How to Pronounce CH, TR, J, DR in CHAIN, TRAIN, JANE, DRAIN - American English Pronunciation Lesson

[@loganswe]

As a non native English speaker, your explanation and pronounciation makes the most sense to me compared to other teachers. I do hear the difference when you say those words, but when I try to pronouce them, it is just difficult. I always thought dr/J are pronounced in the same way, until people look confused when I try to say "Jane" but "drain" came out. Now I know what I need to do to improve, thank you so much.

[@tarlespeech]

Awesome, happy to help!

[@stanleyhu9063]

Can't believe it took me twenty years to finally find out that they are different and how. Thanks Jennifer.

[@tarlespeech]

Better late than never. Good work!

[@loganswe]

you're not the only one lol

[@erickrodriguez6067]

What I like about your teaching method is that you go straight to the point. Good!

[@tarlespeech]

Thanks a lot!

[@mindfulstudymethod]

Thank you so much, it's kinda breakthrough for me to pronounce these sound with "dr" and "tr". I always thought they're same with CH and J accordingly even I always heard the difference between them.

[@tarlespeech]

Wonderful to hear. Thanks for sharing!

[@flynncezannematisse8683]

Thank you ma'am 🥰I always confused bout "dr" and "j", i definitely can hear the native pronounce those different but when i tried it, i pronounced its exactly the same. I'm practicing these sounds now, it's a bit difficult because my tongue is trying to get used to these new sounds. 😂

[@tarlespeech]

These are tough but you can do it!

[@luisassis2366]

Thank you so much!🥰 How much things give to learn on this short lesson!!! You are aworsome!!!!!

[@tarlespeech]

This was a lot to learn for sure!

[@luisassis2366]

@@tarlespeech Yes. Am sure that. So I am grateful for you and the yoir nice work. Many thanks Jennifer!!!!🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️🥰🥰🥰

[@freeenglishgrammarproject5615]

Hey, it's George from Italy and the only thing that I can say is that I LOOK UP TO you :))))

[@tarlespeech]

You are so sweet! Thanks!

[@luiscarlosassis4253]

One word: fantastic!!Simple!!Useful!! Beautiful tips! Many thanks, Ms. Tarle!! You are Amazing simply!! Have I said this??? It''s Ok.

[@tarlespeech]

You have but I love it.

[@luiscarlosassis4253]

@@tarlespeech Ms. tarle, you are same Amazing simply! Am speaking truth!!

[@Anhhungxadieu87]

Great lesson! Thank you so much!

[@tarlespeech]

You're very welcome!

[@erwinsugianto3725]

Thank you so Much Mrs

[@tarlespeech]

You’re welcome ☺️

[@أحمدالدسوقي-ت9س]

❤❤ Thanks beautiful teacher

[@tarlespeech]

You're welcome 😊

[@diegotear1979]

I've finally understood!!! 👏👏👏🤗😁 Thank you!!!

[@tarlespeech]

Wonderful! Good for you...keep up the good work!

[@tarlespeech]

My mistake is your gain. Didn't mean to post it. Enjoy this bonus video!

[@Nacho-oj2gd]

Well, thank you then, dear Jennifer. It's a fantastic video, and I like those "J" and "R" sounds. Vibrating sounds are difficult, but definitely make the voice more attractive. Good week!

[@tarlespeech]

Nacho thanks Nacho! Happy "hump day"! Aka Wednesday.

[@darwinmoreno6769]

Thank you. I want to learn English

[@tarlespeech]

You can do it! Best of luck!

[@Rambler1986]

I love it - Thank you so much you're an amazing teacher

[@tarlespeech]

Wow! Thanks so much!

[@ramzy-6566]

more than amazing , thank you.

[@tarlespeech]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ubaidrehman133]

your style statement is so nice. thanks pretty coach

[@tarlespeech]

Appreciate it!

[@mosezkima4435]

Very understandable Thank you very much!

[@tarlespeech]

Wonderful. All the best!

[@jihunbak2025]

Thank you! I have a question. Why is Chicago pronounced [ʃikɑ́:ɡou]? Not typical CH sound.

