Pronunciation Lab
Pronunciation · /f/ /p/
/f/ and /p/
Fan or pan? Keep /f/ soft and continuous; /p/ is a small pop.
Why it's difficult
Some speakers use a strong "ph" sound for f, so fork becomes pork and fine becomes pine.
How to make it
- 1For /f/: top teeth on your bottom lip, then blow — the air keeps flowing, like a quiet hiss.
- 2For /p/: close both lips completely, build a little air, then open them with a small pop.
- 3Hold a paper in front of your mouth: /p/ makes it jump once, /f/ makes it shake gently.
Check yourself: /f/ can last as long as you like (ffff). /p/ cannot — it is over in a moment.
Practise these words
coffee
/kɔːfiː/
enough
/ɪnʌf/
photo
/fəʊtəʊ/
perfect
/pɜːfɪkt/
Minimal pairs — hear the difference
Only one sound changes. Play them one after the other, watch the mouth, then say them yourself.
fan
/fæn/
pan
/pæn/
feel
/fiːl/
peel
/piːl/
fork
/fɔːrk/
pork
/pɔːrk/
fine
/faɪn/
pine
/paɪn/
Say it in a sentence
“Please fill in the form before four o'clock on Friday.”
Record yourself and compare
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