A Thesis of English Language Education Study Program, Faculty of Languages,
Arts, and Vocational Studies University of Teacher Associations of The Republic
of Indonesia Pontianak 2025. This study aims to identify dominant words that are
difficult to pronounce and analyze factors influencing students‘ pronunciation at
SMA Negeri 1 Sukadana. Using a descriptive qualitative method, data were
collected through pronunciation tests and interviews, with audio recordings to
ensure accuracy, and analyzed using the Miles and Huberman model of data
reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing and verification. Results
revealed the greatest difficulty with consonant words containing /ʃ/, /v/, and final
/d/, such as shoemaker, villagers, and swallowed. Of 32 participants, most were in
the basic category, with more errors in consonant than vowel vocabulary.
Influencing factors included age of acquisition, motivation, confidence, anxiety,
teacher feedback, regional accents, and limited exposure to English. Teachers are
encouraged to use pronunciation-focused techniques like shadowing and
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), while students should practice
through songs, videos, and conversations.
Keywords : Pronunciation Difficulties, Consonant Words, Internal and External
Factors, SMA Negeri 1 Sukadana