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Russian speakers bring strong consonants and full vowels. Main work: TH, the W/V split, final devoicing, and un-reducing… actually, reducing more — but in the English pattern, not the Russian one.
Lengthen vowels before voiced endings (baaad vs bat) — it fixes the devoicing giveaway without fighting your reflexes.
Why it happens: TH becomes S or T.
The fix: Tongue visibly between teeth. Think, three, thank — mirror practice.
Full guide to /θ/ with practice words →Why it happens: W becomes V: "wine" → "vine".
The fix: Lips round tightly, no teeth contact; glide fast.
Full guide to /w/ with practice words →Why it happens: Final voiced consonants devoice: "bad" → "bat".
The fix: Hold the vowel slightly longer before a voiced ending — English listeners hear length as voicing.
Full guide to /d/ with practice words →Why it happens: NG becomes plain N or N+G.
The fix: Back-of-tongue closure, no release: si-NG not si-N-G.
Full guide to /ŋ/ with practice words →Why it happens: Ship/sheep and bit/beat merge.
The fix: Short I: quick, relaxed, jaw a touch open.
Full guide to /ɪ/ with practice words →Why it happens: The R-colored ER vowel gets trilled or split.
The fix: No trill: bunch the tongue mid-mouth and hold one smooth "errr".
Full guide to /ɜː/ with practice words →These pairs target exactly the contrasts above. Tap to hear each word.
🎧 Train these pairs in the listening game →