In this video, Benjamin Dudgeon of engVid explains several mouth exercises designed to enhance the clarity of the spoken word. While the video is intended for those learning English for the first time, performing the exercises will also help make your speech as crisp and clear as possible for better communication.
For each exercise, you will want to start by reading the words out loud slowly, so that you pronounce everything correctly. After reading the exercise slowly, reread it faster. Repetition helps you train your facial and mouth muscles, thereby improving your speech and pronunciation.
Tip: Record yourself with a phone or camera and watch it back to note areas needing improvement.
Try out the following exercises from the video to help train your mouth to speak English accurately.
Note: These examples were selected based on their sounds, not meanings, so some may not make any sense at all.
Sounds s, p, c, b and d
The following example is an excellent exercise for the sounds "s," "p" and "c," and to some extent the "b" and "d" sounds as well.
“To sit in solemn silence on a dull, dark dock,in a pestilential prison with a life-long lock,awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock,from a cheap and chippy chopper on a big, black block.”
Sounds t and d
For "t" and "d" sounds, the tongue goes up towards the alveolar ridge in your mouth. You should feel your tongue going up to get this sound correctly.
"In tooting, two tutors astute tried to tute a duke on a flute. But duets so grueling end only in dueling when tutors astute toot the flute."
Sounds m, h and i
This next tongue twister focuses on the "m," "h" and "i" sounds. For this exercise, raise your tongue to the roof of your mouth for the "l" sounds in words like "balcony" and "inexplicably." Put your lips together to make the "m" sound, and open your mouth for the "h" sound. You need to really move your mouth to say these sounds correctly.
"She stood on the balcony inexplicably mimicking him hiccuping and amicably welcoming him home."
Sounds f, v and th
"F," "v" and "th" are practiced together because you must make sure there is a difference between these sounds. For "th," your tongue has to go up to the top of your mouth, and sort of tick the teeth. For "f" and "v", place your top teeth gently on the inside of your lower lip. For the "f" sound, blow air out without vibrating your vocal cords. For the "v" sound, do the same thing and vibrate your vocal cords. Repeat each of these lines separately.
"Five flippant Frenchmen fly from France for fashions."
"Vincent vowed vengeance very vehemently."
"This thin that thatch these themes those thorns the thug they thank."
Intonation
Intonation is the rise and fall of your voice when you speak. It's how your pitch changes during speech. This change plays a role in how your message is received and understood. For the following example, try to get a nice rise or ebb and flow in your pronunciation. Then try to sound silly to play around with the sounds. This isn't something you will likely think about when speaking to someone, but with practice, your speech will become more expressive.
"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!"
Sounds d, k and l
For "d," "k" and "l" sounds, you will again be moving your mouth around a bit. Repeat each of the following lines separately and see how quickly you can say them.
"Do drop in at the Dewdrop Inn."
"Kiss her quick, kiss her quicker, kiss her quickest."
"Larry sent the latter a letter later."
Sound j
To make the "j" sound, your tongue is vibrating at the top of your mouth.
"Jean just jostled James gently."
Sounds q and r
Repeat each of the following lines separately. Repeat the "quickly" in the first line as many times, and as quickly as you can.
"Quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly..."
"Reading and writing are richly rewarding."
All the sounds combined
The following is from a play called The Pirates of Penzance. It doesn't really mean much, but it serves to capture all the sounds you should pronounce clearly. Reread this aloud multiple times, playing with the rate and intonation at which you read it. Be conscious of your breathing as you go. Have fun with it!
"I am the very pattern of a modern Major General. I've information vegetable, animal and mineral;I know the kings of England and I quote the fights historical,I understand equations, both simple and quadratical.
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus,I know the scientific names of being animaculous.
In short, in matters vegetable, animal and mineral,I am the very model of a modern Major General."