The L Sound
Pronunciation: The “L” Sound
Minimal Pairs
| lay | ray | nay | blue | brew | peel | peer |
| low | row | no | fly | fry | fall | far |
| lice | rice | nice | flight | fright | file | fire |
| lake | rake | play | pray | trial | trier | |
| link | rink | clock | crock | little | litter | |
| laughed | raft | glue | grew | paddle | padder | |
| liver | river | glaze | graze | isle | ire |
Challenging Words
| lift | bottle | frugal | Lazarus |
| left | ladel | worldly | nevertheless |
| lily | cradle | walrus | algorithm |
| flu | legal | flailing | illegal |
| blitz | leather | lavender | illustrious |
| plight | leaflet | alignment | removable |
| grail | Luther | terminal | religion |
| mellow | listless | reasonable | aluminum |
| rally | restless | salamander | flawlessly |
In Phrases
| leave it alone | lay it on the line | All’s fair in love and war |
| live and let live | a calendar girl | All’s well that ends well |
| little by little | left in the lurch | He who laughs lasts |
| last but not least | a naval blockade | All the world’s a stage |
| location, location, location | a little later | Arsenic and Old Lace |
Dialog
| Q. Did you leave the lights on last night? |
| A. No. Don’t look at me like that. |
| Q. But you’re always leaving them on. |
| A. Believe me. I’m not the guilty one. |
| Q. Well, when did you close the blinds? |
| A. About eleven or twelve. |
| Q. Were they wtill on then? |
| A. Let’s talk about something else? |
Oral Reading
Right after I left the library last night, it started raining. I tried to hail a taxi, but it was useless. They were all filled with last-minute shoppers laden with Valentine’s Day gifts for their loved ones. It was really a hassle holding an umbrella in one hand and an armload of books in the other. After a while, a nice little old lady rolled down her car window and offered me a ride. Getting in the vehicle, I slipped and fell into a mud puddle, spilling my books all over the road. What a relief it was to finally get home, plop down on the sofa, and relax.