The particular dialect or language that a person chooses to use on any occasion is called a code Copyright © 2025 The Author IDEAS is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 License Issued by English study program of IAIN Palopo 6086 IDEAS Journal on Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) Volume 13, Number 2, December 2025 pp. 6086 - 6100 The Pronunciation of English Speech Sounds in Speaking Classes Among the Eleventh Graders of Senior High School Randudongkal Pemalang Anis Ardiana Mumtaza1, Januarius Mujiyanto2, Hendi Pratama3 1,2,3Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Negeri Semarang Corresponding E-Mail: anisardiana2108@student.unnes.ac.id Received: 2025-05-28 Accepted: 2025-11-04 DOI: 10.24256/ideas. v13i2.6820 Abstract This study aims to describe the students' pronunciation in English speech sounds among eleventh grade students at SMA Negeri 1 Randudongkal. The purpose of this study explores more deeply how challenges are encountered by students to speak English, specifically concerning pronunciation. Pronunciation is one of the most challenging skills for students to master, primarily because many lack enough interest or motivation to acquire English. The approach to this research follows a descriptive qualitative approach to provide finding related to translation outputs. Within this approach, a focus lies between a personal interpretation of reality to portray phenomena, according to a given theoretical approach guiding the researcher's point of view. In involving data collection through a test and record. The current study uses several methods, including observing classroom atmosphere and evaluating student engagement within English classes. This research seeks to get a clearer understanding concerning students' pronunciation skills, to identify areas where speaking skills can be enhanced. The findings from this research are expected to uncover certain difficulties being encountered by students with English pronunciation, in order to enable them better to understand spoken English. Through simulating students' pronunciation analysis and examining the made sound, this research aims at identifying particular words sound causing difficulties in comprehending spoken English. The study also intends to assist students in enhancing English pronunciation by practicing accurate and clear reading from texts. Keywords: pronunciation, speech sounds, speaking classes. http://u.lipi.go.id/1457703302 mailto:anisardiana2108@student.unnes.ac.id IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 2, December 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 6087 Introduction Speaking is a fundamental skill in the study of languages to support effective communication and exchange of information and ideas. As Al-Roud (2016) indicates, speaking is a central mode of communication, where the production allows the speaker to carry out the transmission of ideas, emotions, and intentions in an efficient manner. Effective communication also requires an attention to the interlocutor as well as the interactive nature of speaking. A significant component of speaking is pronunciation, which refers to the acceptable and comprehensible articulation of words. Pronunciation by Kristina and Rarasteja (2006) has been described as the ability to produce speech sound in an acceptable and comprehensible way to listeners. Clear pronunciation refers not only to the articulation of words but to the conveyance of meaning in a way to enable effective communication. It has been pointed out by Brown (2001) that speaking presents various challenges to learners, especially to learners who lack motivation and interest towards study of English, which may hinder their progress. Pronunciation consists of word stress, sentence stress, rhythm, and intonation. A description by Ramelan (1985). Greater fluency and clarity result from an awareness of these aspects, leading to improved oral communication. Systematic practice and targeted pronunciation classroom study, accordingly, must be conducted to establish the learners' speaking ability. Research on Indonesian EFL learners highlights persistent pronunciation problems, such as difficulties with consonant clusters, long and short vowels, diphthongs, and misplaced stress (Tambunsaribu & Simatupang, 2021; Dwisnu, 2023). These issues are largely caused by differences between Bahasa Indonesia and English phonological systems, limited exposure to authentic English input, and low motivation to practice. While several studies have examined pronunciation teaching in Indonesian classrooms, most have focused on university-level learners, with relatively fewer investigations at the senior high school level. From a linguistic perspective, the units of sound are phonemes, the minimum units that distinguish meaning in a language. English phonemes are classified as consonants and vowels, both of which are the foundations of effective speech. Mispronunciation of these can result in communication breakdown, hence