Consonants: Voiced and Voiceless
A. Can you feel it?
Some English sounds are voiced. It means your vocal cords in your neck move when you make the sound.
Say: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah. (Like at the doctor).

Some English sounds are voiceless. It means your vocal cords don’t move when you make the sound.
Say: Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. (Like quieting your friend).
B. Read and repeat
| voiceless | voiced |
|---|---|
| /p/ Pear pig rip people
/t/ To tip feet retain /k/ Coat come rack picture /f/ Face fat half defend /θ / Thin thick with nothing /s/ Sue see price lesson / ʃ/ Shy show cash pressure / ʧ / chin choke natural catch |
/b/ Bear big rib rabbit
/d/ Do dip feed under /g/ Goat gum rag sugar /v/ Vase vat have clever /ð/ That then neither father /z/ Zoo Zip prize lazy /ʒ / garage pleasure vision / ʤ / Joke gin enjoy badge |
C. Listen and circle (or read out loud with a tutor or teacher)
- dock dog
- coat goat
- face vase
- half have
- tile dial
- lit lid
- pear bear
- rip rib
- sue zoo
- price prize
- chain Jane
- batch badge