COMMON PRONUNCIATION DIFFICULTIES FACED BY UZBEK LEARNERS OF ENGLISH

Annotatsiya

Pronunciation is an essential component of successful oral communication in a foreign language. For Uzbek learners of English, developing accurate and intelligible pronunciation can be challenging because the phonological systems of Uzbek and English differ in several important respects. This article examines common pronunciation difficulties faced by Uzbek learners of English from a comparative phonological perspective. Particular attention is given to vowel contrasts, unfamiliar consonants, consonant clusters, word stress, rhythm, and intonation. The article also considers the role of first-language interference in the development of pronunciation difficulties. The analysis is based on existing research on English pronunciation and English–Uzbek phonological differences rather than on original experimental data. The discussion demonstrates that Uzbek learners may experience difficulties when English sounds or phonological patterns do not have close equivalents in their first language. Segmental problems, such as the distinction between /ɪ/ and /iː/ and the production of /θ/ and /ð/, can occur alongside suprasegmental difficulties involving stress, rhythm, and intonation. The article argues that effective pronunciation instruction should address these difficulties systematically through focused listening, minimal-pair practice, articulatory awareness, and contextualized speaking activities.