Some languages have sounds that are impossible to pronounce for non-native speakers due to the diversity of phonemes that can exist in the languages of the world, linked to the physiology and anatomy of each speaker. Familiarity with the sounds and practice are key elements to overcome these difficulties.
Each language has a limited set of sounds, known as its phonetic system. Some languages use very specific sounds that other languages simply do not have. For example, the "click" sounds present in Xhosa, a language from South Africa, are natural for its speakers but tricky or even impossible to reproduce for someone speaking French or English. Many languages also have subtle contrasts between similar sounds, such as the very fine difference between certain vowel sounds in Korean, Japanese, or Finnish, which are not obvious to unaccustomed ears. The guttural sounds typical of some Arabic or Hebrew languages require using areas of the throat that are rarely engaged by speakers of other languages, making their pronunciation quite challenging at first. In short, each language builds its own sounds, often surprising for those who do not have them in their native repertoire.
Every language exploits certain specific articulatory movements that our mouth, palate, or tongue must get used to from childhood. For example, the famous Spanish or Italian rolled "r" requires particular flexibility of the tip of the tongue. The same goes for the clicks of some African languages, which rely on fine and unusual muscle coordination for those who have never learned to produce them at a young age. Then, there is the shape of the palate, the length of the tongue, or even the natural position of the teeth: all of this influences our ease in producing certain specific sounds. We may try sometimes, but anatomy plays a real role. Some articulatory variations, such as those used in languages with pronounced guttural sounds, require a unique mastery of the soft palate or pharynx (the back of the throat), which is not necessarily easy for someone discovering this as an adult.
When learning one's mother tongue, the brain becomes accustomed to recognizing and reproducing certain specific sounds. As we grow up, these sounds become our unavoidable reference. The result is that when we try to learn another language, our ears and mouth attempt to adapt these new sounds to those we already know. Sounds that bear no resemblance to anything in our native language become nearly impossible to pronounce because our brain struggles to configure the muscles and clearly identify the auditory nuances. We speak of a kind of filter, installed by our mother tongue, which strongly influences our ability to correctly pronounce foreign sounds — hence the famous difficulties or pronounced accents.
Our brain uses specific circuits to organize and manage the pronunciation of sounds. It relies on sorts of "mental maps" of sounds learned very early on. When you hear a new language, your brain automatically tries to relate it to familiar sounds already stored in memory: it's a matter of cognitive economy. This mental filter is effective but poses difficulties when it comes to pronouncing sounds that simply do not exist in your native language. This explains why it is so hard to perfectly imitate those so-called "foreign" sounds that your ear has registered but your brain has not yet mastered. This is known as phonological interference. To successfully integrate these new sounds, your brain must gradually build new phonetic categories, which requires quite a bit of training and regular practice.
It has been shown that bilingual children, exposed to multiple phonetic systems from a young age, can better perceive and reproduce a wide variety of linguistic sounds in adulthood.
Some sounds deemed impossible by non-native speakers become accessible after specific articulatory training: it is simply a matter of practice and muscle memory.
In Icelandic, complex consonant clusters like 'hv' require specific muscle coordination that is often difficult for adults to learn.
The human brain gradually loses the ability to distinguish or reproduce certain sounds if they are not used regularly during childhood, which is why learning a foreign language at a young age is often easier.
Absolutely! Learning a language that is radically different phonetically allows you to expand your articulatory and auditory capabilities. This experience can make it easier to learn other foreign languages in the future, as your brain becomes more flexible and pays more attention to the subtle sound and articulation nuances.
It often depends on the similarity between your native language and the target language. The closer the sounds and rhythmic patterns of the languages are, the easier it will be for you to reproduce them accurately. Auditory familiarity with the sounds, the frequency of exposure, and even personal motivation also play an important role.
Most of the time, yes. For adult learners, it is quite rare to achieve completely native-like pronunciation. However, with sustained practice and immersion in the linguistic environment over a long period, some manage to significantly reduce their foreign accent and attain pronunciation that is very close to that of native speakers.
Yes, there are several effective techniques: precisely mimic the articulatory movements of native speakers, practice in front of a mirror, regularly listen to the target language and then reproduce it slowly and gradually, and eventually seek the help of an expert phonetics teacher who could provide you with precise and tailored feedback.
The difficulty in pronouncing foreign sounds often results from muscle and articulatory habits that are ingrained since childhood. Your brain and articulatory muscles have adapted to your native language, making unfamiliar sounds difficult to produce spontaneously, even with regular practice. Targeted and conscious training can gradually overcome this difficulty.
No one has answered this quiz yet, be the first!' :-)
Question 1/5
