ENGLISH FRANCA 

Academic Journal of English Language and Education 
DOI:10.29240/ef.v8i1%20May - http://journal.iaincurup.ac.id/index.php/english/index 

pISSN: 2580-3670, eISSN:2580-3689; Vol 8, No 1, 2024, Page 179-190 

 

Article info:  
http://journal.iaincurup.ac.id/index.php/english  
Received 24 December 2023; Received in revised form 10 February 2024; Accepted 24 April 2024 
Published by Institut Agama Islam Negeri (IAIN) Curup on behalf of ENGLISH FRANCA: Academic Journal of English 
Language and Education. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-SA license 

 
Pronunciation Errors in Speaking Committed by Non-majoring English 

Students: Causes and Solution 
 

Julia Rizki¹, Sofyan A. Gani², Asnawi³, Saiful Marhaban
4
 

1 2 3 4
 Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia 

 
Corresponding Email: juliarizkiriad@gmail.com 

 
To cite this article: 

Rizki, J., A. Gani, S., & Marhaban, S. (2024). Pronunciation Errors in Speaking Committed by Non-
Majoring English Students: Causes and Solution. ENGLISH FRANCA : Academic Journal of English 

Language and Education, 8(1 May), 179-190. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.29240/ef.v8i1 May.9513 
 

 
 
Introduction 

In mastering the target language, a learner may cope with difficulty. Language 
learners from nations where English is spoken as a foreign language, according to Ballard 
and Clanchy (as cited in Abukhadrah, 2015), struggle with word choice, pronunciation, oral 
production, and comprehension. Oral production refers to speaking skill that needs 
spontaneity in a real-time situation. Speaking is more difficult for many people to learn a new 
language than listening, reading, and writing for two reasons, according to Nunan (2003, p. 
48). At first, the interlocutor needs to respond as soon as their conversation partners have 
concluded. Next, they are unable to edit their spoken words, unlike when they write. 
Therefore, those difficulties probably cause errors for EFL learners in speaking proficiency. 

In the teaching and learning process, an error is regarded to be useful for both 
teachers and students to overcome learning problems. As stated by Keshavarz (2012, pp 
57-58), errors can be perceived as a sign that a language is being learned. Examining 
pupils’ errors can reveal information about their proficiency in the target language. We can 
set up an explanation of the linguistic elements that cause the errors made by the students. 
Moreover, Khansir (2012) explains that by examining students’ errors, teachers can become 
aware of the challenges that students are facing and provide the right support for them as 
they learn. As a result, the instructor can concentrate on the learning issues of the learners. 

Considering what the researcher discovered in the classroom during the teaching 
and learning process, the EFL students at International Tourism College (ITC) made errors 

Abstract. Errors produced by students while studying English as a foreign language might 

reveal their level of difficulty and serve as the foundation for developing an effective teaching and 
learning method. Therefore, this study aimed to find out the causes of pronunciation errors in 
speaking skills committed by EFL learners and discover the solutions for both students and 
teachers. It focused on analyzing the causes of pronunciation errors using a diagnosis proposed 
by Carl James. The method used in this study was a case study. The researcher used purposive 
sampling in which the sample was chosen for a specific purpose. Twenty non-majoring English 
students from International Tourism College got involved as the subject of this research. The data 
were collected from documentation of speaking diagnostic test results and interviewing the 
participants based on the test results. The findings reported that there were three causes of 
pronunciation errors, namely interlingual, intralingual, and communication strategy-based errors. 
It is advised that in order to address this issue, educators and students work together to increase 
motivation among students to speak the target language more frequently in all contexts. As a 
result, this error analysis can be used as a guide when creating a speaking learning plan. 
 
Keywords: Non-Majoring English Students, Pronunciation and Grammatical Errors, 

Speaking Skills. 

mailto:juliarizkiriad@gmail.com
http://dx.doi.org/10.29240/ef.v8i1%20May.9513


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with their speaking abilities. Initially, when they were performing in front of the class, they 
struggled to create the proper sentences. They were conversing in the wrong tenses. In 
several cases, the teacher rectified the students' errors right away by repeating their words 
using the correct syntax and pronunciation; in other cases, the corrections were made after 
the fact. Pronunciation is the next issue, which incorporates intonation. Sometimes, they had 
trouble pronouncing some words. They mispronounce words even when they are familiar 
with them. As a result, such errors may impair the students' speaking abilities. 