a vital understanding for learners of a new language. According to Roach (2009), the role of speech sounds in word and sentence production highlights an understanding of these to be classified as segmental features (the consonants and the vowels) and suprasegmental features (stress, intonation, and rhythm) since all of these combine to result in effective and coherent articulation of words. Ellis (1999) introduced the concept of speech convergence, which refers to the tendency of language learners to adjust their speech patterns such as pronunciation, intonation, and speaking rate to resemble those of their conversation partners. This phenomenon highlights the influence of social context on spoken language, suggesting that pronunciation and speaking style are dynamic and often shaped by Agustinus Abat, I Dewa Ayu Devi Maharani Santika Illocutionary Acts by Zelensky in Meeting Donal Trump on the Russia-Ukraine War. 6088 interpersonal interactions. According to Besides that, Derwing and Munro (2005) emphasized that pronunciation should not be treated as a separate or isolated component of language instruction. Instead, it should be integrated into the broader framework of communicative competence. Their argument centers on the idea that the ultimate goal of pronunciation teaching is not perfect articulation, but effective and intelligible communication in real-life contexts. According to Fraser (2000), pronunciation significantly affects how a speaker is understood by others. Learners may have a strong grasp of grammar and vocabulary, but without intelligible pronunciation, their spoken communication can break down. Celce-Murcia et al. (2010) stress that pronunciation should not be treated separately but incorporated in the overall speaking curriculum, particularly in activities reflecting real communication. The focus of the study is to investigate the pronunciation of English speech sound by the eleventh-grade learners of SMA Negeri 1 Randudongkal Pemalang. By identifying the most prevalent pronunciation errors and the factors contributing to the errors, the study would contribute to facilitating the improvement of the pronunciation of the learners as well as their English-speaking skill. Method Research Design In this study, the researcher applies a descriptive qualitative method to investigate the English pronunciation abilities of eleventh-grade students at SMA Negeri 1 Randudongkal. This design is chosen to gain a deep understanding of how students pronounce English speech sounds in the classroom setting. The research focuses on identifying patterns in students’ pronunciation, including errors in consonants, vowels, diphthongs, stress, and intonation. It also explores how these elements affect the students' speaking performance as a whole. In this study, the researcher used descriptive qualitative research. There are various types of research design, one of which is qualitative descriptive research. This approach is used when researchers aim to describe a phenomenon in depth, often based on subjective interpretation and real-life contexts. Qualitative research is typically concerned with understanding phenomena related to human behavior, attitudes, or experiences—things that cannot always be measured with numbers. As stated by Ambarwati and Mandasari (2020), qualitative descriptive research helps present detailed information in the form of written or spoken narratives, gathered through various sources such as interviews, documents, images, and audio-visual materials. The steps taken by the researcher in conducting this research were as follows: the researcher observes classroom interactions and monitors students’ participation in English speaking activities. The study is carried out in two main stages. First, observations and recordings of students’ speech are made during speaking sessions. These recordings help identify specific pronunciation challenges. Second, the researcher conducts interviews to explore the underlying factors that IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 2, December 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 6089 may influence students’ pronunciation problems, including both linguistic and non- linguistic elements. In conclusion, this study adopts a qualitative descriptive research design as it allows the researcher to describe, interpret, and analyze students’ spoken English in detail. Rather than focusing on numerical outcomes, this approach highlights the richness of student responses and provides contextual insights into their difficulties and potential areas for improvement in pronunciation. Data and Data Sources This study employed a descriptive qualitative method to investigate the English pronunciation abilities of the eleventh-grade students at SMA Negeri 1 Randudongkal. This approach was chosen because it allowed the researcher to obtain an in-depth understanding of how students produced English speech sounds in a natural classroom context. The participants consisted of 36 