The /st/ Sound: English Pronunciation Practice Made Easy

What is the /st/ Sound?

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

• stop
• stay
• sister
• rustic
• post
• cast

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

"This cluster is a combination of the /s/ and /t/ sounds. Begin with the /s/ sound - it should be a voiceless stream of air from your mouth. Be careful not to include an “e” sound before the /s/ begins. As you produce /s/, the tip of your tongue should be close to, but not completely touching, the top of your mouth. To make the /t/, press the tip of your tongue completely against the roof of your mouth, briefly stopping the air. Then, release your tongue again. Also be careful not to make a vowel sound like “e” between the /s/ and the /t/. The /t/ should immediately follow the /s/."

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

Practicing the /st/ Sound

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

Let’s do it!

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

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

Day 1: The /st/ 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 /st/ sound and similar sounds like /s/ or /t/.

• stand - sand
• sting - sing
• stone - tone
• stool - tool

Vowel Collection

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

• stop - steep - stoop - step
• stay - stew - stir - steer - store

Syllable Stress Collection

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

• station
• sterile
• studio
• storage

Reduced Sounds Collection

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

• I am not that kind of tourist.
• This stress has to stop.

Tongue Twister Collection

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

• A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

Day 2: The /st/ 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 /st/ sound and similar sounds like /s/ or /t/.

• stick - sick
• store - sore
• stick - tick
• sty - tie

Vowel Collection

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

• pest - post - past
• steel - style - stole - still - stale

Syllable Stress Collection

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

• steward
• stamina
• instead
• justify

Reduced Sounds Collection

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

• How is it justified to steal?
• We got you a vest from the store.

Tongue Twister Collection

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

• Stalling striped stars start stopping stormy stars.

Day 3: The /st/ 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 /st/ sound and similar sounds like /s/ or /t/.

• stack - sack
• steal - seal
• stink - sink
• stop - top

Vowel Collection

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

• strike - struck - stroke - streak
• strap - strip - stripe

Syllable Stress Collection

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

• mystery
• persist
• consist
• pianist

Reduced Sounds Collection

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

• She could have persisted a bit more.
• How do you suggest we strike?

Tongue Twister Collection

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

• A skunk sat on a stump.

The stump thought the skunk stunk.

The skunk thought the stump stunk

What stunk the skunk or the stump?

Day 4: The /st/ 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.

• stand - sand
• sting - sing
• stone - tone
• stool - tool

• stop - steep - stoop - step
• stay - stew - stir - steer - store

• station
• sterile
• studio
• storage

• I am not that kind of tourist.
• This stress has to stop.

• A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

Day 5: The /st/ 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!

• stick - sick
• store - sore
• stick - tick
• sty - tie

• pest - post - past
• steel - style - stole - still - stale

• steward
• stamina
• instead
• justify

• How is it justified to steal?
• We got you a vest from the store.

• Stalling striped stars start stopping stormy stars.

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 /st/ 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.

• stack - sack
• steal - seal
• stink - sink
• stop - top

• strike - struck - stroke - streak
• strap - strip - stripe

• mystery
• persist
• consist
• pianist

• She could have persisted a bit more.
• How do you suggest we strike?

• A skunk sat on a stump.

The stump thought the skunk stunk.

The skunk thought the stump stunk

What stunk the skunk or the stump?

Day 7: The /st/ Sound

Congratulations!!!

You have made it to the very last day of this /st/ 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 three tongue twisters.

• A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.
• Stalling striped stars start stopping stormy stars.
• A skunk sat on a stump. The stump thought the skunk stunk. The skunk thought the stump stunk. What stunk the skunk or the stump?

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 /st/ Sound

Words with the /st/ sound

Minimal Pair Collection

Minimal Pair /st/ and /s/

stand - sand

sting - sing

stick - sick

store - sore

stack - sack

steal - seal

stink - sink

Minimal Pair /st/ and /t/

stone - tone

stool - tool

stick - tick

sty - tie

stop - top

Vowel Collection

• stop - steep - stoop - step
• stay - stew - stir - steer - store - stow - star
• pest - post - past
• steel - style - stole - still - stale
• strike - struck - stroke - streak
• strap - strip - stripe

Syllable Stress Collection

• station
• sterile
• studio
• storage
• steward
• stamina
• instead
• justify
• mystery
• persist
• consist
• pianist

Reduced Sounds Collection

• I am not that kind of tourist.
• This stress has to stop.
• How is it justified to steal?
• We got you a vest from the store.
• She could have persisted a bit more.
• How do you suggest we strike?

Tongue Twister Collection

• A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.
• Stalling striped stars start stopping stormy stars.
• A skunk sat on a stump.

The stump thought the skunk stunk.

The skunk thought the stump stunk

What stunk the skunk or the stump?

Additional Resources

• Tools for clear Speechsound /st/ profile
• Rachel’s English video on /st/ sound
• Magoosh How to pronounce consonant blend

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.