[@tarlespeech]

Jihun Bak good question. I didn't know. Here is what I found: " "Most sources agree that the present-day pronunciation of 'Chicago' derives from the variation of a Native American term by early French-speaking settlers, but there's also evidence to suggest the distinctive 'shh' goes back to its Indian origins," says Tim Samuelson, cultural historian for the City of Chicago. He points to an early 19th Century source that describes the Native American pronunciation as "Shig-gau-go" and defines the name as "the skunk."

[@tarlespeech]

articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-11-29/features/0611290042_1_deploys-soldier-troop

[@jihunbak2025]

Tarle Speech & Language Services - English Pronunciation it is multicultural. Thank you for long explanation. ^-^ sometimes I find there are some confusing pronunciations. Ronald Reagan is a typical example. It sounds like 'reigan'. Avril Lavigne is pronounced 'lavin', not 'la-vi-g-ne'. Some words are deleted in pronunciation. It is difficult but makes English interesting.

[@tarlespeech]

Yes, there are many confusing pronunciations depending on the word's origins. I agree, it makes English so interesting! All the best!

[@-wil2013]

Exception!

[@PeacefulSerb]

Amazing 😁

[@tarlespeech]

Thank you so much 😀

[@asimmsyed5548]

Love you ma'am from Illinois chicago USA have a fabulous day

[@tarlespeech]

Thanks! Make it a great week! 👍

[@-wil2013]

Hi Jennifer, the word "popular", are there American people who pronounce "poppillar"?

[@tarlespeech]

I mainly hear POP-YOU-LER.

[@-wil2013]

And also "POP-yuh-ler"?

[@tarlespeech]

Yes.

[@-wil2013]

But they're speaking fast, it's very close to [ˈpɑpɪlɚ]

[@theroll666]

Thank you. Can you explain "swallow" (coke e.g. )?

[@tarlespeech]

SWALLOW is pronounced S(WALL)-oooo Think of the word wall with an s before it. Then syllable 2 is the long oooo.

[@theroll666]

@@tarlespeech It's hard to think of the word w(b)all, but thank you a lot!!!! Greetings from Germany!

[@tarlespeech]

Yes, sometimes it is difficult to spell what I am trying to explain. English spelling isn't super helpful at times. All the best!

[@janeliu1725]

As R in TR/DR cluster is in the beginning of a word, does it have the shape of a beginning R sound, meaning the lips come into a tighter circle like in "red" ? It seems like you just have your lips flare as /ɚ/ though. Thanks!

[@tarlespeech]

They do "flare" a bit. R in English varies slightly depending on the sounds around it. This makes it very difficult. Hang in there!

[@janeliu1725]

​@@tarlespeech I'm just wondering if you make this R sound in cluster by having the lips come into a tighter circle like in "red" ? Or is it the same way of making BR, SHR, etc? I feel like it's much easier to make the R sound on its own, which is the same as the /ɝ/ sound. In this way, we'll keep the lips the same position, which is always flared. After making the CH sound, then we just need to flip the tongue tip up to make the R sound. Do you agree? Thanks!

[@DouglasSosa]

another one for free? Thank you teacher Jennifer.

[@tarlespeech]

I know! My mistake is your gain! Enjoy!

[@meetmeinthe]

Just came by to say hi. I used to watch your videos 5 years ago. my favorite was the beach and bitch one XD. great work as always and my English improved greatly since then with your help and lot of practice. The major key for me I think is not to feel embarssed when I speak, just keep trying and speak loudly.

[@tarlespeech]

Welcome back! Glad to hear that you are improving. And I agree, confidence is key! All the best!

[@cjoe6908]

This helps. Thanks

[@tarlespeech]

Wonderful! Thanks so much.

[@-wil2013]

Hi Jennifer, how do the majority of American people say "not yet"? "naw yet" or "notchet"?

[@tarlespeech]

I’d say in fast speaking nochet.

[@MrCarterVince]

Great video

[@tarlespeech]

Thanks so much!