eleventh-grade students in the first semester of the 2024/2025 academic year, selected through purposive sampling based on their active participation in speaking activities. Data were collected through pronunciation tests, audio recordings, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews. The validation results indicated that the instruments were appropriate for use after minor revisions suggested by the experts. To ensure data reliability, two independent raters analyzed the students’ pronunciation recordings separately. The research was conducted in February 2025 at SMA Negeri 1 Randudongkal, Pemalang Regency, Central Java, during the first semester. The timing was chosen to coincide with the ongoing speaking lessons so that data collection could take place naturally without disrupting students’ learning activities. The scope of the research was to examine the students' pronunciation of English to evaluate the students' skills in speaking. The researcher used speaking assignments to collect the required data, which were recorded and processed as part of the assessment. Research Instruments To accurately measure students’ proficiency in pronunciation, the researcher used pronunciation tests and audio recording. The tools enabled a rigorous analysis of students' performance in articulating various English sounds of speech, including consonants, vowels, diphthongs, word stress, and intonation. Each area of pronunciation was tested through formalized activity in order to conduct a systematic assessment of students' frequent pronunciation problems. 1. Consonants Consonants are speech sounds created by blocking airflow within the vocal tract. As the consonants of English are not similar to those of Bahasa Indonesia, students tend to have difficulty with some of them, particularly those that are not Agustinus Abat, I Dewa Ayu Devi Maharani Santika Illocutionary Acts by Zelensky in Meeting Donal Trump on the Russia-Ukraine War. 6090 found in the students' first languages. For the students to test if they are able to pronounce consonants appropriately, the researcher supplied a set of words with varying consonant sounds and the students read out the words along with a recording. The recording was then subjected to analysis in order to determine the errors of mispronunciation and to analyzing those errors, the researcher could establish which consonant sounds were most challenging to students. 2. Vowels Vowels are not produced with vocal tract constriction and proper pronunciation of these is crucial to understandability of English speech. The English vowel system is more intricate compared to Bahasa Indonesia and the difficulty of identifying the difference between short and long vowel sounds presents a problem to the students. To test their vowel pronunciation, students were provided with a list of words that have varying vowel sounds and students were recorded by the researcher reading out words from the list and then compared to standard English vowel pronunciation. 3. Diphthongs Diphthongs are intricate vowel sounds that consist of a smooth shift from one vowel to another within a single syllable. Because there are fewer diphthongs in Bahasa Indonesia than in English, students tend to find them hard to pronounce accurately. To evaluate the students’ diphthong pronunciation, the researcher presented a list of words with diphthongs and students read out these words, and the researcher recorded them, and later analyzed the students’ pronunciations to identify any errors. Students tended to simplify diphthongs into single vowel sounds, like pronouncing time as tam instead of taɪm, and go as gɔ instead of goʊ. The outcome of the analysis indicated the students’ challenges in shifting from one vowel sound to another smoothly. 4. Word Stress Word stress is the stressing of a syllable in a word. Misplacement of stressing can alter the meaning of words and render communication ambiguous. To test students' skill in using proper word stressing, a list of words with varying syllable patterns was provided to them. Students read the words out loud, and they were recorded. The students' way of pronouncing words was then examined to establish if they stressed the word on the correct syllable. Patterns of stressing errors were noted by the researcher, which tended to make the words unnatural or hard to comprehend. Through identifying errors of stressing, the study hoped to enhance students' clarity of speaking English. IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 2, December 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 6091 5. Intonation Intonation refers to variations in pitch while speaking that carry meaning and emotion. English has different intonation patterns used to make statements, questions, and expressions. Because intonation patterns in Bahasa Indonesia are not the same as those used in English, learners tend to improperly apply intonation, causing misunderstandings. The audio recordings of the students' speaking responses were