/k/ vs /kw/ Minimal Pairs - American English Pronunciation Practice

This video will help train your ear to hear and pronounce the /k/ vs /kw/ consonant sounds - often (but not always) made by the letter K and the QU letter combination, respectively. Listen to each Minimal Pair and repeat the word pairs aloud.
Minimal Pairs are two words that sound the same EXCEPT FOR one sound.
The /k/ sound is a voiceless consonant sound. This means that the vocal cords do not vibrate when this sound is produced. To create the /k/ sound, the back of the tongue presses up to the soft palate (the top back of the mouth) and then releases.
The /kw/ sound is a consonant cluster, a combination of two sounds: /k/ and /w/. As described above, the /k/ is made by placing the back of the tongue against the soft palate at the back of your mouth. To get the /kw/ sound, as you push air out of your mouth against the back of your tongue, releasing the air, you need to make a /w/ sound at the same time. The /w/ sound is created with the jaw mostly closed and the lips formed in a small, tight circle. The sound is voiced, so the vocal cords must vibrate.
For more information on using colors to represent vowel sounds visit: www.colorvowel.com and/or watch • The Color Vowel® Chart...
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