We must pinpoint the errors that students make to more effectively customize the 
learning process to meet their needs and assist them in overcoming their speaking 
difficulties. We can determine the reasons behind the speaking errors made by the students 
by classifying the errors according to their type and cause. Therefore, to support their 
language development, we must examine their errors by identifying the type and source of 
the problems. 

Ramasari (2017) did a previous study that examined and described the pronunciation 
errors caused by 37 Indonesian first-semester students in the teacher education program 
during their speaking. By selecting a topic that had been covered in class for five to ten 
minutes, the students were asked to record their speaking abilities. The idea of Richard and 
Corder was applied in the study to classify errors. The results demonstrate that interference, 
intralingual, and developmental errors are the main causes of errors made by students. To 
categorize and identify the pronunciation errors made by two groups of fifty Saudi students, 
Ababneh (2018) carried out a study. Students majoring in English make up the first group, 
while students majoring in other subjects make up the second. The results demonstrate that 
the students from two distinct groups made comparable errors. They struggled with vowel 
sounds and had trouble pronouncing consonants. The source of pronunciation errors might 
be the student's first language. Al-Tamari (2019) categorized the errors found in his study 
using the error categorization scheme put forward by Dulay and Burt. The results show that 
interlanguage errors lead to speech errors, but intralingual errors account for the majority of 
grammatical errors. 

Regarding the researcher's observations, no research has been done in Aceh, 
Indonesia, on the causes of errors based on James's (2013) classification. Heydari & 
Bagheri (2012) state that certain experts in the field of second language learning have 
demonstrated inaccuracies in taxonomies. Carl James then developed the most recent error 
taxonomy in 1998. For these reasons, the researcher planned to employ Carl James' error 
classification to carry out a study looking into the causes and remedies of pronunciation 
problems made by non-majoring English students. 

 
Theoretical Framework 
Error Analysis (EA) 

Throughout the language learning process, errors made by students are expected in 
order to enhance the quality of instruction and learning. As to Corder (as referenced in Ts, 
2020), an error pertains to the consistent mistakes made by language learners that reveal 
details about their progress in acquiring the target language. He went on to say that the 
mistakes show what the student has learned about the linguistic system over the course. 

Furthermore, an error is not the same as a mistake, which can also happen 
throughout the learning process. In language learning, James (2013, p. 78) has 
distinguished between mistake and error. While a mistake can be self-rectified, an error is an 
example of a language that has purposefully or inadvertently diverged and cannot be 
corrected by the student. Additionally, Brown (2007, pp. 257-258) distinguishes between 
mistake and error. A mistake is defined as a performance error resulting from an 
unanticipated source or slip. Errors are common among both English language learners and 
native speakers. This means that an error is a measurable departure that indicates the level 
of language competency of the learners, but a mistake cannot accurately represent a 
recognized system. 



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The examination of learners' challenges in understanding the target language is 
called error analysis (EA). An area of applied linguistics is error analysis, as James (2013, 
pp. 1-2) described. Determining the frequency, kind, causes, and consequences of 
unsuccessful language use is known as error analysis (EA). According to Brown (2007, p. 
259), EA is the study of errors made by students, which may be viewed, analyzed, and 
classified to show the linguistic systems of the students. Furthermore, error analysis (EA) is 
defined by Ellis and Barkhuizen (2009, p. 51) as a set of procedures for identifying, 
describing, and explaining the mistakes committed by pupils. Al-Khresheh (2016) asserts 
that EA is an appropriate methodology for examining the errors made by language learners 
since it can help determine the root cause of an error and its appropriate treatment. 

The "father" of EA, Pit Corder, explains that EA has two objects, i.e. theoretical and 
applied. The theoretical object is used to explain what and how a learner studies a second or 
foreign language. Then, the applied object is used to allow the learner to study more 
appropriately by utilizing our knowledge of the learner’s dialect for educational purposes  
(AbiSamra, 2003). EA contributes to a pedagogy of second language acquisition from a 
theoretical aspect and an applied one. Thus, the result of analyzing the learners' errors is 
hoped to be useful for the teaching and learning process. 