assessed in order to identify if they used proper intonation patterns. Flat intonation where a question was expected or improper rising and falling tones that influenced the meaning of a sentence were frequent errors. Intonation error analysis served to identify areas where students require more practice in spontaneous and natural speech delivery. Data Collection Techniques This study used two techniques in carrying out data collection procedures. To obtain the necessary data and information, the researcher employed the following methods: 1. Tests In this research, the researcher applies tests to evaluate the achievement of the students in pronunciation. The pre-test that is used before treatment or intervention done. These are also used to find out the improvement of the students in their pronunciation and the author asked the students to read a text aloud so that they could identify whether their pronunciation was correct or not. Any mispronunciation, the educator could correct immediately. 2. Recording In this research, the researcher employs audio recording to achieve reliability and precision in measuring students' pronunciation. The method enabled the researcher to identify in-depth pronunciation characteristics, like consonant, vowel, and diphthong articulation, stress patterns, and intonation, that can easily go unnoticed in direct observation. By recording students speaking, the researcher could repeatedly listen to determine specific errors of pronunciation objectively and reduce observer error. The recording also created a permanent data source that could easily be re-examined if needed. Following the gathering of data, the recording was thoroughly analyzed. The first step was to transcribe the students' speech to compare their rendering of words to the correct phonetic representation. Second, a phonetic analysis was done to determine incorrect sounds, which were classified based on frequent areas of difficulty of pronunciation, like vowel shifts, consonant omissions, or misplaced stress. Agustinus Abat, I Dewa Ayu Devi Maharani Santika Illocutionary Acts by Zelensky in Meeting Donal Trump on the Russia-Ukraine War. 6092 Data Analysis Techniques The study used a qualitative methodology to investigate students’ pronunciation by thoroughly analyzing errors in recorded speech and transcripts. Through the methodology, the researcher was able to carry out a detailed investigation of the precise pronunciation problems that the students were faced with. The process started from data collection, where the students were requested to read a passage out aloud. The students' speech was recorded to allow precise recording of pronunciation characteristics. The audio data, once collected, was then categorized under five broad categories of error: consonants, vowels, diphthongs, word stress and intonation. Each error type was coded to enable us to identify trends and patterns. Upon organization, the recordings were transcribed into phonetic symbols in order to enable detailed comparison with standard English pronunciation. By means of the transcription, individual mispronunciations were isolated and classified based on frequency and type. The researcher then interpreted the errors by taking into consideration native language interference, reduced exposure to the native way of speaking, and a lack of practice. These explanations served to clarify why certain sounds were difficult. The results were then summarized into a comprehensive report, including examples of frequent errors and a discussion of the potential causes of them, offering helpful feedback to enhance students' pronunciation skills. Results The results from the study aimed to investigate the English speech sound pronunciation of SMA Negeri 1 Randudongkal Pemalang students in speaking classes are discussed. The results were based on evidence from tests of pronunciation and audio recording that were analyzed phonologically to identify the frequent errors of pronunciation along with the causative factors. The five major areas of English pronunciation were targeted, which are consonants, vowels, diphthongs, word stress, and intonation. Table 4. 1 The pronunciation of sound [z] in English consonants Position The word The correct pronunciation Students’ pronunciation Total C I Correct Incorrect Medial Absorbing /əbˈzɔːr.bɪŋ/ /əbˈzɔːr.bɪŋ/ /əbsɔːr.bɪŋ/ 29 7 Final Millions Species Shades /ˈmɪl.jənz/ /ˈspiː.ʃiːz/ /ʃeɪdz/ /ˈmɪl.jənz/ /ˈspiː.ʃiːz/ /ʃeɪdz/ /ˈmɪli.ən/ /ˈspiːʃies/ /ˈspeɪs/ /ʃeɪd/ 31 30 33 30 5 6 3 6 IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 2, December 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 6093 The results of the analysis on the pronunciation of the /z/ sound show that students displayed mixed accuracy in both the medial and final positions of words. In the medial position, the word absorbing was pronounced correctly by 29 students, while 7 students substituted the voiced fricative /z/ with the voiceless /s/, producing /əbˈsɔː.bɪŋ/ instead of /əbˈzɔː.bɪŋ/. This finding indicates that some students still struggle to produce voiced fricatives accurately, possibly because of the limited distinction between /s/ and /z/ in Indonesian phonology. In the final position, the word millions were pronounced correctly by 31 students, whereas 5 students omitted the final /z/ sound, saying /ˈmɪl.jən/ instead of /ˈmɪl.jənz/. Similarly, the word species was pronounced correctly by most students, though several pronounced it incorrectly as /ˈspiː.