Pronunciation

A dictionary shows how to say a word with phonetic symbols, like /ˈwɔːtə/ for water. Once you can read them, you can say any new word correctly, even one you have never heard. Then work on the few sounds that Sinhala doesn't have, and on the beat of English.

1. Phonetic symbols

• Vowels and Diphthongs: short and long vowels, and the double vowels
• Consonants: with the closest Sinhala letter for each

2. Hard sounds

• Th Sounds: think and this
• V, W, F and P: very, we, fan and pan
• S, Z, Sh and Zh: rice and rise
• Vowel Pairs: ship and sheep, walk and work
• Consonants Together: school, not "is-school"
• -ed and -s Endings: worked, played, wanted

3. Stress and rhythm

• Word Stress: hoTEL, not HOtel
• Sentence Stress and Weak Words: can or can't?
• Linking Words: turn it off as one smooth line

4. Tricky words

• Tricky Words: island, receipt, Wednesday, vegetable

Then practise the hard sounds with the tongue twisters.