According to Yang (2010 as cited in Merizawati, 2018), there are three levels of 
errors in second language acquisition, as follows: 

1. Misspellings 
At this level, Yang divided into four types of misspelling: punctuation errors, 

typographic errors, dyslexic errors, and confusables. In punctuation errors, the 
learners make errors in exclamation, closing inverted commas, capitals, commas 
between an antecedent and a restrictive relative clause, and colons. In typographic 
errors, the learners make typos when writing. In dyslexic errors, the learners feel 
uncertain in selecting the words that have the same sound or similar spellings. In 
confusables, the learners get confused with similar-sounding morphemes and words. 

 
2. Lexical Errors 

This level is divided into formal errors and semantic errors. In formal errors, 
the learners make errors in misselection, misformation, and distortions. In semantic 
errors, the learners make errors due to confusion of sense relations and collocational 
errors. 

 
3. Pragmatic Errors (Pragmalinguistic deviations) 

In pragmatic errors, the learners make errors when the speaker encodes the 
message inappropriately. Moreover, there are some improper sources, such as 
taboo, value and power, and social distance. 

 
The Causes of Pronunciation Error 

There are various causes of errors in EA, and different specialists have different 
theories about where the errors come from. According to Brown (2007, pp. 263-266), there 
are four categories of sources of errors: communication techniques, the environment of 
learning, intralingual transfer, and interlingual transfer. The diagnosis of the error caused by 
James (2013, pp. 178–200), who categorizes the errors into:  

1. Interlingual errors 
The native language has an impact on these kinds of errors, which affects the 

acquisition of the target language. Another name for it is "mother-tongue influence." 
The learners' mother tongue does not pronounce it with the same symbol. As a result, 
students might write the word in the same way as they would in their native tongue 
(Subandowo, 2017). 

 
2. Intralingual errors 

These errors, which include misleading analogies, misanalysis, insufficient 
rule application, taking advantage of redundancy, ignoring co-occurrence limits, 



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hypercorrection or monitor overuse, overgeneralization, and system simplification, 
are all produced by the target language itself. Learners of language are not proficient 
in phonetics and pronunciation (Sembiring & Fiber, 2016). 

 
3. Communication strategy-based errors 

These errors are separated into two categories: analytic strategies, or 
circumlocution, and holistic strategies, or approximation. When employing a holistic 
approach, students can approximate when speaking the target language; for 
example, if they can say X, they can also say Y. In order to refer to the intention, 
students use the analytical technique to determine the referent's criterion attribute. 

 
4. Induced error 

Each of these errors happen when teachers give students the wrong 
definitions, examples, and explanations; occasionally, they may happen when 
students fail to comprehend what the teacher is attempting to teach them. Stated 
differently, the following factors contribute mostly to errors during the teaching and 
learning process: mistakes caused by materials, mistakes caused by teacher speak, 
mistakes caused by exercises, mistakes caused by pedagogical priorities, and 
mistakes produced by look-ups. 
 

Previous Study 
A group of advanced-level students of English made numerous errors in all the 

foregoing categories, such as pronunciation and grammar (Hojati, 2013). Errors can be 
committed not only by advanced learners but also by beginners. Thus, there are several 
previous studies conducted by some researchers on learners' errors in speaking. Al-Tamari's 
(2019) study attempts to categorize speaking errors and clarify errors produced by Arabian 
pupils. The researcher groups the errors found by applying the error classification scheme 
put forth by Dulay and Burt. According to the study's findings, interlanguage errors lead to 
pronunciation errors, but intralingual errors are mostly responsible for grammatical errors. 

To categorize and identify the pronunciation errors made by two groups of fifty Saudi 
students, Ababneh (2018) carried out a study. Students majoring in English make up the first 
group, while students majoring in other subjects make up the second. In this study, which 
combined quantitative and qualitative methods, students were asked to pronounce written 
words. The results demonstrate that the pupils struggled with vowel sounds and consonant 
sounds that were absent. Overall, there were similarities between the pronunciation 
problems made by the students in the two groups, suggesting that the students' native 
language could be the cause. 

