Three consonants before the first vowel

1. 1
   stretch/stretʃ/

   verb

   To reach your arms and legs out as far as they go.
2. 2
   scramble/ˈskræmbəl/

   verb

   To stir something hard and fast while it cooks, the way you do with eggs.
3. 3
   splash/splæʃ/

   noun

   A small amount of a liquid poured into something.
4. 4
   strong/strɔːŋ/

   adjective

   Having a powerful effect on the body, the way strong coffee or strong medicine does.
5. 5
   strawberry/ˈstrɔːˌberi/

   noun

   A small sweet red fruit with tiny seeds on the outside.
6. 6
   sprinkle/ˈsprɪŋkəl/

   verb

   To scatter small amounts of something loosely over a surface.
7. 7
   spray/spreɪ/

   verb

   To cover something with a fine mist of liquid.
8. 8
   scrub/skrʌb/

   verb

   To clean something by rubbing it hard.
9. 9
   throw/θroʊ/

   verb

   To get rid of something you no longer want.
10. 10
    squirrel/ˈskwɜːrəl/

    noun

    A small animal that lives in trees and has a long bushy tail.

The sentences

1. I stretch my arms before I make coffee.

2. I'll scramble a couple of eggs for us.

3. Just a splash of milk in my coffee, please.

4. This coffee is too strong for me this morning.

5. There's one strawberry left in the bowl.

6. Sprinkle a little salt over the eggs.

7. Spray the pan before you pour the eggs in.

8. I need to scrub this pan before breakfast.

9. I'll throw out the milk that went bad.

10. A squirrel is running along the deck rail.

Pronunciation

• scramble/ˈskræmbəl/

  Ends on a quick "buhl" — two syllables, stress on the first.

• strawberry/ˈstrɔːˌberi/

  Three syllables, STRAW-ber-ee, with the stress up front.

• throw/θroʊ/

  Starts with the soft th of "thin", then straight into the r — no t or f sound.

• squirrel/ˈskwɜːrəl/

  Two syllables in American speech, SKWUR-uhl, not three.

Questions

How do you say squirrel in American English?

It's pronounced SKWUR-uhl, two syllables, as in 'A squirrel is running along the deck rail.'

What does scramble mean here?

To stir something hard and fast while it cooks, the way you do with eggs, as in 'I'll scramble a couple of eggs for us.'

What's the difference between splash and sprinkle?

A splash is a small amount of liquid poured in, like a splash of milk in coffee, while sprinkle means scattering small amounts loosely over a surface, like salt over eggs.