American Pronunciation MAN or MEN??? æ vs e

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American Pronunciation Man vs Men Vowel Sounds (e & æ)

Like all vowel sounds, these are voiced sounds. At first glance they can look and sound similar, but they have distinct lengths and mouth positions that make them easy for native speakers to identify.

The e Sound is probably the easier of the two. You just relax your jaw and leave your mouth slightly open. Then you push the middle of your tongue forward while making a voiced sound. It is a short sound so you will not be able hold it for a long time.

The æ Sound is a little more complicated because you really have to use the muscles in your throat. The idea is to lift the back of your tongue up and widen your throat. The tip of your tongue stays down, your tongue should be widened and touching the sides of your bottom teeth, and the corners of your mouth should pull back slightly. This is a longer sound and you should be able to hold it for a long time.

The last part is that if the e or æ sounds are followed by an N or M. We add a very soft voiced sound between the two letters. The sound is similar to a very soft uh sound. Check the video for examples.


If you ́re not familiar with Voiced and Voiceless Sounds, check out my video explanation with the link below:

   • THE SECRET TO AMERICAN ENGLISH PRONUN...  
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Here are some minimal pair examples for practice:

Ex - Axe
Pet - Pat
Head - Had
Sex - Sacks
End - And
Gem - Jam
Temper - Tamper

Set a mat on the sand and get a tan.
Lassie headed back to Peg and Allen for ten apples.



Try using your cellphone to record your voice and compare it to my pronunciation. What words do you have trouble pronouncing? Let me know in the comments below.