Fitriani and Zulkarnain (2019) conducted another study intending to identify the 
typical speech errors and learning experiences of vocational college students in Banda Aceh. 
In addition to recording the students' speaking performances, this qualitative-quantitative 
study also distributed questionnaires. According to the survey, grammar, and pronunciation 
errors are most frequently made when speaking. Grammatical errors include language 
tenses and plural morphemes, whilst pronunciation errors range from vowel to consonant 
production. In this regard, the students agreed that they occasionally made errors in 
grammar despite their efforts to speak English correctly. 

 
Materials and Method  

This study uses a qualitative descriptive design. At the International Tourism College 
(ITC) in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, EFL learners frequently make pronunciation mistakes. The 
researchers discovered and characterized the reasons of these problems and developed a 
strategy that both students and teachers can use to correct them. Carl James' error 
classification was used by the researchers to analyze the errors. To gather specifics, the 
researcher employed a case study that concentrated on a single entity, like an individual, a 
group, or a community. A case study is a particular model Louis et al. (2018) that can be 



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used to report on in order to explain a general concept. Because the researcher watches the 
influence in a natural situation during the study, a case study can also demonstrate cause 
and effect. Next, rather than using numbers to explain the data to be conveyed, words were 
used. 

Twenty students, ages 18 to 22, were the study's subjects; twelve of them were 
female and eight were male. Purposive sampling was utilized in this study, meaning that the 
sample was chosen with a specific goal in mind—that is, the learners had completed an ITC 
General English course. ITC is a professional training center that gets aspiring business 
owners and prospects for employment ready. The hotel, web programming, and airline 
programs are managed by this college.  

To gather data for this study, speaking diagnostic test result document and an in-
depth interview were utilized. Using an interview guide, the researchers devised five 
questions to elucidate the errors made by the students based on the speaking diagnostic 
test findings documents. Al-Tamari's (2019) questions regarding the comments from the 
students were adapted and modified to form the interview guide. A list of pertinent questions 
for every participant is provided in the interview guide (Patton, 2002, p. 343). Semi-
structured interviews are the type employed in this study. According to Dörnyei (2007, p. 
136), semi-structured interviews are frequently employed in applied linguistics research. 
Although the structure is open-ended, this kind of interview adheres to the planned questions 
or interview guide. Because of this, intriguing topics may arise throughout the semi-
structured interview depending on the participants' answers. 

The researcher used an interview guide to conduct in-person interviews with the 
students and recorded their responses after reviewing the test results from the document 
and determining the reasons for any errors. By inquiring about the students' learning 
techniques, motivation, and challenges with learning the target language, this interview 
helped to clarify the errors made by the students. 

 
Results and Discussion 
Results 
 In order to determine the reasons behind the pronunciation problems, the researcher 
in this study examined the speaking diagnostic test result document. Interviewing the 
participants helped to improve the data by identifying strategies for teachers and students to 
address pronunciation issues. 
 
The Causes of Pronunciation Error 

An interlingual error impacted by the learners' mother tongue is the initial source of 
the error. The researcher contrasted the errors made by the learners with their native 
Indonesian language. 

 

Table 1. 
Interlingual Error in Pronunciation 

Word 
Correct 

Pronunciation 
Learners’ Error Contrast 

around 
breakfast 

last 
mount 
think 

/əˈraʊnd/ 
/ˈbrekfəst/ 

/læst/ 
/maʊnt/ 
/θɪŋk/ 

/əron/ 
/brikfəs/ 

/les/ 
/mon/ 
/ting/ 

no final sound 

think 
bath 
teeth 

something 

/θɪŋk/ 
/bæθ/ 
/tiːθ/ 

/ˈsʌmθɪŋ/ 

/ting/ 
/bet/ 
/tit/ 

/samtɪng/ 

[θ] → [t] 

motivation 
university 

/ˌməʊtɪˈveɪʃn/ 
/ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːrsəti/ 

/motifasyen/ 
/unifersiti/ 

[v] → [f] 



