Two L's Hiding in English (Russian Only Uses One)

English uses two versions of the 'l' sound depending on where it sits: a light, front-of-mouth 'l' before vowels (like in 'light' or 'love'), and a darker, back-of-tongue 'l' after vowels or at the end of words (like in 'milk' or 'feel'). Russian generally uses one consistent 'l' everywhere, which is part of the broader articulatory setting - the default mouth positioning - that carries over from your first language. Try 'light' vs 'feel,' 'love' vs 'ball,' 'leaf' vs 'milk.' For the dark L, pull the back of your tongue up and back, almost like starting an 'oo' shape, before your tongue tip touches behind your teeth. Today, say 'milk,' 'feel,' and 'ball' slowly, focusing on that back-of-tongue pull before the tongue tip lands. It's a subtle move, but it smooths out one of the more noticeable accent markers. Small tongue shift, big payoff!