/p/ — the /p/ sound
the /p/ sound
Consonants · Plosives
This sound hasn't been scored yet.
How to make it
Press both lips shut, build up air, then release it sharply. No voice in the throat.
Pairs with /b/ — same mouth shape, only the voicing differs.
Watch a native speaker say it
See the mouth and tongue before you record — hearing a sound rarely tells you where the tongue goes.
Rachel's English · English Sounds - B[b] and P[p] Consonants - How to make the B and P Consonants Watch on YouTube
More videos
Words with this sound
Tap the speaker to hear a native speaker say it.
app
/ˈap/
pay
/peɪ/
pie
/paɪ/
apple
/ˈæpl/
cup
/kʌp/
hope
/hoʊp/
map
/mæp/
oops
/ups/
pair
/per/
path
/pæθ/
pen
/pen/
pet
/pɛt/
Minimal pairs
Two words that differ by exactly one sound. Listen until you can tell them apart, then say them yourself.
- p
pie
/paɪ/
bbuy
/baɪ/
- p
pea
/piː/
ffee
/fiː/
- p
app
/ˈap/
tat
/æt/
- p
app
/ˈap/
dadd
/æd/
- p
app
/ˈap/
kact
/æk/
- p
pet
/pɛt/
gget
/ɡet/
- p
pan
/pæn/
vvan
/væn/
- p
map
/mæp/
θmath
/mæθ/
Test yourself on this sound
Read these 8 words in one recording. The AI scores every sound and tells you whether your /p/ came out right.