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event 
very 
novel 

/ɪˈvent/ 
/ˈveri/ 
/ˈnɑːvl/ 

/efən/ 
/feri/ 

/nofel/ 

that 
this 
then 

another 

/ðæt/ 
/ðɪs/ 
/ðen/ 

/əˈnʌðər/ 

/det/ 
/dis/ 
/den/ 

/ənodər/ 

[ð] → [d] 

clothes 
music 

because 

/kləʊðz/, /kləʊz/ 
/ˈmjuːzɪk/ 

/bɪˈkəz/, /bɪˈkɔːz/ 

/klos/ 
/musik/ 
/bikaus/ 

[z] → [s] 

exactly 
college 
English 

/ɪɡˈzæktli/ 
/ˈkɑːlɪdʒ/ 
/ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/ 

/egzakli/ 
/koledʒ/ 
/english/ 

[ɪ] → [e] 

another 
brother 
young 
cousin 
done 

/əˈnʌðər/ 
/ˈbrʌðər/ 
/jʌŋ/ 

/ˈkʌzn/ 
/dʌn/ 

/ənodər/ 
/brodər/ 
/yong/ 
/kozin/ 
/don/ 

[ʌ] → [o] 

o’clock 
competition 

mom 
follow 
novel 

popular 

/əˈklɑːk/ 
/ˌkɑːmpəˈtɪʃn/ 

/mɑːm/ 
/ˈfɑːləʊ/ 
/ˈnɑːvl/ 

/ˈpɑːpjələr/ 

/əklok/ 
/kompətesyen/ 

/mom/ 
/folou/ 
/nofel/ 

/populər/ 

[ɑː] → [o] 

pray 
play 

/preɪ/ 
/pleɪ/ 

/prai/ 
/plai/ 

[eɪ] → [ai] 

around 
mount 
now 

house 
how 

/əˈraʊnd/ 
/maʊnt/ 
/naʊ/ 
/haʊs/ 
/haʊ/ 

/əron/ 
/moun/ 
/nou/ 
/hos/ 
/how/ 

[aʊ] → [ou] 

 
The cause of interlingual pronunciation errors is shown in Table 1. The final sound 

contained the first contrastive sound arising from the original language and the target 
language. This section has five words—"around," "breakfast," "last," "mount," and "think"—
that the students mispronounce. The stop final consonants, which are the sounds of /d/, /t/, 
and /k/ in each word, were not pronounced by the students. This mistake might have been 
influenced by their native tongue. 

The consonant sound produced the following contrastive sound. Because of their 
native tongue, the students mispronounced the consonants in /θ/, /v/, /ð/, and /z/. They 
pronounced the sound /θ/ into /t/ for the words think /�ϋk/, bath /baeμ/, teeth /tiˑ�/, three 
/θriˑ/, and something /ˈsʌm�\/. They also mispronounced other consonant sounds/v/ into /f/ 
in the phrases motivation/ˌməʊtɪ veɪʃn/, university/ˌjuːnɪ vɜːrsəti/, event/ɪ vent/, very/ˈveri/, and 
novel/ˈnɑ\vl/. Then, in terms like that (ðaet), this (ðɪs), then (èen), and another (ˈnʌðər/), the 
pupils pronounce the consonant sound /ð/ as /d/. The last consonant, /z/, was 
mispronounced by the students as /s/ in the terms clothes (kləʊz/), music (ˈmjuːzɪk/), and 
because (bɪˈkəz/). 

The students also made errors in diphthong and monophthong when it came to the 
vowel sound. The learners mispronounced the sounds /ɪ/, /ʌ/, and /ɑ\/ in monophthong.  n 
the words exactly/ɪɡ zaektli/, college/ˈkɑ\lɪdʒ/, and  nglish/ˈ ϋɡlɪʃ/, they mispronounced /ɪ/ as 
/e/.  n the words another/ə nόðər/, brother/ˈbrόðər/, young/jό\/, cousin/ˈkŌzn/, and done/dŌn/, 
the /ʌ/ is also pronounced into /o/. The monophthong sound /ɑ / is also impacted by their 
mother tongue.  xamples of this sound are the words o clock ( klɑ k/), competition 
( kɑ\mpə t ʃn/), follow ( fɑ\ləʊ/, novel ( nɑ\vl/), popular (ˈp \pjələr/), and mom (mɑ m/). 



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Because of their mother tongue, the learners mispronounced the sounds /eɪ/ and /aʊ/ 
in the diphthongs. The sound /eɪ/ was mispronounced as /ai/. The learners mispronounced 
the words pray (pre /) and play (ple /) as /prai/ and /plai/, respectively, since they pronounced 
the words differently than what was written. In terms like around/əˈraʊnd/, mount/maʊnt/, 
now/naʊ/, house/haʊs/, and how/haʊ/, the sound of /aʊ/ was pronounced as /ou/. 

