{"id":149467,"date":"2023-06-26T13:32:13","date_gmt":"2023-06-26T17:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/dark-l-and-light-l\/"},"modified":"2025-01-30T01:22:45","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T06:22:45","slug":"dark-l-and-light-l","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/dark-l-and-light-l\/","title":{"rendered":"Dark L and Light L: Learn the Difference and Pronunciation"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s not obvious, but there are actually two kinds of L in English: the dark L and the light L.<\/strong><\/p>\n

L at the beginning of a word or syllable (or before a vowel) is the light L, such as in laugh.<\/p>\n

L at the end of\u00a0 a word or syllable (or after a vowel) is the dark L, such as in pillow.<\/p>\n

This post will explain how to pronounce these two variations of the L sound, with plenty of examples and audio you can use to practice your pronunciation.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

Light L Pronunciation<\/h2>\n

When to use it:<\/b> At the start of a word or syllable\u2014before a vowel or the letter Y<\/p>\n

How to pronounce it:<\/b><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Put the tip of your tongue on the bony ridge behind your front teeth.<\/li>\n
  2. Make a sound as you push with your tongue. If you hold this, you\u2019re already saying the L sound as Lllllll!<\/li>\n
  3. Lift your tongue off the ridge as you move on to the next vowel.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    When you\u2019re pronouncing the light L in everyday conversations, it\u2019ll feel like a quick tap with your tongue. Remember to exert enough pressure, though, when you make the tap! A common mistake is tapping too lightly\u2014the L sound has to be clearly heard.<\/p>\n

    Examples:<\/b><\/p>\n

    Language<\/p>\n

    Light<\/p>\n

    Love<\/p>\n

    Last<\/p>\n

    Look<\/p>\n

    The light L also appears in the middle of a word as long as it\u2019s before a vowel.<\/p>\n

    Value<\/p>\n

    Feeling<\/p>\n

    Sunlight<\/p>\n

    Appealing<\/p>\n

    Try it out:<\/b><\/p>\n

    Larry<\/b> left<\/b> behind a long<\/b> letter<\/b> for his friend.<\/p>\n

    After my language<\/b> class<\/strong> last<\/b> evening, I was less<\/b> nervous about speaking in English.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Dark L Pronunciation<\/h2>\n

    When to use it:<\/b> At the end of a word or syllable\u2014after a vowel or the letter Y<\/p>\n

    How to pronounce it:<\/b><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Since it can be tricky to pronounce the dark L on its own, start by saying the vowel, first. With the word \u201cball,\u201d the vowel would be A.<\/li>\n
    2. For the actual dark L sound, move your tongue so the tip is reaching up and close to the bony ridge behind the front teeth but not<\/i> touching.<\/li>\n
    3. At the same time, the back of your tongue would be arching up a little towards your soft palate.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Examples:<\/b><\/p>\n

      The easiest to spot placement of the dark L is at the end of words:<\/p>\n

      Ball<\/p>\n

      Spill<\/p>\n

      Fell<\/p>\n

      Patrol<\/p>\n

      Sail<\/p>\n

      You\u2019ll also spot it in the middle of words as long as it\u2019s after<\/i> a vowel:<\/p>\n

      Always<\/p>\n

      Almost<\/p>\n

      Salt<\/p>\n

      Style<\/p>\n

      Milk<\/p>\n

      If you see L after a TT or DD, that\u2019s a dark L too! For example:<\/p>\n

      Bottle<\/p>\n

      Fiddle<\/p>\n

      Little<\/p>\n

      Castle<\/p>\n

      Rattle<\/p>\n

      This is because as you transition from the T or D to L, you have to make a quick uh<\/i> sound, which counts as a vowel.<\/p>\n

      Try it out:<\/b><\/p>\n

      I\u2019d rather send an email<\/b> to the school<\/b> instead of trying to call<\/b>.<\/p>\n

      They\u2019re having a pool<\/b> party this fall<\/b> to welcome<\/b> new members.\u00a0<\/p>\n

      Tips for Pronouncing Dark L and Light L\u00a0<\/h2>\n

      Ready to put what you\u2019ve learned about the dark L and the light L into practice? Here\u2019s how you can practice this pronunciation difference:<\/p>\n

      1. Pay attention to your tongue<\/h3>\n

      It feels kind of strange to notice what your tongue is doing, but it really helps with this because the light L and dark L have differences in their mouth positioning.<\/strong><\/p>\n