What is the /l/ Sound?
First, let's look at a few examples of words with the English /l/ sound:
- let
- lamp
- olive
- family
- soul
- oval
According to Baruch College's Tools for Clear Speech, the /l/ sound is made by doing the following:
"The tip of your tongue should touch the top of your mouth, behind your teeth. Now, vibrate your vocal cords and let the airflow around the sides of your tongue.
Note: For /l/ at the end of a word, the back of your tongue will also rise slightly (but not touch the top of your mouth)."
If you need more help articulating the /l/ sound, check out this video to learn the correct tongue and mouth placement.
Practicing the /l/ Sound
Everything you need to pronounce the English /l/ sound correctly is on this page. Just follow the instructions.
What do you have to do?
Practice for 5 minutes a day for 7 days.
That’s it.
Your goal is to pronounce the /l/ sound clearly and easily by the end of day 7.
Let’s do it!
This guide to the American English /l/ sound is full of useful information. Click the link below to jump to the part you are looking for:
- Day 1 of the /l/ sound
- Day 2 of the /l/ sound
- Day 3 of the /l/ sound
- Day 4 of the /l/ sound
- Day 5 of the /l/ sound
- Day 6 of the /l/ sound
- Day 7 of the /l/ sound
- Additional /l/ sound resources
- PDF download of the /l/ sound
Day 1: The /l/ Sound
If you are ready, let’s start with the practice for day one.
It’s pretty simple.
Watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /l/ sound and similar sounds like /r/.
- lock - rock
- fly - fry
- play - pray
- alive - arrive
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /l/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- lock - luck - leak - look
- nail - kneel - nil
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /l/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- lighter
- cesspool
- village
- landowner
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /l/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- I don’t know where I left the lighter.
- We got you a lamp and a pillow.
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /l/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry.
- Larry sent the latter letter later.
Day 2: The /l/ Sound
Just like day one, except simpler.
Watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /l/ sound and similar sounds like /r/.
- collect - correct
- lace - race
- leaf - reef
- light - right
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /l/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- law - leer - lair
- full - fill - fail - fell
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /l/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- welcome
- family
- lettuce
- reality
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /l/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- I have got to go to that village.
- This should not have gone into decline.
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /l/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- Red leather yellow leather.
- Royal loyal lawyer.
Day 3: The /l/ Sound
Today will be the last day you only listen and repeat.
Tomorrow, you will have to start to speak.
But let’s focus on today.
Just like yesterday, watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /l/ sound and similar sounds like /r/.
- lead - read
- look - rook
- long - wrong
- collect - correct
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /l/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- play - ploy - plea
- loan - lean - line - lane
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /l/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- viral
- decline
- lightheartedly
- wormhole
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /l/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- How about I replace the lock?
- When did you last call your family?
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /l/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- Lady Luck dislikes losers.
- I like to light a night-light on a light night like tonight.
Day 4: The /l/ Sound
Time to speak.
You will notice that these are the words, phrases, and sentences you repeated on day one.
Today, your job is different.
Open up a Google Doc, enable voice typing and speak.
Watch the video to see how it works.
- lock - rock
- fly - fry
- play - pray
- alive - arrive
- lock - luck - lake - leak - look - Luke - like
- nail - kneel - Nile - nil
- lighter
- cesspool
- village
- landowner
- I don’t know where I left the lighter.
- We got you a lamp and a pillow.
- Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry.
- Larry sent the latter letter later.
Day 5: The /l/ Sound
Let’s revisit the words, phrases, and sentences you practiced on day two.
Just like yesterday, open up a Google Doc, enable voice typing, and get ready to speak.
Let’s do it!
- collect - correct
- lace - race
- leaf - reef
- light - right
- law - Leigh - leer - lair - low
- full - fill - fail - fell
- welcome
- family
- lettuce
- reality
- I have got to go to that village.
- This should not have gone into decline.
- Red leather yellow leather.
- Royal loyal lawyer.
TIP*** Are there some words that the computer does not understand no matter how many times you say them? No worries, just skip it and move on. No one is perfect.
Day 6: The /l/ Sound
You are so close to day 7.