 
Table 2. 

Intralingual Error inPronunciation 

Word 
Correct 

Pronunciation 
Learners’ Error Contrast 

daughter 
half 

listen 
high 
hour 

masque 

/ˈdɔːtər/ 
/hæf/ 
/ˈlɪsn/ 
/haɪ/ 
/ˈaʊər/ 
/mɑːsk/ 

/daftər/ 
/helf/ 
/listən/ 
/haig/ 
/haur/ 

/maskiu/ 

silent letter 
problem 

breakfast 
wear 
bread 

/ˈbrekfəst/ 
/wer/ 
/bred/ 

/brikfəs/ 
/wir/ 
/brid/ 

[e] → [i] 

nervous 
purpose 

thirty 
uniform 

/ˈnɜːrvəs/ 
/ˈpɜːrpəs/ 
/ˈθɜːrti/ 

/ˈjuːnɪfɔːrm/ 

/nefərs/ 
/propəs/ 

/triti/ 
/yunifrom/ 

similar to other 
words in TL 

 
The intralingual error cause that is affected by the target language is shown in Table 

2. Words without sound provide a problem. Words like "daughter" were still pronounced by 
the students as /ˈdɔ\tər/. The children pronounce the silent letter [gh] as the sound /f/, similar 
to the word "enough." Furthermore, the pupils accurately pronounced the sounds /l/ in the 
word half (haef), /t/ in the word listen (ˈlɪsn/), /g/ in the word high (haɪ/), and /h/ in the word 
hour (ˈaʊər/). The learners pronounced the word masque/mɑ sk/ s last syllable [que] as they 
would have the letter [q] in the target language. 

The students mispronounced the sound of /e/ in the terms bread/bred/, wear/wer/, 
and breakfast/ˈbrekfəst/, which is a type of pronunciation error known as misselection. The 
letter [e] was alphabetically pronounced by them. In such words, it becomes /i/. 

The learners misordered the sounds in the word, which is a type of pronunciation 
problem. For example, the pronunciation of the word anxious, /ˈnɜːrvəs/, is nearly identical to 
that of the word never, /ˈnevər/. The student blended the pronunciation into /nefərs/ as a 
result. Next, there is a similarity between the words propose (prəˈpəʊz/) and purpose 
(ˈpɜ\rpəs/). As a result, the student spoke it as /propəs/. Subsequently, the number three/θriː/ 
is referred to by the phrase thirty/ˈ�ːrti/. As a result, the student mispronounced it as /triti/. 
Uniform is the final word (/ˈju\nɪfɔ\rm/). This word's last syllable, [form], sounds like the word 
from, /frɑːm/. As a result, the student mispronounced it as /yunifrom/. 
 

Table 3. 
Communication Strategy-based Errors in Pronunciation 

Word 
Correct 

Pronunciation 
Learners’ Error Contrast 

take 
face 

translate 

/teɪk/ 
/feɪs/ 

/trænzˈleɪt/ 

/tek/ 
/fis/ 

/translit/ 
[eɪ] → [e] / [i] 

 
The cause for pronunciation errors in communication strategy is shown in Table 3. 

The learners mispronounced the sound [eʪ] as /e/ and /i/ in this error. For example, the 
learners mispronounced the verb take as /tek/. The learners pronounced the words face 



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(/feɪs/) and translated (/traenzˈleɪt/) as /fis/ and /translit/, respectively. Based on their 
understanding of the target language, they employed these terms approximatively. 

According to this study, pronunciation problems were mostly produced by interlingual 
errors, which were followed by intralingual and communication strategy-based errors. The 
learners mispronounced final sounds (/d/, /t/, & /k/), consonant sounds (/θ/, /v/, /ð/, & /z/), 
vowel sounds (/ɪ/, /ʌ/, & /ɑː/), and diphthong sounds (/eɪ/ & /aʊ/) in their interlingual errors. 
When making intralingual errors, the students mispronounced silent letters, the vowel sound 
(/e/), and sounds that were similar to those of another word in the target language. Next, in 
terms of communication strategy-based errors, the students mispronounced the diphthong 
sound (/eɪ/). 
 
