English has 26 letters but more sounds, so the same letter can sound different in different words.
Some letter pairs have their own sound: sh in shop, ch in chair, th in think, ph in phone.
A silent e at the end usually makes the vowel long: cap becomes cape, hop becomes hope.
Say each new word out loud as you read it, so the spelling and the sound get stored together.
Practice questions
Check your answers in this topic’s Quiz on YUNOVA.
In the word 'phone', what sound do the letters 'ph' make?
The sound of 'f', as in 'fan'
The sound of 'p', as in 'pen'
The sound of 'b', as in 'bat'
Two sounds, 'p' and then 'h'
'hop' becomes 'hope' when you add an 'e' at the end. What does that 'e' do?
It is said as a separate sound
It makes the word plural
It makes the vowel before it long
It makes the 'p' silent
Which word starts with the same sound as 'chair'?
school
chemistry
cheese
character
Which word begins with the same 'th' sound as 'think'?
this
thick
that
then
Hindi-to-English sound differences
Key points
English v and w are different: 'vet' uses your teeth on your lip, 'wet' uses rounded lips.
Put your tongue between your teeth for th in this and think, so 'think' does not become 'tink'.
English t and d are made higher in the mouth than the Hindi ones, which softens 'table' and 'day'.
Record yourself saying the pairs, listen back, and repeat only the sounds that still sound unclear.
Practice questions
Check your answers in this topic’s Quiz on YUNOVA.
A learner is practising “Basic pronunciation contrasts”. Which activity most directly demonstrates successful use of this competency?
Repeat the topic title several times without producing an example.
Use basic pronunciation contrasts appropriately in a new, context-rich speaking or writing task.
Choose a favourite video based only on its thumbnail.
Memorise an unrelated vocabulary list without applying the target skill.
Which learner response best shows control of “Basic pronunciation contrasts” rather than only recognition of it?
Avoid the target structure and answer with isolated keywords.
Repeat a model answer word-for-word without adapting it.
Recognise the topic name when it appears in a menu.
Produce an original response that applies basic pronunciation contrasts accurately and appropriately.
A learner understands the explanation of “Basic pronunciation contrasts” but struggles to use it spontaneously. What is the best next practice step?
Rewatch the same explanation indefinitely without attempting production.
Do a short guided production task using basic pronunciation contrasts, receive feedback, then retry with a new prompt.
Memorise the video title and channel name.
Switch to an unrelated topic because the first attempt was difficult.
Which assessment task would provide the strongest evidence that a learner can apply “Basic pronunciation contrasts” in a realistic situation?
List unrelated English words from memory.
Recall the colour of the lesson thumbnail.
Complete a fresh scenario that requires basic pronunciation contrasts and is scored for accuracy, appropriateness and task completion.
State whether the lesson was enjoyable.
Greetings, introductions and courtesy phrases
Key points
Use good morning, good afternoon and good evening by the time of day; hello works any time.
Introduce yourself simply: 'Hi, I'm Ravi. Nice to meet you.'
Ask and answer politely: 'How are you?' - 'I'm fine, thank you. And you?'
Please, thank you, sorry and excuse me make almost any request sound polite.
Name, place, work in one line: 'I'm Ravi. I'm from Nagpur and I work in IT support.'
Pass it back with 'And what about you?' so the conversation continues.
Say 'Nice to meet you' the first time and 'Nice to see you' when you already know them.
Avoid giving your whole CV; two or three sentences is enough.
Safe openers are the weather, the traffic, the event or the food: 'How was the traffic today?'
Answer and return the question: 'Pretty bad, actually. How did you get here?'
Show interest with 'Really?' and 'That sounds interesting.'
Avoid salary, age, weight, marriage and religion with people you have just met.
Open with an easy question about the place: 'Have you been coming here long?'
Find something in common: 'Oh, I'm from Kerala too.'
Take it forward: 'We should get coffee sometime - are you on WhatsApp?'
Avoid asking about salary, marriage or religion when you have just met someone.
Open with something easy and shared: 'Hi, are you also here for the training?'
Keep it alive by answering and then asking back: 'It's going well. How about you?'
Close politely instead of going silent: 'It was nice talking to you, I should get going.'
A short comment on the place, the weather or the event is enough to begin with a stranger.
Open with the place or the moment: 'Is this your first time at this office?' or 'How was the traffic today?'
Answer with a little extra so the other person can reply: 'I'm from Pune. I moved here last year for work.'
Ask one follow-up question about what they just said instead of jumping to a new topic.
Close politely with 'It was nice talking to you' so you can move away without it feeling rude.
Most questions swap the order: 'You are ready' becomes 'Are you ready?'
When there is no am/is/are, bring in do, does or did: 'Does he live here?'
Keep the main verb plain after do, does and did: 'Did she call?' - not 'Did she called?'
For information questions, the question word comes first: 'Where does he live?'
Practice questions
Check your answers in this topic’s Quiz on YUNOVA.
