Sport Isn't Suh-port

English happily starts words with clusters like 'sp,' 'st,' and 'sk' — 'sport,' 'street,' 'school' — with no vowel breaking them up. Italian syllable structure tends to avoid these tight clusters, so some Italian speakers unconsciously insert a tiny vowel sound before or between the consonants, turning 'sport' into something like 'suh-sport' or 'esport.' The fix is mostly about tension: press your lips or tongue into position for the first consonant while already getting ready for the second, with zero vowel sound sneaking in between. Try saying 'sp,' 'st,' 'sk' by themselves first — just the consonant sounds, no vowel at all — then attach them to words: 'sport,' 'street,' 'school,' 'Spain.' Two minutes today: say these four words slowly, checking that nothing comes before the 's.' It feels tight at first, but that tightness is exactly what makes these clusters sound natural in English.