The Solutions for the Students and Teachers to Solve the Errors 

The researcher questioned the students about their English-speaking errors during 
the interview. To identify the errors and look into their difficulty, this interview employed the 
Indonesian language to create a solution that would work for both the teachers and the 
students. The researcher translated the interview into English before presenting the results. 

1. The learners’ reason for making errors 
Out of the twenty participants, nine acknowledged that their first language 

also affected their ability to speak English when asked why they made those errors. 
Due to they were not used to speaking English, they just said what was on their 
mind. They know the word, then they pronounce it seems like how it is written. The 
sound they pronounced referred to an Indonesian sound, even though it was an 
English word. Then, the rest of the students conveyed that they spoke too fast so 
they missed some sounds like the final consonant sounds. The other students also 
made errors because they were nervous, forgetful, had dental problems, and were 
accustomed to making errors. 

 
2. The learners’ learning strategy in using dictionary 

When it comes to learning how to use a dictionary, the majority of them use 
both an electronic and book dictionary. Some people prefer the more accessible and 
efficient electronic dictionaries, like Google or other mobile applications. They said 
that they could hear how it was pronounced directly. Some others only use a book 
dictionary due to the instructor asked them to bring it to the class while learning. 
During the learning process in the classroom, they faced a new word that they did not 
know the meaning of and how to pronounce. Hence, they were asked to look up the 
dictionary to find the meaning and pronunciation. 

 
3. The frequency of speaking English 

When asked how often they use English, the majority of them admitted that 
they don't speak it very often because they mainly use it in the classroom. When 
they were learning, their teacher instructed them to talk in English. When they 
encounter the teacher outside of the classroom at the college, they must also say 
hello in English. They admitted that they had no friends to talk to in English outside 
the college. Hence, the chance to speak English is very limited due to there being no 
interlocutor. Some others also stated that they only communicate in English when 
they are with someone who does, such in an online game or when they meet up with 
buddies from boarding school. As a result, kids could practice speaking English more 
and have the conversation conducted in that language. 

 

Discussion  
The Causes of Pronunciation Errors 

According to this study, pronunciation problems were mostly produced by interlingual 
errors, which were followed by intralingual and communication strategy-based errors. In their 
interlingual errors, the learners mispronounced vowels (/ /, /ʌ/, & /ɑ\/), diphthongs (/eɪ/ & 
/aʊ/), omitted words, and spelled words incorrectly. The learners made misordering, 



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overinclusion, and misselection of the vowel sound (/e/) when making intralingual 
pronunciation errors. Subsequently, in terms of communication strategy-based errors, the 
students mispronounced the diphthong sound (/eɪ/).  

These results, which relate the causes of error, generally support the work of other 
studies in this field. According to a study by Ramasari (2017), non-majoring English 
students' errors were caused by interference errors, intralingual errors, and developmental 
errors. They mispronounced vowel sounds (/ae/) and consonant sounds (/b/, /ð/, /z/, & /v/). 
The learners' mother tongue may have had an impact on them when they committed this 
error. The current study's findings are consistent with Fitriani and Zulkarnain's (2019) 
subsequent investigation. In the earlier study, the students also made errors with diphthongs 
(/eɪ/, /aɪ/, /əʊ/, & /eə/), vowels (/u:/, /ə/, /ɜ/, /ʌ/, & /ɔ/), and consonants (/s/). 

For Arabian students, the finding of a study conducted by Al-Tamari (2019) shows 
the same result interlingual errors cause pronunciation errors. The Arabian students also 
had problems with consonant and vowel sounds, such as /p/, /v/, and /ə:/. Other Saudi 
students also indicate similar findings to a study conducted by Ababneh (2018).  In that 
previous study, the findings show that the students had difficulty in vowel sounds (/ɪ/, /e/, /i:/, 
/ɔ/, and /æ/), diphthong sounds (/ei/ & /əʊ/) and consonant sounds (/p/ & /v/) and the source 
of pronunciation error might be the student's first language.  

It is interesting to note that one distinct cause of pronunciation problems in these 
studies is communication strategy-based errors. The learners' use of an analytical or holistic 
approach resulted in the errors. The students overused terms to convey their ideas, or they 
felt that if they could say "A," they could also say "B." Errors based on communication 
strategies may be the source of these mistakes. 
 
