The slow work of sounds: six pairs Chinese speakers most often get wrong
PTE doesn't mind your accent; it minds when one word turns into another. In 5 minutes: six sound pairs Chinese speakers most often get wrong, full vowels, and five ways to drill them.
By PlayPTE · Published 2026-10-26
What this video covers
Step three of the barrel self-check is individual sounds: the slowest to pay off, but the foundation. PTE is tolerant of accents; what costs points are sounds so far off that one word turns into another. Two or three of those and speaking tends to sit around 60.
Six groups Chinese speakers most often get wrong
Each is practised with a pair of words that differ by one sound:
- th said as s or z: think / sink, three / free, this / zis. Rest the tongue tip lightly between the teeth and blow.
- v and w: very / wary, vest / west. For v the top teeth touch the lower lip; for w the lips round and the teeth stay off them.
- l and r: light / right, long / wrong, collect / correct. For l the tongue tip presses behind the top teeth; for r it touches nothing and curls back a little. Watch the middle and end of words: teacher, people, feel.
- Final n and ng: thin / thing, ran / rang. n closes with the tongue tip; ng lifts the back of the tongue and sounds through the nose.
- Long and short vowels: ship / sheep, full / fool. Short vowels are short and relaxed.
- bad and bed: for bad the jaw drops and the mouth opens wider.
Full vowels
English vowels sit further back than Chinese ones, so really open your mouth. Make a stressed syllable slightly slower and fuller, not just louder. The h in her and how is only a light breath, like a sigh.
Five drills
- Get corrected: have a teacher or classmate listen to a few sentences a day.
- AI word list: ask an AI for 50 simple words with your problem sound and read them in one go.
- Alternate the pairs: use the pairs above, record yourself and check you can hear the difference.
- Use a mirror: sounds like th and v need you to see the tongue and lips.
- Back into sentences: make sure the sound holds at normal speed.
Mindset
Hearing no difference after a week or two is normal. Work on one or two sounds at a time and move on once they're fixed. Don't chase a perfect accent; the goal is that every word is clear and never heard as another.
Then open Read Aloud practice, record a passage and find the one or two sounds you get wrong most. Previous episode: dragged and swallowed sounds.
Next episode: Every word clear, but Read Aloud still sounds laboured? Five reading habits