The /p/ Sound: English Pronunciation Practice Made Easy

What is the /p/ Sound?

First, let's look at a few examples of words with the English /p/ sound:

• pond
• palm
• teapot
• expect
• hip
• sweep

According to Baruch College's Tools for Clear Speech, the /p/ sound is made by doing the following:

"/p/ is made by closing the lips and pushing air through the mouth against the closure. Do not close your teeth or touch them to your lips. Hold it back very briefly, and then release it with a small puff of air. Do not vibrate your vocal cords when you make this sound."

If you need more help articulating the /p/ sound, check out this 4-minute video to learn the correct tongue and mouth placement.

Practicing the /p/ Sound

Everything you need to pronounce the English /p/ 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 /p/ sound clearly and easily by the end of day 7.

Let’s do it!

This guide to the American English /p/ sound is full of useful information. Click the link below to jump to the part you are looking for:

• Day 1 of the /p/ sound
• Day 2 of the /p/ sound
• Day 3 of the /p/ sound
• Day 4 of the /p/ sound
• Day 5 of the /p/ sound
• Day 6 of the /p/ sound
• Day 7 of the /p/ sound
• Additional /p/ sound resources
• PDF download of the /p/ sound

Day 1: The /p/ 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 /p/ sound and similar sounds like /b/ or /f/.

• cub - cup
• bee - pea
• fig - pig
• defend - depend 

Vowel Collection

Your Goal: To practice the /p/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.

• pup - pub - pan
• snip - seep - sap

Syllable Stress Collection

Your Goal: To practice the /p/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.

• teapot
• principal
• hopefully
• operate

Reduced Sounds Collection

Your Goal: To practice the /p/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.

• Could you call about the public pipeline?
• I got your point, Pete.

Tongue Twister Collection

Your Goal: To practice the /p/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.

• Perry's berries make peanut butter better.
• Pure people perfect their power.

Day 2: The /p/ 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 /p/ sound and similar sounds like /b/ or /f/.

• fine - pine
• found - pound
• leaf - leap
• sniff - snip

Vowel Collection

Your Goal: To practice the /p/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.

• pine - pain - pet
• beep - bop - boop

Syllable Stress Collection

Your Goal: To practice the /p/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.

• expect
• laptop
• public
• pipeline

Reduced Sounds Collection

Your Goal: To practice the /p/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.

• I should have shopped for a laptop.
• He could have gotten on pretty pear.

Tongue Twister Collection

Your Goal: To practice the /p/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.

• Printed papers under pressure make pens prickle.
• Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.

Day 3: The /p/ 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 /p/ sound and similar sounds like /b/ or /f/.

• beach - peach
• bath - path
• fashion - passion
• fine - pine

Vowel Collection

Your Goal: To practice the /p/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.

• paw - po - pa
• pet - put - pit

Syllable Stress Collection

Your Goal: To practice the /p/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.

• stupid
• reporter
• disposal
• top-down

Reduced Sounds Collection

Your Goal: To practice the /p/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.

• Please stop and let me jump.
• Why don’t you import paper?

Tongue Twister Collection

Your Goal: To practice the /p/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.

• Chop shops stock chops.
• Stop and drop at the shop with the polar paper pack.

Day 4: The /p/ 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.

• cub - cup
• bee - pea
• fig - pig
• defend - depend

• pup - pub - pan
• snip - seep - sap (Note sometimes won’t work - paw - po - pa )

• teapot
• principal
• hopefully
• operate

• Could you call about the public pipeline?
• I got your point Pete. 

• Perry's berries make peanut butter better.
• Pure people perfect their power.

Day 5: The /p/ 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!

• fine - pine
• found - pound
• leaf - leap
• sniff - snip

• pine - pain - pet
• beep - bop - boop

• expect
• laptop
• public
• pipeline

• I should have shopped for a laptop.
• He could have gotten some of one.

• Printed papers under pressure make pens prickle.
• Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.

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 /p/ 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.

• beach - peach
• bath - path
• fashion - passion
• fine - pine
  
  
• paw - po - pa
• pet - put - pit
   
• stupid
• reporter
• disposal
• top-down
  
  
• Please stop and let me jump.
• Why don’t you import paper?
  
  
• Chop shops stock chops.
• Stop and drop at the shop with the polar paper pack.

Day 7: The /p/ Sound

Congratulations!!!

You have made it to the very last day of this /p/ 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.

• Perry's berries make peanut butter better.
• Pure people perfect their power.
• Printed papers under pressure make pens prickle.
• Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.
• Chop shops stock chops.
• Stop and drop at the shop with the polar paper pack.
  
  

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 /p/ Sound

Words with the /p/ sound

/p/ Sound Minimal Pair Collection

Minimal Pair /b/ and /p/

cub - cup

bee - pea

bet - pet

beg - peg

beep - peep

beach - peach

park - bark

big - pig

bath - path

bug - pug

bought - port

Minimal Pair /f/ and /p/

fig - pig

half - harp

found - pound

loaf - lope

leaf - leap

sniff - snip

beef - beep

coffee - copy

defend - depend

fashion - passion

Minimal Pair initial /f/ and /p/

fine - pine

farm - palm

fin - pin

fan - pan

feet - peat

faint - paint

fine - pine

fast - past

from - prom

found - pound

/p/ Sound Vowel Collection

pup - poop - pop

snip - seep - sap

pine - pain - pet

beep - bop - boop

paw - po - pa

pet - put - pit

/p/ Sound Syllable Stress Collection

1.  teapot
2.  principal
3.  hopefully
4.  operate
5. expect
6.  laptop
7.  public
8.  pipeline
9.  stupid
10. reporter
11. disposal
12. top-down

/p/ Sound Reduced Sounds Collection

• Could you call about the public pipeline?
• I got your point Pete.
• I should have shopped for a laptop.
• He could have gotten some of one.
• Please stop and let me jump.
• Why don’t you import paper?

/p/ Sound Tongue Twister Collection

• Perry's berries make peanut butter better.
• Pure people perfect their power.
• Printed papers under pressure make pens prickle.
• Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.
• Chop shops stock chops.
• Stop and drop at the shop with the polar paper pack.

Additional Resources for the /p/ Sound

• Tools for Clear Speech p profile
• Rachel’s English Video on the p sound
• TEFLpedia p 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.