Throat letters: sounds English does not have
In the video
Watch this lesson's video, then follow the steps below to practise.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Name the six throat letters
- Place each one in the deepest, middle or top part of the throat
- Hear the difference between the two letters in each pair and say both
- Explain why mixing them up can change the meaning of a word
Three parts of the throat
Tap each letter to hear it with fathah. Say it straight after.
The deepest part
The first is a short, clean catch in the throat. The second is a soft breath, with nothing scraping.
The middle
For the first, the throat tightens and you use your voice. The second is breath only, like breathing on glasses to clean them, but stronger and tighter.
The top
The first is close to a soft gargle, with voice. The second comes from the same place with breath only, like the ch in the Scottish word loch.
Practise them in pairs
Pick a pair and press start. Listen to both sounds, then say both.
Which did you hear?
Press play, then choose the sound you heard.
Why it matters
Listen for the throat letter
The first word of the second ayah of Al-Fatihah has the strong breath from the middle of the throat. Said with the soft breath from the deepest part, it is no longer the right word. The second word is from Surah Al-Falaq.
Read it yourself
Read each row out loud from right to left. Then press check to hear it.
Lesson 5 complete
Next lesson we look at the heavy letters and the lighter letters that look like them. Keep practising today's pairs. A few minutes a day works better here than one long go.