Tongue position

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prono

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Jan 17, 2014
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Hello everyone,

I have a quick question for the native English speakers. In what position do you keep your tongue when it's resting.... when you aren't speaking?

I keep mine resting in the top part of my mouth, behind my upper teeth.

I've heard that Americans keep their tongue lying flat at the bottom, with the tip just behind the lower teeth. And that the position is very important when it comes to pronunciation. What do you guys think?

Cheers
 

Tdol

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I keep it at the bottom of the mouth (BrE speaker), though I am not sure how important this is-the tongue moves in speech, so at best it strikes me as a question of speed rather than accuracy.
 

emsr2d2

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I had never thought about this before. The tip of my tongue rests against my palate, just behind my top teeth. I have to consciously and physically make my tongue move to the bottom of my mouth!

I would expect this position to be specific to individuals (based on their own individual genetic makeup etc) rather than anything to do with their native language.
 
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