ʃis/ or /ˈspiː.siz/, showing confusion in producing the final voiced sound. For the word shades, 30 students produced the correct pronunciation, while 6 students pronounced it as /ʃeɪd/, omitting the /z/ sound at the end. These results suggest that although many students recognize the /z/ sound, a number of them still find it difficult to maintain voicing at the end of words, especially when /z/ occurs in a consonant cluster. Table 4. 2 The pronunciation of sound [ʊ] in English vowels Position The word The correct pronunciation Students’ pronunciation Total C I Correct Incorrect Medial Ecosystems Role Most Ground /iːkəʊ.sɪs.təmz/ /roʊl/ /məʊst/ /ɡraʊnd/ /iːkəʊ.sɪs.təmz/ /roʊl/ √ √ /eko.sɪs.təmz/ /rol/ - - 23 33 36 36 13 3 0 0 Final Also /ɔːl.səʊ/ /ɔːl.səʊ/ /ɔːl.so/ 21 15 The results of the analysis on the vowel sound /ʊ/ show that students demonstrated different levels of accuracy depending on the word position. In the medial position, several pronunciation errors appeared. In the word ecosystems, 13 students pronounced it incorrectly as /eko.sɪs.təmz/ instead of /ˈiː.kəʊ.sɪs.təmz/, indicating that they replaced the diphthong /əʊ/ with a simpler vowel sound. Similarly, in the word role (/rəʊl/), 3 students pronounced it as /rol/, showing difficulty in distinguishing between diphthongs and single vowels. These findings suggest that many students still struggle to produce the diphthong /əʊ/ accurately because such sounds do not exist in the Indonesian language system. On the other hand, the words most (/məʊst/) and ground (/ɡraʊnd/) were pronounced correctly by all students, showing better mastery in those contexts. However, in the final position, the word also was pronounced incorrectly by 15 students, who tended to say /ɔːl.so/ instead of /ˈɔːl.səʊ/. This indicates that some students have not fully mastered the articulation of diphthongs when they appear at the end of words. Agustinus Abat, I Dewa Ayu Devi Maharani Santika Illocutionary Acts by Zelensky in Meeting Donal Trump on the Russia-Ukraine War. 6094 Table 4. 3 The pronunciation of sound [aɪ] in English diphtongs Position The word The correct pronunciation Students’ pronunciation Total C I Correct Incorrect Initial I /aɪ/ √ - 36 0 Medial Bright Friday Decided Kite /braɪt/ /ˈfraɪ.deɪ/ /dɪˈsaɪ.dɪd/ /kaɪt/ /braɪt/ /ˈfraɪ.deɪ/ /dɪˈsaɪ.dɪd/ /kaɪt/ /bret/ /breig/ /ˈfrɪ.deɪ/ /dɪsedɪd/ /ket/ 30 28 25 28 24 6 8 11 8 12 Final Sky Fly My /skaɪ/ /flaɪ/ /maɪ/ √ - 36 0 The results of the study show that students had different levels of accuracy in pronouncing the diphthong /aɪ/ depending on its position in a word. In the initial position, all 36 students pronounced the word I (/aɪ/) correctly. This means that the sound was familiar and easy for them to produce when it stood alone. However, several mistakes appeared when the diphthong occurred in the middle of a word. In the word bright, 14 students made errors by saying /bret/ or /breig/ instead of /braɪt/. Likewise, in the word Friday (/ˈfraɪ.deɪ/), 11 students replaced /aɪ/ with /ɪ/, pronouncing it as /ˈfrɪ.deɪ/. The word decided (/dɪˈsaɪdɪd/) was also mispronounced by 8 students, who said /dɪsedɪd/. The most difficult word was kite (/kaɪt/), which 12 students pronounced as /ket/. These results indicate that many students tend to change the diphthong /aɪ/ into a single vowel sound, such as /e/ or /ɪ/, because these sounds are easier and more similar to those in Indonesian. On the other hand, when the diphthong appeared at the end of a word, such as in sky (/skaɪ/), fly (/flaɪ/), and my (/maɪ/), all students pronounced it correctly. This shows that the diphthong /aɪ/ is easier for them to say in the final position of a word than in the middle. Table 4. 4 Problem of word stress in 2 syllables No Word IPA Word Stress As Recorded 1. Window /ˈwɪn.dəʊ/ ˈWIN-dow win.DOW [students 2, 7] window [students 1] 2. Market /ˈmɑː.kɪt/ ˈMAR-ket mar.KET [students 12, 13] 3. Again /əˈɡen/ a-ˈGAIN A.gain [students 7, 10, 14] 4. Pencil /ˈpen.səl/ ˈPEN-cil pen.CIL [student 18] 5. Music /ˈmjuː.zɪk/ ˈMU-sic mu.SIC [student 9] music [students 22, 36] IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 2, December 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 6095 The words window, market, again, pencil, and music consisting of two syllables were used to analyze students’ understanding of word stress. In standard English pronunciation, two-syllable nouns and adjectives typically receive stress on the first syllable, while verbs usually carry stress on the second syllable. Despite this rule, several students placed stress incorrectly. For example, window (/ˈwɪn.dəʊ/) was pronounced as win.DOW, indicating stress on the second syllable. Similarly, market was pronounced as mar.KET, and again as A.gain rather than the correct a.GAIN. These patterns suggest that students may rely on orthographic cues or make arbitrary guesses when applying stress. Misplacement was also observed in pencil and music, which were incorrectly stressed on the second syllable as pen.CIL and mu.SIC. This implies that even with familiar words, students struggle to apply consistent stress rules. Table 4. 