com-mu-ni-ca-tion.
- Practise one tricky sound a week, not all at once.
- Use a mirror to see lip and tongue positions.
- Play tongue twisters slowly first, then faster.
- Record and listen back together.
- Model the right word in your reply instead of correcting harshly.
- Praise clear speech when you hear it.
Words that are often mispronounced
| Word | Say it like |
|---|---|
| vegetable | VEJ-tuh-bul (3 syllables) |
| comfortable | KUMF-tuh-bul |
| Wednesday | WENZ-day |
| often | OFF-en |
| clothes | klohz (one syllable) |
| island | EYE-lund (silent s) |
| receipt | ri-SEET (silent p) |
| determine | di-TER-min |
Tongue twisters for practice
- Very well, very well, very well.
- Three thin thieves thought a thousand thoughts.
- She sells seashells by the seashore.
- Zebras zig and zebras zag.
How to practise at home
- Choose one sound pair a week and use the practice pairs daily.
- Read one short story aloud together every night.
- Record your child reading the same paragraph each Sunday to hear progress.
- Keep it playful; a child who laughs while practising keeps practising.
Questions parents ask
At what age should pronunciation be clear?
Most sounds are clear by age 5 to 6, and sounds like th and r can take until 7 or 8. Speak to a speech therapist if your child is hard to understand after that.
Is an Indian accent a problem?
No. An accent is fine as long as words are clear. Clarity, pace and confidence matter far more than accent.
How can I help my child say v and w correctly?
Show v with the top teeth on the lower lip and w with rounded lips. Practise pairs like vest and west in front of a mirror.