The Letter L
In this lesson, we will learn about all the sounds of the letter L. It is the twelfth letter of the English alphabet.
L is the twelfth letter of the English alphabet. It is a consonant too.
Consonants are the letters that are produced by stopping the letter from flowing easily.
The Letter L: Sounds
The letter L has two sounds:
Sound 1: /l/
'L' mainly sounds /l/:
came
Sound 2: /∅/
'l' before consonants like 'k', 'm', 'f', and 'd' sounds /∅/, in other words, such consonants are pronounced and 'l' is silent:
- lk
wa
ta
- lm
sa
ca
pa
- lf
ha
ca
- ld
shou
cou
wou
The Letter L: Multigraphs
Letter L can also appear in combinations with other letters (mainly consonants).
ll
'll' commonly has two sounds:
- /l/
- /ɫ/
1. 'll' sounds /l/ if it is followed by other letters:
ba
sma
2. But 'll' sounds /ɫ/ if it is not followed by other letters and placed at the last syllable:
she
De
be
Tip!
The difference between /l/ and /ɫ/ is that the latter is pronounced with more emphasis.
le
'le' sounds /əl/:
pudd
pebb
puzz
The Letter L: Uses
L is also used as:
An internet meme, respectively standing for loss (L) and win (W)
An abbreviation for the size large: L