The Universal Trouble Sounds

These English sounds trip up speakers from almost every language:

• TH (think, this) — does not exist in most languages; often replaced with "s," "z," "t," or "d"
• R (red, car) — English R is unusual; most languages roll or tap it differently
• Short i vs long ee (bit vs beat) — many languages pack several English vowels into one
• V vs W (vest vs west) — German, Hindi, and many others swap these
• Final consonant clusters (texts, strengths) — many languages do not stack consonants at the end.