[@MrCarterVince]

Tarle Speech & Language Services - English Pronunciation welcome. This video even helped me a lot as I still have heavy Chinese accent despite being in Canada for 8 years. I struggle pronounce s words as well as retroflex consonants

[@tarlespeech]

Maybe this playlist will help: English R , L, W sounds /r/, /l/, /w/, /iɚ/, /eɚ/, /oɚ/, /ɑɚ/,/ɚ/ - American English Pronunciation Lesson kzbin.info/aero/PLxEs-su4NimXSAwQAA8ZCOLd6t_x3ek2y I also teach classes via video conferencing if you are interested.

[@pliniohonorato20]

Well done

[@tarlespeech]

Many thanks!

[@ruynana]

thank you so much! this video is so helpful :)

[@tarlespeech]

I’m so glad to hear that. Friday I have another video coming out about this topic. Stay tuned!

[@Nhuttanzero1994]

Can I pronounce tr sound like chr?

[@tarlespeech]

Some people describe the TR as sounding like CHR. Those sounds are distinctly different to me as a native English speaker. But, my ESL clients do "hear" the CHR for the TR.

[@servantofaeie1569]

Tarle Speech & Language Services - English Pronunciation i have spoken english my whole life and DR sounds EXACTLY like JR, and TR sounds EXACTLY like CHR.

[@servantofaeie1569]

Nguyen Dang Nhut Tan yes, they are pronounced the same

[@shinoka54]

I TRy to study English, Jeniffer.

[@tarlespeech]

Oh, great one!!! One of your best!

[@laliberte5740]

Hello ma'am. I can't distinguish the difference of the "J" sound and the "CH" sound that sounds seem similar because the people who speak English in my country usually pronounce "CH" or "Z" instead of "J" Sorry for my bad English

[@tarlespeech]

If people pronounce it that way where you live and everyone understands you then you say it perfectly! If you want to work on hearing the difference from other speakers check out www.breakingnewsenglish.com for listening practice. All the best.

[@richardfrangie3518]

👍

[@tarlespeech]

🥰

[@franciscojavierveracardena6578]

For exemple True and through??

[@tarlespeech]

Tr is different than thr.

[@tarlespeech]

This may help with the thr. How to Pronounce THROUGH and THREW - American English Homophone Pronunciation Lesson kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXXanZ6fmb2MqsU

[@guntersambale217]

Maybe to get a feeling for unvoiced and voiced sounds..."ch" / "j'... "tr" / "dr" being aware of your vocal chords (vibrating or not)

[@tarlespeech]

Great suggestion! Will do!

[@-wil2013]

"Ch" is pronounced "k" in some words: chord, Christmas, character, etc, because of the latin origin.

[@omnick69]

hi.. could you tell me why the letter c on word camera and c on word certain spelled different? i mean if the C on camera spelled kamera, then why the C on certain spelled Sert'n? it has to be kert'n. not sert'n sorry for my bad English. I'm a beginner

[@tarlespeech]

This may help: tarlespeech.com/how-do-i-know-if-the-letter-c-is-pronounced-as-an-s-or-k-sound/ and this: tarlespeech.com/how-to-spell-the-k-sound/

[@tarlespeech]

Pronounce the letter “C” as an “S” sound if the letter “C” is followed by the letters “E”, “I”, or “Y”. This is true in the words “central”, “city”, and “cyst”. Pronounce the letter “C” as a “K” sound, if the letter “C” is followed by the letters “A”, “O”, or “U”. This is true in the words “can”, “corn”, and “cut”.

[@-wil2013]

The same letter can have different pronunciation, for example, the letter "a" is not always pronounced "ay": late, chocolate, again

[@martinmilata232]

So basically: train = CH + R drain = J + R

[@tarlespeech]

You can say it that way. What ever works for you.

[@r.jlupin5297]

Good video

[@tarlespeech]

Thanks! I published this by accident! Bonus for you:)

[@joseantoniodavila2752]

I often hear from Americans TR as CHR. Chry to watch a movie about chrains on the chrail. Not sure though! Just my ears

[@tarlespeech]

No, you are correct, this is happening! I think it is a change in pronunciation. Exciting!

[@sv1106]

Mam may you please tell me that how to pronounce "viscosity".

