English for Farsi/Persian Speakers

Farsi/Persian Challenge #2: Syllable Stress

It can be challenging for native speakers of Farsi/Persian to place the correct type of stress on the right syllable when pronouncing American English words and sentences. While this can be challenging for many non-native speakers, it’s especially challenging for native Farsi/Persian speakers due to the influence of the rules of syllable stress in Farsi/Persian. 

Syllable stress in Farsi/Persian tends to follow a more consistent pattern than in American English, which makes it easier to predict which syllable will have the primary stress in any given word.

The rules governing syllable stress in American English, on the other hand, are more dynamic, and it's often challenging to know where to place the stress in any given word.

Click here to download a PDF of Syllables and Stress in American English

Placing the stress on the wrong syllable can lead to confusion for a speaker of American English because it might result in a completely different word than what was intended. For example, there are many words in English that have the same spelling but different meanings, and the main way to differentiate between them is with the stress pattern that is used in their pronunciation. 

An example of this can be found with the word object. Object can be both a noun and a verb, depending on how it is used in a sentence. When it’s a noun, as in the sentence, I see an object on the table, the primary stress is placed on the first syllable, “OB-ject”. When it’s a verb, as in the sentence, I object to that rule, the primary stress shifts to the second syllable, “ob-JECT”. 

Farsi/Persian speakers may also struggle with placing the correct stress on the right word in a sentence. For example, consider the following sentences:

They’ll sell fish.

They’re selfish.

Both sentences are very similar in terms of vowels and consonants, and thus can sound nearly the same when pronounced. In order to make them sound different, native speakers of American English would pronounce the stress like this:

They’ll sell FISH.

They’re SELfish.

However, native speakers of Farsi/Persian may place the stress on the wrong syllable, so the words sell fish may sound like selfish to the ears of a native speaker of American English. This can definitely create confusion for the listener.

Click here to download a PDF of Stress in Sentences in American English

How to Pronounce American English Syllable Stress

Stress can be signaled in spoken English by changing the pitch, volume, and/or duration of a syllable. Stressed syllables are often higher in pitch, longer in duration, and slightly louder in volume than unstressed syllables. Unstressed syllables can also be reduced, and if that happens, the vowel in the unstressed syllable typically changes to the schwa /ə/ vowel or the IH /ɪ/ vowel.

To begin learning the rules of American English stress patterns, watch the videos below. Or you can read about American English stress by clicking here: The Three Types of Syllable Stress; Pronounce BIG Words in American English; Unstressed Syllables and Word Reductions.

Farsi/Persian Challenge #3: The EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels

The EE /i/ as in beat and IH /ɪ/ as in bit vowels are very common in American English. The EE /i/ vowel is also found in Farsi/Persian, so this vowel isn't usually difficult for these speakers to pronounce in American English.

However, the IH /ɪ/ vowel only exists in some dialects of Farsi/Persian, and this is where native speakers of Farsi/Persian tend to have difficulty with pronunciation.

The EE /i/ as in seat vowel is a long, tense vowel in American English. This means there is tension somewhere in the vocal tract when you pronounce it. Say “eee” and place your hand under your chin - do you feel the muscles tensing there when you say “eee”? 

Click here to download a PDF of How to Pronounce the EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels

In contrast, the IH /ɪ/ as in sit vowel is a short, lax vowel in American English. This means the muscles in the vocal tract are relaxed as you say it. When you say the IH /ɪ/ vowel, there should not be any tension in the muscles under your chin - IH /ɪ/ should feel very different from EE /i/ in terms of muscle tension.

Native speakers of Farsi/Persian tend to pronounce the short, lax IH /ɪ/ vowel like the long, tense EE /i/ vowel, so a word like sit may sound like seat, or a word like similar (sih-mih-ler) may sound like "see-mee-lar". 

How to Pronounce the EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels in American English

The biggest difference between the pronunciation of EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ is tongue tension. When you pronounce IH /ɪ/, remember to relax your mouth and tongue. Use a mirror to make sure you are relaxed when you say it. Now contrast that with the tense EE /i/ vowel and add as much tension as possible when you say it. Can you feel the difference in muscle tension?

To learn how to pronounce the EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ vowels, watch the pronunciation videos below. Or you can read about their pronunciations by clicking here: How to Pronounce the EE /i/ Vowel; How to Pronounce the IH /ɪ/ Vowel; EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels: Minimal Pairs Listening Quiz.

Farsi/Persian Challenge #5: V /v/ and W /w/ Consonants

There is great variation in Farsi/Persian with the pronunciation of /w/ and /v/. In some dialects of Farsi/Persian, the pronunciation of /w/, represented by this letter و  has shifted to /v/, yet in other dialects the /w/ pronunciation remains intact. In other dialects, the /w/ may also be dropped completely from the pronunciation if it is preceded by a consonant and followed by a vowel in the same syllable.

Due to this variation in the way that /w/ and /v/ are pronounced within the dialects of Farsi/Persian, these speakers may struggle to know how to accurately pronounce W /w/ and V /v/ when they occur in American English words.

Native speakers of Farsi/Persian may reverse the V /v/ and W /w/ when they speak American English, so a word like very sounds like wary. This type of pronunciation pattern can create confusion for native speakers of American English because this type of substitution can create many real word pairs in English, such as west/vest, very/wary, and went/vent.

Or native speakers of Farsi/Persian may delete the /w/ completely from a word, which can also lead to confusion for the listener as the speaker may misunderstand the entire word and think, "What did they say?"

How to Pronounce the V /v/ and W /w/ Consonants in American English

The key to pronouncing a clear V /v/ and W /w/ is the lip position. There should be no contact with the lips when pronouncing the W /w/ consonant, and in fact, you should think of positioning your lips as if you're going to say the OO /u/ vowel, like in the word blue. When you pronounce OO /u/, you should feel your lips round into a circle and push away from the teeth. The lips do the same thing when pronouncing the W /w/ consonant.

When pronouncing V /v/, the upper lip moves up to expose the upper teeth. Then the upper teeth come down to lightly touch the inside of the lower lip, and that is where the V /v/ consonant is made. Teeth to lower lip; not lip to lip. 

Watch the pronunciation videos below to learn more about how to pronounce the V /v/ and W /w/ consonants. You can also read about their pronunciation by clicking here: How to Pronounce the F /f/ and V /v/ Consonants; How to Pronounce the W /w/ Consonant; Place, Manner, Voicing of American English Consonants.