A learner is practising “Greetings and introductions”. Which activity most directly demonstrates successful use of this competency?
Memorise an unrelated vocabulary list without applying the target skill.
Use greetings and introductions appropriately in a new, context-rich speaking or writing task.
Repeat the topic title several times without producing an example.
Choose a favourite video based only on its thumbnail.
Which learner response best shows control of “Greetings and introductions” rather than only recognition of it?
Avoid the target structure and answer with isolated keywords.
Recognise the topic name when it appears in a menu.
Produce an original response that applies greetings and introductions accurately and appropriately.
Repeat a model answer word-for-word without adapting it.
A learner understands the explanation of “Greetings and introductions” but struggles to use it spontaneously. What is the best next practice step?
Do a short guided production task using greetings and introductions, receive feedback, then retry with a new prompt.
Switch to an unrelated topic because the first attempt was difficult.
Memorise the video title and channel name.
Rewatch the same explanation indefinitely without attempting production.
Which assessment task would provide the strongest evidence that a learner can apply “Greetings and introductions” in a realistic situation?
Complete a fresh scenario that requires greetings and introductions and is scored for accuracy, appropriateness and task completion.
Recall the colour of the lesson thumbnail.
State whether the lesson was enjoyable.
List unrelated English words from memory.
A learner is practising “Small talk”. Which activity most directly demonstrates successful use of this competency?
Memorise an unrelated vocabulary list without applying the target skill.
Use small talk appropriately in a new, context-rich speaking or writing task.
Repeat the topic title several times without producing an example.
Choose a favourite video based only on its thumbnail.
Which learner response best shows control of “Small talk” rather than only recognition of it?
Repeat a model answer word-for-word without adapting it.
Produce an original response that applies small talk accurately and appropriately.
Recognise the topic name when it appears in a menu.
Avoid the target structure and answer with isolated keywords.
A learner understands the explanation of “Small talk” but struggles to use it spontaneously. What is the best next practice step?
Rewatch the same explanation indefinitely without attempting production.
Switch to an unrelated topic because the first attempt was difficult.
Memorise the video title and channel name.
Do a short guided production task using small talk, receive feedback, then retry with a new prompt.
Which assessment task would provide the strongest evidence that a learner can apply “Small talk” in a realistic situation?
List unrelated English words from memory.
Complete a fresh scenario that requires small talk and is scored for accuracy, appropriateness and task completion.
State whether the lesson was enjoyable.
Recall the colour of the lesson thumbnail.
A learner is practising “Talking about hobbies and interests”. Which activity most directly demonstrates successful use of this competency?
Memorise an unrelated vocabulary list without applying the target skill.
Use talking about hobbies and interests appropriately in a new, context-rich speaking or writing task.
Repeat the topic title several times without producing an example.
Choose a favourite video based only on its thumbnail.
Which learner response best shows control of “Talking about hobbies and interests” rather than only recognition of it?
Recognise the topic name when it appears in a menu.
Repeat a model answer word-for-word without adapting it.
Avoid the target structure and answer with isolated keywords.
Produce an original response that applies talking about hobbies and interests accurately and appropriately.
A learner understands the explanation of “Talking about hobbies and interests” but struggles to use it spontaneously. What is the best next practice step?
Memorise the video title and channel name.
Switch to an unrelated topic because the first attempt was difficult.
Do a short guided production task using talking about hobbies and interests, receive feedback, then retry with a new prompt.
Rewatch the same explanation indefinitely without attempting production.
Which assessment task would provide the strongest evidence that a learner can apply “Talking about hobbies and interests” in a realistic situation?
Recall the colour of the lesson thumbnail.
List unrelated English words from memory.
State whether the lesson was enjoyable.
Complete a fresh scenario that requires talking about hobbies and interests and is scored for accuracy, appropriateness and task completion.
A learner is practising “Starting, maintaining and ending conversations”. Which activity most directly demonstrates successful use of this competency?
Memorise an unrelated vocabulary list without applying the target skill.
Choose a favourite video based only on its thumbnail.
Repeat the topic title several times without producing an example.
Use starting, maintaining and ending conversations appropriately in a new, context-rich speaking or writing task.
Which learner response best shows control of “Starting, maintaining and ending conversations” rather than only recognition of it?
Recognise the topic name when it appears in a menu.
Produce an original response that applies starting, maintaining and ending conversations accurately and appropriately.
Repeat a model answer word-for-word without adapting it.
Avoid the target structure and answer with isolated keywords.
A learner understands the explanation of “Starting, maintaining and ending conversations” but struggles to use it spontaneously. What is the best next practice step?
Memorise the video title and channel name.
Rewatch the same explanation indefinitely without attempting production.
Do a short guided production task using starting, maintaining and ending conversations, receive feedback, then retry with a new prompt.
Switch to an unrelated topic because the first attempt was difficult.
