Assessment by Kate Yoon
Voice by Teauna Peters

How is your English pronunciation? LOI English has created a self assessment, with recordings that you can compare yourself to.

Instructions: Read aloud the sentence. Ask yourself the question. Your answer should be ‘yes’. Rate the level of difficulty 0-5 (0=Not difficult, 5=very difficult).

1. Please believe that meat, beans, and cheese are good to eat. Eat them at least three times a week.

Q: Are your [i] sounds long? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

2. Jim’s big sister swims a little bit. It keeps her fit, slim, and trim.

Q: Are your [ɪ] sounds short? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

3. Babe Ruth was a famous baseball player. He became a baseball legend.

Q: Does each [ei] vowel sound like ‘ay’ in ‘day’? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

4. Ten times seven is seventy. Seven times eleven is seventy-seven.

Q: Are your [ɛ] sounds short? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

5. The Titanic was a grand and elaborate ship that had over 2,000 passengers.

Q: Do you open your mouth more for [æ] than for [ɛ]? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

6. During Thanksgiving, children eat turkey and learn about the early settlers who journeyed to America.

Q: Do ‘ur’, ‘ear’, and ‘our’ sound the same when you say them? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

7. Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief!

Q: Do ‘er’, ‘or’, ‘ier’, and ‘ar’ sound the same when you say them? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

8. Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America comprise five of the continents. South America is another continent.

Q: Do all of the boldfaced letters sound the same when you say them? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

9. New Orleans is one of the most beautiful cities in the United States. It has good food and music.

Q: Are your [u] sounds long? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

10. Little Red Riding Hood is one of my favorite childhood books. When I was little, I would read it whenever I could.

Q: Are your [ʊ] sounds shorter than your [u] sounds? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

11. Turn the oven up to three hundred degrees and bake one-half hour or until done.

Q: Does each boldfaced letter sound like the ‘u’ in ‘fun’ or ‘sun’? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

12. I don’t want to go to Rome. We don’t know anyone there. Let’s go to Arizona instead.

Q: Are your [oʊ] sounds long? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

13. He talked to an audience of more than fourteen thousand. According to newspaper reports, his speech was lauded.

Q: Do ‘al’ and ‘au’ sound the same when you say them? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

14. The U.S. Constitution is the basis of U.S. democracy. It has been constant but responsive to change.

Q: Does your [ɑ] vowel sound like ‘ah’ when you say it? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

15. Did you hear the loud sounds outside last night? Our neighbors were shouting and howling.

Q: Is your mouth wide open when you say [a] in [aʊ]? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

16. Good liars can be quite likeable, have a charming style, and can look you right in the eye.

Q: Is your tongue near the roof of your mouth when you say [ɪ] in [aɪ]? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

17. We have quite a choice of toys. Let me point out this train. Your boy will enjoy it, Mr. Lloyd.

Q: Do your lips start out oval shaped and quickly flatten when you say [ɔɪ]? Does it sound like the recording? Level of difficulty (0-5)?

How did you do? Any sounds that you scored 3, 4, or 5 on are the ones you should be studying. LOI English offers individual English pronunciation classes with native speakers who are trained to help you.You can study 7-10 vowels with up to 3 review lessons in a 5-hour pronunciation course or 12-17 vowels with up to 5 reviews in a 10-hour pronunciation course. Click here to learn more and register. Write down your scores and share them with the teacher, and we’ll be able to start quickly!