Mastering Pronunciation 5 Problems with consonants

Consonants can be tricky, but are less difficult that you might think. Learn some strategies to master consonant sounds in English.

Language
All single-consonant phonemes except /ŋ/  
Stop plus approximant other than /j/:

/pl/, /bl/, /kl/, /ɡl/, /pr/, /br/, /tr//dr//kr/, /ɡr/, /tw/, /dw/, /ɡw/, /kw/, /pw/

play, blood, clean, glove, prize, bring, tree, dream,crowd, green, twin, dwarf, Guam, quick, puissance
Voiceless fricative or /v/ plus approximant other than /j/:

/fl/, /sl/, /θl//ʃl/, /fr/, /θr/, /ʃr/, /hw//sw/, /θw/, /vw/

floor, sleep, thlipsis, schlep, friend, three, shrimp, what, swing, thwart, voilà
Consonant other than /r/ or /w/ plus /j/ (before /uː/ or its modified/reduced forms):

/pj/, /bj/, /tj//dj//kj/, /ɡj/, /mj/, /nj//fj/, /vj/, /θj//sj//zj//hj/, /lj/

pure, beautiful, tube, during, cute, argue, music, new, few, view, thew, suit, Zeus, huge, lurid
/s/ plus voiceless stop:

/sp/, /st/, /sk/

speak, stop, skill
/s/ plus nasal other than /ŋ/:

/sm/, /sn/

smile, snow
/s/ plus voiceless non-sibilant fricative:

/sf/, /sθ/

sphere, sthenic
/s/ plus voiceless stop plus approximant:

/spl/, /skl//spr/, /str/, /skr/, /skw/, /spj/, /stj//skj/

split, sclera, spring, street, scream, square, spew, student,[e] skewer
/s/ plus nasal plus approximant:

/smj/

smew
/s/ plus voiceless non-sibilant fricative plus approximant:

/sfr/

sphragistics

Coda clusters

The single consonant phonemes except /h/, /w/, /j/ and, in non-rhotic varieties, /r/  
Lateral approximant plus stop or affricate: /lp/, /lb/, /lt/, /ld/, /ltʃ/, /ldʒ/, /lk/ help, bulb, belt, hold, belch, indulge, milk
In rhotic varieties, /r/ plus stop or affricate: /rp/, /rb/, /rt/, /rd/, /rtʃ/, /rdʒ/, /rk/, /rɡ/ harp, orb, fort, beard, arch, large, mark, morgue
Lateral approximant + fricative: /lf/, /lv/, /lθ/, /ls/, /lz/, /lʃ/, (/lð/) golf, solve, wealth, else, bells, Welsh, (stealth (v.))
In rhotic varieties, /r/ + fricative: /rf/, /rv/, /rθ/, /rð/, /rs/, /rz/, /rʃ/ dwarf, carve, north, birth (v.), force, Mars, marsh
Lateral approximant + nasal: /lm/, /ln/ film, kiln
In rhotic varieties, /r/ + nasal or lateral: /rm/, /rn/, /rl/ arm, born, snarl
Nasal + homorganic stop or affricate: /mp/, /nt/, /nd/, /ntʃ/, /ndʒ/, /ŋk/; some varieties also allow /ŋg/ jump, tent, end, lunch, lounge, pink, sing
Nasal + fricative: /mf/, /mz/, /mθ/, (/nf/), /nθ/, (/ns/), /nz/, /ŋz/; some varieties also allow /ŋθ/ triumph, Thames, warmth, (saunf), month, (prince), bronze, songs, length, strength
Voiceless fricative plus voiceless stop: /ft/, /sp/, /st/, /sk/, /ʃt/, /θt/ left, crisp, lost, ask, smashed, smithed
Voiced fricative plus voiced stop: /zd/, /ðd/ blazed, writhed
Two or three voiceless fricatives: /fθ/, /fθs/ fifth, fifths
Two voiceless stops: /pt/, /kt/ opt, act
Two voiceless stops + fricative: /pts/, /kts/ opts, acts
Stop plus fricative: /pθ/, /ps/, /tθ/, /ts/, /dθ/, /dz/, /ks/ depth, lapse, eighth, klutz, width, adze, box
Lateral approximant + two or three consonants: /lmd/, /lpt/, /lps/, /lfθ/, /lts/, /lst/, /lkt/, /lks/ filmed, sculpt, alps, twelfth,[a] waltz, whilst, mulct, calx
In rhotic varieties, /r/ + two consonants: /rmd/, /rmθ/, /rpt/, /rps/, /rnd/, /rts/, /rst/, /rld/, /rkt/ farmed, warmth, excerpt, corpse, mourned, quartz, horst, world, infarct
Nasal + homorganic stop + stop or fricative: /mpt/, /mps/, /nts/, /ntθ/, /ŋkt/, /ŋks/, /ŋkθ/ in some varieties prompt, glimpse, chintz, thousandth, distinct, jinx, length
Nasal + homorganic stop + two fricatives: /ntθs/ thousandths
Nasal + non-homorganic stop: /mt/, /md/, /ŋd/ dreamt, hemmed, hanged
Three obstruents: /ksθ/, /kst/ sixth, next
Four obstruents: /ksθs/, /ksθt/, /ksts/ sixths, sixthed, texts