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Practice final TH, SKS, and STS sounds with common words, clear models, and guided sentences.
Vanessa teaches ten words that English learners may find difficult to pronounce, organizing them by their final consonant sounds: words ending in “th,” words with “sks,” and words ending in “sts.” She models the mouth and tongue position, breaks some words into smaller sound groups, and puts the words into complete sentences. The goal is clearer pronunciation in this American English lesson, not an instruction that every speaker must adopt one accent.
The first group includes “month,” “teeth,” and “fourth.” Vanessa focuses on producing the final “th” rather than letting it disappear, and she combines target words in examples such as “I brushed my teeth after I ate my fourth piece of chocolate.” The next group includes “asks,” “desks,” “tasks,” and “risks.” She practices the final “ks” sequence separately, then adds it back to the whole word. The last group includes “tests,” “posts,” and “beasts,” where she isolates the “ts” ending and emphasizes that the final consonant should remain audible.
The lesson’s speaking prompts are useful classroom language. “Say it with me” invites a learner to repeat a word or sentence. “Put it in a sentence” asks someone to demonstrate a word in context, and “take a look at” directs attention to an example. The phrasal verb “trip you up” describes a word or sound that causes hesitation. These phrases help a learner follow pronunciation practice, ask for help, and describe what feels difficult.
Vanessa then combines the target words in a short hiking story: a person takes a monthly trip, thinks about risks and wild beasts, prepares a checklist, and tests rain gear. This cumulative practice asks the learner to move from isolated sounds to connected speech. “Get your thinking cap on” is a playful invitation to concentrate, while “take this to the next level” means make an exercise more challenging. Both are informal, so a more direct instruction may be better in a formal class.
To practice, choose one target word, listen to the model, repeat it slowly, and then use it in a sentence. Next, combine it with an earlier word and say the full sentence at a comfortable pace. The video notes that some of these clusters can also challenge native speakers; repeated, careful practice is intended to make the endings easier to hear and produce. Pronunciation varies by accent, so use the examples as a guide to the lesson’s American English model rather than as a judgment of other varieties.
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Select an expression for its meaning · 0:00
Introducing challenging final sounds
Vanessa: Hi, I'm Vanessa from SpeakEnglishWithVanessa.com. Teeth, desks, asks, tests. How do I pronounce these tough words? Don't worry. I'll help you. Let's talk about it. Have you ever been speaking in English, and then you say a word, and you
Try it: Choose one difficult word, say it in a complete sentence, and then combine it with a second target word.
Phrase cheat sheet
Review each expression, hear it, save it, or jump to where it appears in the video.
Showing 13 of 13 phrases
Introducing challenging final sounds · expression
Unexpectedly or very quickly, without warning.
Tone and use: Conversational and common. Use it before describing a change or event that happened unexpectedly.
May not fit: It can be imprecise; use an exact time if timing matters.
Example“All of a sudden, the lights went out.”
Introducing challenging final sounds · expression
Cause you to stumble, hesitate, or make a mistake.
Tone and use: Informal and encouraging in a learning context. Use trip someone up for a confusing question, tricky word, or unexpected problem.
May not fit: It does not necessarily mean a physical fall; context makes the figurative meaning clear.
Example“The similar-looking answers tripped me up on the quiz.”
Explaining why words cause hesitation · expression
An invitation to repeat a word or sentence at the same time as the speaker.
Tone and use: Friendly and instructional. Use it in a lesson or practice activity when you want learners to repeat aloud.
May not fit: It is an instruction, not a natural phrase to use in ordinary conversation.
Example“Say it with me: “I’ll be there at six.””
Explaining why words cause hesitation · expression
Used to introduce a particular subject or area being discussed.
Tone and use: Neutral and common. Use it before a noun or -ing activity: when it comes to pronunciation...
May not fit: It can become repetitive if used to introduce every point.
Example“When it comes to planning trips, she likes to compare train times.”
Explaining why words cause hesitation · expression
Continue to the next item, subject, or stage.
Tone and use: Neutral and common. Use it when progressing through a list, activity, or explanation.
May not fit: It can sound abrupt if someone has not finished the current topic.
Example“After the warm-up, we went on to the main exercise.”
Explaining why words cause hesitation · expression
Is omitted or passed over without receiving attention.
Tone and use: Neutral and explanatory. Use it for a detail or step that people accidentally leave out.
May not fit: It describes omission, not necessarily a deliberate decision to ignore something.
Example“The final consonant often gets skipped over when people speak quickly.”
Explaining why words cause hesitation · expression
Use a word or phrase as part of a complete sentence.
Tone and use: Neutral and instructional. Use it when asking a learner to show how a word works in context.
May not fit: A sentence should fit the meaning; do not insert a word where it does not belong.
Example“Can you put “reliable” in a sentence about a coworker?”
Practicing the final TH sound · expression
Attach or include an extra part to something already present.
Tone and use: Informal and practical. Use add on + an extra feature, sound, charge, or component.
May not fit: Specify what is being added if the context is not clear.
Example“We added on a short review after the main lesson.”
Practicing a sentence with target words · expression
To a more advanced or challenging stage.
Tone and use: Conversational and encouraging. Use it when an activity progresses beyond its current stage.
May not fit: It can sound like motivational jargon; name the specific next step when possible.
Example“We moved to the next level by practicing longer sentences.”
Practicing with a short story · expression
Stop or remove the ending of a sound, word, or communication.
Tone and use: Neutral and context-dependent. Use it for a sound or signal that ends abruptly or is omitted.
May not fit: It has other meanings, such as interrupting a call; identify what is cut off.
Example“The recording cut off before the speaker finished the sentence.”
Repeating the story together · expression
Start thinking carefully or creatively about a problem.
Tone and use: Playful, informal idiom. Use it to encourage someone to think through a challenge.
May not fit: It can sound childish or overly playful in a formal setting.
Example“Get your thinking cap on—we need a clever title for the project.”
Repeating the story together · expression
Meeting or encountering someone or something unexpectedly.
Tone and use: Informal and common. Use run into + a person, problem, or obstacle; running into is the -ing form.
May not fit: It is figurative for problems and encounters, not always a literal collision.
Example“I ran into an old classmate while shopping.”
Repeating the story together · expression
Pause an activity or step away from something temporarily.
Tone and use: Neutral and common. Use it before an activity or thing you want to pause.
May not fit: A break is temporary; it does not mean stopping permanently.
Example“I take a short break from screens after dinner.”
Knowledge check
What it means · “trip you up”