Is it okay to bite bottom lip at the 'p' when I pronouncing "slurp from"?

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eggcracker

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I think it's more easier for me to pronounce "slurp from", biting at the 'p' because of each similar sound 'p', 'f', though it can be only 'f' sound lacks the 'p' if I mispronounce it.
I can pronounce 'p' in the 'slurp from' like the 'p' sound in the 'cup', 'yup', 'gulp' (I distinguish 'l' and 'r' sound but can't think up the words including 'urp' other than 'slurp') And I think biting my bottom lip at the alphabet 'p' makes me more easier to pronouncing the next word 'from'. My mouth position almost becomes same when pronouncing alphabet 'b', 'p', but I know two alphabet's sound are different.
If I don't make any 'f' sound at the 'p' when I pronouncing "slurp from" is it okay to bite my bottom lip when pronouncing 'slurp from'? And should I entirely close my mouth at the 'p' in the "slurp from'? I close my mouth at the 'p' in the "slurp from' for the pronounciation, but there's very narrow gap which can not be easily noticed except for me.
 

5jj

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Re: Is it okay to bite bottom lip at the 'p' when I pronouncing "slurp from"?

The teeth are not involved in the bilabial (two lips) /p/ sound. In 'slurp from', your lower lip should move back from the /p/ position to make contact with your upper front teeth for the /f/. You cannot produce a /p/ sound by biting your lip. You can produce a /f/ sound in this way, but it's not necessary to do this. If there is a gap between your lips when you are trying to produce a /p/ then you are not producing a /p/.

Note that the /p/ is not fully released when you say 'slurp from', so you will not hear/feel the aspiration (release of air) you would if you said 'slurping'.
 

eggcracker

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Re: Is it okay to bite bottom lip at the 'p' when I pronouncing "slurp from"?

Thank you 5jj. Then, is it okay if I don't bite my lower lip and just slightly move my lower lip to my upper front teeth after /p/, and then back to the position when I pronounce /f/ sound?
 

5jj

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Re: Is it okay to bite bottom lip at the 'p' when I pronouncing "slurp from"?

Thank you 5jj. Then, is it okay if I don't bite my lower lip and just slightly move my lower lip to my upper front teeth after /p/, and then back to the position when I pronounce /f/ sound?
It's not a matter of being 'OK', in the sense of 'acceptable'. It's a question of what you need to do if you want to produce the sounds a native speaker does.
 

Tdol

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Re: Is it okay to bite bottom lip at the 'p' when I pronouncing "slurp from"?

I have just tried biting my lower lip and it works, but it has nothing to do with the biting. I'd say that if it helps you produce the sound, it's OK, but I'd use it as a stepping stone for a more natural way or producing the sound.
 

eggcracker

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Re: Is it okay to bite bottom lip at the 'p' when I pronouncing "slurp from"?

I've recently found 'assimilation' in pronunciation from BBC Learning English.

So, I think it would be okay to pronounce 'Slurp from' like this:
He takes a slurp from a cup of black coffee. (slurf from)



Sounds change (assimilation) When a sound at the end of a word takes on the quality of the sound at the beginning of the next word.
Good girl. She's a good girl. (goog girl)
Good boy. He's a good boy. (goob boy)
White paper. I only use white paper. (whipe paper)
Speed boat. I've never been in speed boat. (speeb boat)BBC Learning English | Pronunciation Tips
 

5jj

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Re: Is it okay to bite bottom lip at the 'p' when I pronouncing "slurp from"?

So, I think it would be okay to pronounce 'Slurp from' like this:
He takes a slurp from a cup of black coffee. (slurf from)
That would be unnatural. The /p/ may not be fully exploded, but native speakers close the lips for the /p/ and then move the lower lip back to touch the upper front teeth for the /f/. If the lips are not closed for the /p/, we would hear the unnatural-sounding 'slur from' or 'slurfrom'.

In the assimilations you mention, there is a stop - /g/, /b/, /p/. There needs to be a stop in 'slurp from' and it needs to be /p/.
 
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