"p" as in pen
/p/as in “pen”
How to make it
- Press your lips together.
- Let air build up behind them.
- Open your lips with a small puff of air. Your voice stays off.
Common mistake
Saying it too softly, so it sounds like "b". At the start of a word, the puff of air is what makes "p" clear: "pen", not "ben".
In words
Listen at normal speed or slowly, then say it yourself.
- pen
- happy
- stop
Don't confuse with
Listen and choose the word you hear.
US and UK
This sound is the same in American and British English.