Which assessment task would provide the strongest evidence that a learner can apply “Starting, maintaining and ending conversations” in a realistic situation?
Complete a fresh scenario that requires starting, maintaining and ending conversations and is scored for accuracy, appropriateness and task completion.
Recall the colour of the lesson thumbnail.
List unrelated English words from memory.
State whether the lesson was enjoyable.
A learner is practising “Small talk with new people”. Which activity most directly demonstrates successful use of this competency?
Memorise an unrelated vocabulary list without applying the target skill.
Use small talk with new people appropriately in a new, context-rich speaking or writing task.
Choose a favourite video based only on its thumbnail.
Repeat the topic title several times without producing an example.
Which learner response best shows control of “Small talk with new people” rather than only recognition of it?
Repeat a model answer word-for-word without adapting it.
Recognise the topic name when it appears in a menu.
Avoid the target structure and answer with isolated keywords.
Produce an original response that applies small talk with new people accurately and appropriately.
A learner understands the explanation of “Small talk with new people” but struggles to use it spontaneously. What is the best next practice step?
Do a short guided production task using small talk with new people, receive feedback, then retry with a new prompt.
Memorise the video title and channel name.
Switch to an unrelated topic because the first attempt was difficult.
Rewatch the same explanation indefinitely without attempting production.
Which assessment task would provide the strongest evidence that a learner can apply “Small talk with new people” in a realistic situation?
Recall the colour of the lesson thumbnail.
State whether the lesson was enjoyable.
Complete a fresh scenario that requires small talk with new people and is scored for accuracy, appropriateness and task completion.
List unrelated English words from memory.
A learner is practising “Workplace question formation”. Which activity most directly demonstrates successful use of this competency?
Choose a favourite video based only on its thumbnail.
Repeat the topic title several times without producing an example.
Memorise an unrelated vocabulary list without applying the target skill.
Use workplace question formation appropriately in a new, context-rich speaking or writing task.
Which learner response best shows control of “Workplace question formation” rather than only recognition of it?
Avoid the target structure and answer with isolated keywords.
Repeat a model answer word-for-word without adapting it.
Produce an original response that applies workplace question formation accurately and appropriately.
Recognise the topic name when it appears in a menu.
A learner understands the explanation of “Workplace question formation” but struggles to use it spontaneously. What is the best next practice step?
Switch to an unrelated topic because the first attempt was difficult.
Rewatch the same explanation indefinitely without attempting production.
Do a short guided production task using workplace question formation, receive feedback, then retry with a new prompt.
Memorise the video title and channel name.
Which assessment task would provide the strongest evidence that a learner can apply “Workplace question formation” in a realistic situation?
Recall the colour of the lesson thumbnail.
List unrelated English words from memory.
Complete a fresh scenario that requires workplace question formation and is scored for accuracy, appropriateness and task completion.
State whether the lesson was enjoyable.
Numbers, time, dates and common signs
Key points
Keep teen and ty apart: thirteen has the stress at the end, thirty at the start.
Tell the time simply: 'It's four thirty' or 'half past four'; add a.m. or p.m. if needed.
Say dates as 'the fifth of June' or 'June fifth', and years as 'two thousand twenty-six'.
Read the signs around you: entry, exit, push, pull, closed, no entry, way out, lift.
High-frequency everyday words
Key points
A few hundred common words carry most daily conversation, so learn those before rare ones.
Small linking words do a lot of work: and, but, so, because, with, for, about, also.
Learn each word in a phrase you would really say: 'because of the traffic', 'about ten minutes'.
Use a new word in three real sentences the same day, or it will not stay with you.
Practice questions
Check your answers in this topic’s Quiz on YUNOVA.
A learner is practising “Daily-use vocabulary”. Which activity most directly demonstrates successful use of this competency?
Use daily-use vocabulary appropriately in a new, context-rich speaking or writing task.
Memorise an unrelated vocabulary list without applying the target skill.
Repeat the topic title several times without producing an example.
Choose a favourite video based only on its thumbnail.
Which learner response best shows control of “Daily-use vocabulary” rather than only recognition of it?
Avoid the target structure and answer with isolated keywords.
Produce an original response that applies daily-use vocabulary accurately and appropriately.
Repeat a model answer word-for-word without adapting it.
Recognise the topic name when it appears in a menu.
A learner understands the explanation of “Daily-use vocabulary” but struggles to use it spontaneously. What is the best next practice step?
Memorise the video title and channel name.
Do a short guided production task using daily-use vocabulary, receive feedback, then retry with a new prompt.
Switch to an unrelated topic because the first attempt was difficult.
Rewatch the same explanation indefinitely without attempting production.
Which assessment task would provide the strongest evidence that a learner can apply “Daily-use vocabulary” in a realistic situation?
List unrelated English words from memory.
Recall the colour of the lesson thumbnail.
Complete a fresh scenario that requires daily-use vocabulary and is scored for accuracy, appropriateness and task completion.