Minimal pairs · æ · ʌ
cat or cut
The wide smiling a of cat against the short dark u of cut — two vowels most languages fold into one.
Hard for Russian, Spanish and Arabic speakers
Press play, then tap the word you heard.
How to teach the mouth
Cat is said with a smile so wide it almost hurts; cut drops the jaw with no smile at all. Exaggerate both for a week — the middle ground comes later by itself.