Be proud that you have made it this far :)
In today’s lesson, let’s circle back to the words, phrases, and sentences you repeated on day three and practice saying them aloud.
Again, open up a Google Doc and let’s get started.
- lead - read
- look - rook
- long - wrong
- collect - correct
- play - ploy - plea
- loan - lean - line - lane
- viral
- decline
- lightheartedly
- wormhole
- How about I replace the lock?
- When did you last call your family?
- Lady Luck dislikes losers.
- I like to light a night-light on a light night like tonight.
Day 7: The /l/ Sound
Congratulations!!!
You have made it to the very last day of this /l/ sound practice course.
Do you feel like your pronunciation of this sound is improving?
Let’s finish with a simple, but challenging exercise.
Just like you did on days 4, 5, and 6, open up a Google Doc and enable voice typing.
This time, try to get the technology to recognize these six tongue twisters.
- Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry.
- Larry sent the latter letter later.
- Red leather yellow leather.
- Royal loyal lawyer.
- Lady Luck dislikes losers.
- I like to light a night-light on a light night like tonight.
Now, turn voice typing off and try to say each tongue twister as fast as possible.
Watch the video to learn how to go through this exercise.
Additional Resources: The /l/ Sound
Words with the /l/ sound
| Beginning | Middle | End |
| let | elbow | tall |
| lamp | olive | ill |
| leaf | family | soul |
| lady | pillow | nail |
| leak | alarm | oval |
| list | holiday | seal |
| lock | classes | evil |
| land | welfare | roll |
| lion | glass | small |
| lazy | decline | call |
| law | explain | pool |
| loaf | health | well |
| lead | element | kill |
| list | replace | full |
| level | collect | grill |
| local | willing | viral |
| light | welcome | shell |
| large | hold | spell |
| leave | village | hole |
| lose | reality | smell |
Minimal Pair Collection
Minimal Pair /l/ and /r/ alive arrive
lock - rock
fly - fry
play - pray
alive - arrive
collect - correct
lace - race
leaf - reef
light - right
lead - read
look - rook
Vowel Collection
lock - luck - lake - leak - look - Luke - like
nail - kneel - Nile - nil
law - Leigh - leer - lair - low
full - fill - fail - fell
play - ploy - plea
loan - lean - line - lane
Syllable Stress Collection
- lighter
- cesspool
- village
- landowner
- welcome
- family
- lettuce
- reality
- viral
- decline
- lightheartedly
- wormhole
Reduced Sounds Collection
- I don’t know where I left the lighter.
- We got you a lamp and a pillow.
- I have got to go to that village.
- This should not have gone into decline.
- How about I replace the lock?
- When did you last call your family?
Tongue Twister Collection
- Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry.
- Larry sent the latter letter later.
- Red leather yellow leather.
- Royal loyal lawyer.
- Lady Luck dislikes losers.
- I like to light a night-light on a light night like tonight.
Additional Resources
- Tools for Clear Speech /i/ profile
- Rachel’s English Video on the /l/ sound
- American English Pronunciation consonant sound /l/
- TEFLpedia /l/ sound
Additional Activities for All Sounds
Practice Three Words
Answer the following question:
What do you like to do in your free time?
Pick one, two, or three words from the word bank and include them in your response. If it helps, you may write out the example sentences with the word in context first.
Youglish Research
Visit the Youglish website. Pick a word or phrase you would like to practice. Enter it into the Youglish search bar. Find three examples of the word or phrase in context to shadow.
Teacher Time
During your next English speaking practice session with a teacher or conversation partner, have a list of three to five words you would like to use. Give yourself a point every time you use the word correctly in context and it is understood. Aim to score 5 points within the first 10 minutes (so the rest of the time you focus just on communicating).
Voice Typing
Write out three sentences with challenging words or phrases. Use Google Docs or any other software with the ability to turn speech to text. Read these sentences aloud and check to see if your pronunciation is correct.
***There are a ton of possibilities. These are just a few ideas. Use the word bank, tongue twisters, example sentences, and other resources on this page to continue to work on this sound.
If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments below. I read and respond to all of them.
Download the PDF version of this 7-day mini-course.
Plus the PDF-version of every single English sound for free.
