Here are some pronunciation stories:
1. The hiccups sound (cut, but, love, come, done, son, won, one, cup) is a very short “a” pronounced with your upper teeth higher than in the “normal a”.
2. The falling/relaxed sound (cat, bat, man, Dan, sand, cap) is a bit longer than the “normal a” and it´s mixed with “e” because when you produce it, your mouth needs to be very relaxed, like while stretching.
3. The smiling sound (keen, beat, dean, keep) is not only longer than the “normal i” but also you need to smile to produce it and push downwards.
4. The vomiting sound (kin, bit, dim, win) is not the “normal i” – it´s produced higher in the mouth, like while vomiting.
To listen to the sounds, try any of these places:
- http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/ for ordinary words
- http://es.forvo.com/ for place names, brand names etc. and rare words
- http://www.americangreetings.com/ecards/happy-birthday/cat-talk-talking-card/pn/3265901 to have more fun