5 The result of intonation in WH-Question No Sentences Students Record True False 1. What is your name? 35 1 2. Where did you go? 30 6 3. When are we meeting? 28 8 4. Why is she upset? 31 5 5. How do you feel? 29 7 6. Who is coming to the party? 33 3 7. Which book do you prefer? 25 11 8. Whose car is that? 27 9 9. How much does it cost? 20 16 10. How many people are attending the event? 22 14 11. What time is it? 36 0 12. Where is your house? 35 1 13. When does the class start? 20 16 14. Why are they leaving? 23 13 15. How did you do that? 34 2 16. Who is responsible for this? 31 5 17. Which movie do you want to watch? 29 7 18. Whose idea was that? 24 12 19. How much did you pay for the ticket? 30 6 20. How many students are in the class? 32 4 The findings reveal that students generally perform well in applying correct intonation in simple and familiar wh- and yes/no question forms, particularly in short sentences where the expected pitch patterns falling for wh- questions and rising for yes/no questions are more predictable. Based on the intonation table presented above, the researcher conducted the study by analysing the rising and falling pitch patterns in students’ pronunciation of various question sentences. This assessment helped identify which words students emphasized in each sentence. It was observed that in sentences 1–10, students predominantly used rising intonation at the beginning of the sentence, while in sentences 11–20, they Agustinus Abat, I Dewa Ayu Devi Maharani Santika Illocutionary Acts by Zelensky in Meeting Donal Trump on the Russia-Ukraine War. 6096 generally applied falling intonation at the end of the sentence. This pattern indicates that students tend to place emphasis on a particular word depending on the position and type of question. However, as sentence complexity increases particularly with embedded and compound questions, many students struggle to maintain appropriate pitch variation and word stress. Misplaced rising or falling tones, as well as flat or monotone intonation, were common, potentially leading to confusion or unnatural speech. These difficulties suggest that students often rely on visual cues from spelling or sentence rhythm rather than applying established prosodic rules of English. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate more focused pronunciation instruction that emphasizes not only intonation but also the placement of stress within connected speech. Tools such as audio models, repetition drills, and visual aids (e.g., intonation arrows ↑↓) are highly recommended to support learners in developing more natural and intelligible English pronunciation. Table 4. 6 The result of intonation in YES/NO Question No Sentences Students record Yes No 1. Are the students here? 28 8 2. Is this your book? 30 6 3. Do they speak English? 20 16 4. Does the teacher come early? 26 10 5. Did he come to the meeting yesterday? 24 12 The results of the analysis show that most students were able to use the rising intonation correctly in Yes/No questions, although some still faced difficulties. In the first sentence, “Are the students here?”, 28 students produced the correct intonation. For “Is this your book?”, 30 students spoke with proper rising tone, showing good understanding of the pattern. However, in “Do they speak English?”, only 20 students used the correct intonation, while many tended to use a falling tone. In “Does the teacher come early?”, 26 students pronounced it correctly, and in “Did he come to the meeting yesterday?”, 24 students applied the correct pattern. These results indicate that students generally understand the rising tone in Yes/No questions, but still make errors in longer or more complex sentences, likely due to influence from their native language. Discussion From the analysis of this study highlight that eleventh-grade students at SMA Negeri 1 Randudongkal experience considerable challenges in producing English speech sounds, particularly across the areas of consonants, vowels, diphthongs, word stress, and intonation. These challenges are consistent with previous studies and theoretical perspectives that point to first language (L1) interference, insufficient exposure to native English input, and the absence of explicit pronunciation instruction in the classroom setting. IDEAS, Vol. 13, No. 2, December 2025 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 6097 The results show that