/l/: Voiced, lenis, alveolar, lateral.
Description: The soft palate is raised and the tip of the tongue articulates with the alveolar ridge, allowing the air to escape on both sides of the tongue. There is vibration of the vocal cords.
The English lateral can become syllabic not only in words like little, pencil or muscle, where the previous consonant shares the same place of articulation, but also in words like local, simple, evil, animal or jungle, where the previous consonant is not homorganic.
Error: After a vowel, final or followed by consonant ([l]), students produce Spanish /l/,which is tenser and has a sharper timbre. Before consonants, followed by another syllable, it may be assimilated, e.g. almost ['m:oUst]*, helping [hEp:IN]*. When syllabic, students produce a clear vowel and the Spanish lateral: bottle /bAtel/*.
Accuracy: Dark [l] may be practiced by placing it after a low vowel and using a falling intonation. To avoid assimilation, its pronunciation may be lengthened. To avoid the production of a vocalic sound, we may overstress the stressed syllable of the word and use a fast rhythm. For example:
Give me a call.
Hes older.
Little by little.