The Solutions for the Students and Teachers to Solve the Errors 

From the data in the interview, the researcher offers some suggestions to the 
students and teachers to solve the errors, as follows: 

1. For the students 
The results of this survey showed that the students admitted to using English 

very infrequently. Since the teacher asked them to speak in English, they only spoke 
in English in the English class or when they spoke with the teacher outside of it. The 
kids' lack of an English discussion partner is the root of this issue. The interlocutor is 
necessary to help the pupils improve their English-speaking skills. This study's 
conclusion is consistent with that of Rahmaniah and Asbah (2019). The lack of an 
English-speaking community and infrequent use of the language were external 
factors contributing to the learners' substantial speaking difficulties. 

We can conclude from the error findings that the pupils still require additional 
practice speaking English as the target language. By learning the vocabulary by 
heart, they have increased their vocabulary. However, learners could forget the 
terminology if it is not used frequently. Additionally, they mispronounce the word. The 
pronunciation and spelling of English terms vary (Achmad & Yusuf, 2014). Consistent 
with the aforementioned concepts, our results imply that students can participate in 
an activity that highlights speaking in a real-world setting. Furthermore, as motivation 
has an impact on learning, it is critical to think about raising pupils' motivation levels 
when they are learning English. High-motivation language learners found it easier to 
pick up the target language (Jafari, 2013). High motivation may push students to 
participate in extracurricular activities that push them to use English outside of the 
classroom, such as joining an English club or following the English community, to 
increase their exposure to the language. For students to practice English more 
frequently, they must be involved in the English community. Examples of this include 
joining an English club or befriending English speakers. 

 
2. For the teachers 

Teachers can be a planner and facilitators in every teaching and learning 
process in the classroom. Peer correction and group interaction, as well as the 



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creation of new teacher strategies and a stronger emphasis on the needs of 
individual students, have all had an impact on pedagogical approaches to teaching 
English (Adams-Goertel, 2013). Therefore, it can be recommended that the students 
engage in group interaction, peer correction, and real practices. Moreover, speaking 
activities can be varied. Vũ (2013) suggested that the teachers can apply group work 
or pair work, such as an interview or telephone conversation. Teachers need to 
encourage the students in every speaking activity in the classroom and plan the 
learning strategy carefully. As a result, educators must also create fresh approaches 
to instruction.  

In the case of error correction, teachers should pay more attention to how to 
correct the learners' errors. According to a research finding conducted by Amara 
(2015), the learners' affective factors and the effectiveness of the error correction 
should be considered by the teacher during the teaching and learning process. The 
teacher has to be careful in making corrections to the learners' errors to not decrease 
their motivation in learning the target language.  

Furthermore, teachers can correct errors made by students to enhance 
language acquisition. Additionally, they can create an activity that makes students 
more eager to study English. Achmad and Yusuf (2014) concluded some activities 
can improve learners’ pronunciation in  nglish, i.e., identifying minimal pairs, 
listening dictation, rhymes and limericks, and ‘describe and demonstrate’ speaking 
activities. This makes language learning probably more engaging for both teachers 
and students. 

 
Conclusion 

Based on the research problem's discussion and conclusions, it can be said that 
there are three reasons why students make pronunciation errors when speaking: intralingual, 
interlingual, and communication strategy-based errors. For the most part, the learners' 
interlingual errors were negative transfers from their mother tongue. Their pronunciation was 
affected by their mother tongue. For the intralingual errors, the learners then committed 
errors in misanalysis or overgeneralization towards the target language. Finally, errors based 
on communication techniques have been observed in both analytical and holistic strategies. 
To reduce pronunciation errors, learners should be more motivated to utilize the target 
language outside of the English classroom. This will benefit both teachers and students. 
High motivation from the students is necessary to support language learning. They can so 
become members of an English community or group. To help students become more 
proficient speakers, teachers can also create lesson plans that include activities like minimal 
pair identification, listening dictation, rhyming and limericks, and speaking exercises (role-
play, interview, discussion, and others). These techniques can increase the number of 
possibilities for speaking practice for the pupils. As a result, it can aid learners in 
pronouncing words correctly in English. 

 
Acknowledgment 

The researchers would like to thank all of the research participants as well as Syiah 
Kuala University, the university that was involved and made the greatest possible 
contribution to this study. 

 
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