Sound Gym
litter · letter · latter
Three different vowels, same ending — a classic three-way challenge: /ɪ/ → /ɛ/ → /æ/.
Three words, three different vowels — each one a step lower and wider: /ɪ/ (litter) → /ɛ/ (letter) → /æ/ (latter). The spelling changes only in the vowel — everything else is identical.
litter
/ɪ/
letter
/ɛ/
latter
/æ/
mouth shape
jaw UP, tongue HIGH — short clipped /ɪ/ before the double-t
litter
/ˈlɪtər/
vowel length
mouth shape
jaw LOWER, mouth slightly more open — /ɛ/ is lower than /ɪ/
letter
/ˈlɛtər/
vowel length
formal: referring to the second of two things just mentioned
mouth shape
jaw LOWEST here — wide open /æ/ like in 'cat', most open of the three
latter
/ˈlætər/
vowel length
Key difference
Put your finger under your chin and say all three in a row: litter → letter → latter. You should feel your jaw drop a little lower with each word. The vowels form a staircase downward: /ɪ/ → /ɛ/ → /æ/.
Hear it in a sentence
“Someone had left a pile of litter by the park bench overnight.”
“She received a handwritten letter from her grandmother in Portugal.”
“Of the two options, she preferred the latter.”
Hear it in the wild
Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.
litter
Hear native speakers say “litter” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
Opens YouTube-sourced clips in a new tab.
letter
Hear native speakers say “letter” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
Opens YouTube-sourced clips in a new tab.
latter
Hear native speakers say “latter” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
Opens YouTube-sourced clips in a new tab.
How teachers explain this
Approved tips from the community, sorted by helpfulness
Word families
litter family ▸
letter family ▸
latter family ▸
Related pairs
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