[@tarlespeech]

Tough one...vis-COS-uh-dee Stress the COS Message me if you need a recording on social media @tarlespeech

[@MrClint]

As a portuguese speaker, they are no the same. For me is hard to hear that "D" sound, like I'd.

[@tarlespeech]

The D is different than in the word I'd. The R here is quieter and not as strong as in I'd.

[@laracroftvideos]

I think that what most people mean when they say that the "ch" sound sounds like "tr" and "j" sounds like "dr" is not that "tr" and "dr" literally sound like "ch" and "j," but that the resulting blends of "t + r" & "d + r" end up sounding very close to something like "chr" and "jr". At least to my ears, there's literally zero difference between chRain and train or jRaw and draw (when spoken fast). If I pronounce everything very clearly then yes, the sounds are different.

[@tarlespeech]

Good point, yes in conversational speech sounds change a lot. All the best!

[@charliebee2028]

thnx

[@tarlespeech]

You are welcome!

[@rzajefri7632]

👍👏🏻

[@tarlespeech]

Thanks so much!

[@Theo-yj4mi]

For me, I just say train like chain, but dramatically.

[@tarlespeech]

If people understand you then you are fine. All the best!

[@Theo-yj4mi]

@@tarlespeech Not always! for some reason I can pronounce train and chain quite differently but I always failed for treat and cheat. I was once in an interview trying to say "tree" and it took the interviewer quite a while to understand this simple word lol. Whereas thanks for you encouragement!

[@asimmsyed5548]

Dear ma'am u r so exquisite ur dress r stunning u have georgeous eyes alluring smile looking so elegant uvr so worthwhile beneficial helpful useful ma'am drop dead georgeous way of lesson adorable as Well as ur sounds r so sweet so lovely impressive vedio go on new presentations i owe you one u r good of one love u too much ma'am take good care urself may protect u from evil eyes stay bless countless healthy life ahead

[@tarlespeech]

So happy to help!

[@neferdina4578]

Plz sweetie do the word exactly ... thnx a lot love you

[@tarlespeech]

Think of it this way: eggz act lee Will add it to my list!

[@servantofaeie1569]

[(ʔ)ɪɡˈzækɬi] ig-ZAEK-li

[@Alex-kt8tl]

I can hear the difference but when it comes to "draw " and "jaw ", that would be a big problem to me .

[@tarlespeech]

Hmm. What do they sound Like? Jaw?

[@Alex-kt8tl]

Tarle Speech & Language Services - English Pronunciation yes！I can’t believe that you reply to this comment. So nice you’re! When I try to pronounce “draw” , sounds same as “jaw”. And “chew” sounds same as “true” . I can hear the difference when the native speaker say it .

[@Alex-kt8tl]

Tarle Speech & Language Services - English Pronunciation and there’s a joke on me. My friends always want me to say this sentence “I want to draw the jaw “ it sounds like I want to jaw the jaw.lol

[@tarlespeech]

Try this...when you say CH or J your tongue moves from front to back. When you say TR or DR try moving your tongue from top to bottom. Basically, move the tip of your tongue from behind your top teeth to behind your bottom, front teeth. That may help.

[@tarlespeech]

And what is your native language?

[@garridoscar1]

Uff!, that was very difficult.

[@tarlespeech]

Yes, this is a very advanced lesson.

[@sonukhah7466]

Replay

[@tarlespeech]

Hope the replay helps You.

[@imperatusmauser7096]

Im greek and the DR is painful to pronounce

[@tarlespeech]

It’s a tough one. Hang in there.

[@servantofaeie1569]

oh for Greeks especially

[@tuongvan-jolie7515]

It's too similar to distinguish aaaaaaa :(

[@tarlespeech]

They are close. Try listening to the video a few more times. Listening practice helps. Good luck!

[@salim_ahmed8826]

You speak so fast that I cannot understand you mam.

[@tarlespeech]

Sorry about that. I have subtitles if that helps.

[@charliebee2028]

thnx

[@tarlespeech]

Sure! Happy to help!

[@richardfrangie3518]

👍

[@tarlespeech]

Thanks!