several students still experienced difficulties in pronouncing certain consonant sounds, especially in distinguishing between voiced and voiceless sounds such as /z/ and /s/, and in producing interdental sounds like /θ/ and /ð/. These difficulties can be attributed to the interference of the first language (L1), as such sounds do not exist in the Indonesian phonological system. This finding supports the arguments of Derwing and Munro (2015) and Dwisnu (2023), who explain that differences between the sound systems of English and Indonesian cause learners to substitute unfamiliar English sounds with those that are more familiar in their native language. Therefore, the influence of L1 remains one of the main barriers to achieving accurate pronunciation among Indonesian EFL learners. In terms of vowel and diphthong pronunciation, the study found that many students simplified complex vowel combinations such as /aɪ/ and /əʊ/ into simpler monophthongs like /e/ or /o/. This simplification reflects a natural strategy used by learners to adjust unfamiliar English sounds to the patterns of their native language. The finding is consistent with Firghy et al. (2024), who reported that Indonesian learners tend to modify or shorten diphthongs because such sounds are absent in Bahasa Indonesia. This indicates that students’ pronunciation errors are not random but systematic, reflecting the influence of their linguistic background. Regarding intonation patterns, most students were able to apply the correct rising tone in Yes/No questions, but some still struggled, especially when producing longer or more complex sentences. This suggests that while students understand the basic rule of rising intonation in English questions, they have not yet internalized its use in natural speech. As Celce-Murcia et al. (2010) note, many EFL learners focus more on individual sound accuracy (segmental features) rather than on suprasegmental features such as stress, rhythm, and intonation. However, these suprasegmental features are crucial for achieving natural, intelligible, and listener-friendly speech. Overall, the findings indicate that the students’ pronunciation challenges are influenced by phonological interference, limited exposure to authentic English sounds, and insufficient pronunciation practice in the classroom. To address these issues, English teachers should provide more opportunities for students to practice pronunciation in communicative contexts. The integration of technology, such as audio recordings, pronunciation software, and online speech analysis tools. That can help learners become more aware of their articulation patterns and improve their accuracy and fluency. This study also has several limitations. The research involved only 35 students from a single school, which restricts the generalization of the results. The study mainly described segmental and suprasegmental pronunciation features without considering other influencing factors, such as students’ motivation, confidence, or learning strategies. In addition, the data were analyzed qualitatively without detailed acoustic measurements that could provide a more objective phonetic description. Agustinus Abat, I Dewa Ayu Devi Maharani Santika Illocutionary Acts by Zelensky in Meeting Donal Trump on the Russia-Ukraine War. 6098 Based on these limitations, future research should include a larger and more diverse group of participants to obtain broader and more representative results. It is also recommended that future studies combine qualitative and quantitative methods, including acoustic or phonetic software analysis, to strengthen the reliability of the findings. Moreover, researchers may explore the use of technology- based pronunciation training, such as mobile learning applications or AI-assisted feedback tools, to enhance students’ learning experiences. Future studies can also examine how teachers’ feedback techniques and classroom pronunciation strategies influence students’ improvement in English pronunciation. Conclusion This study examined the pronunciation abilities of eleventh-grade students at SMA Negeri 1 Randudongkal Pemalang, focusing on their use of consonants, vowels, diphthongs, word stress, and intonation in speaking activities. The findings reveal that many students faced significant challenges, often influenced by their first language, particularly in producing unfamiliar sounds, differentiating vowel lengths, applying correct stress, and using natural intonation patterns. These difficulties affected the clarity and fluency of their spoken English. The study highlights the urgent need for more focused pronunciation instruction in speaking classes. Practical training, consistent feedback, and greater exposure to English phonology are essential to help students improve their pronunciation and communicative competence. References A Abugohar, M. A. (2019). English Language Speaking Skill Issues in an EMP Context: Causes and Solutions. 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