Non-native English speakers think that they should pronounce each word, sound and syllable clearly and distinctly but that’s not how spoken English works.
Americans use reduced vowels and speech when they talk. They do not say every sound and syllable clearly and distinctly.
Look at the words in the careful speech column below. If you use careful speech forms your accent will sound too formal to American listeners.
If you use the corresponding reduced speech forms in the second column your accent will sound more natural.
Careful Speech ->Reduced Speech
want tosounds like wannə
going to sounds like gonnə
have to sounds like haftə
did you sounds like didjə
In reduced speech the last consonant sound in the first word changes (or is deleted) as it blends into the following preposition. The vowel in the preposition takes on a schwa vowel sound. These sound changes help create the speech rhythm that is so important for an American English accent.
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Posted in: Accent Reduction Techniques, American English Pronunciation, Reduced Speech, Schwa Vowel Sound.
Tagged: Accent Reduction Techniques · learn american accent · Reduced Speech · schwa sound
People often ask me, “Why does the ‘t’ sound different in the middle of American English words?”
Here is the answer…
In American English a ‘t’ in the middle of a word often sounds more like a quick /d/. This quick /d/ sound is called a tapped t and it occurs frequently in spoken American English.
To make the tapped t sound, let your tongue lightly tap against the gum ridge behind your teeth. Do not release a puff of air when you make this sound.
The tapped t sound occurs in the following situations.
- Before “er” or “or” as in the words: later, better & water.
- Before “ing” & “ed” as in the words: shouting & shouted.
- Before unstressed vowel sounds as in the words: city & thirty.
- When linking words in phrases such as: cut it out or put it on.
Your ability to use the tapped t sound will make your accent sound more American.
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Posted in: Accent Reduction Techniques, American English Consonant Sounds, American T Sound, Learn American Accent.
Tagged: American T Sound · tapped t
This week on the blog there have been a lot of you looking for information on American English intonation patterns.
One of the best books for learning and practicing the rhythms and intonations of spoken 
American English is Ann Cook’s American Accent Training.
American Accent Training
includes a book plus 5 CDs that you can use to listen and practice.
Intonation cannot be learned without listening and the 5 CDs in this package give you plenty listening practice.
Here is a short article with some more information about intonation patterns.
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Posted in: American Accent Training, American English Pronunciation, Ann Cook, Books & CDs, Intonation Patterns, american english audio.
Tagged: American Accent Training · american english audio · American English Pronunciation · Ann Cook · Books & CDs · Intonation Patterns · learn american accent
Most non-native English speakers have problems articulating the two ‘th’ sounds that we use so frequently in in spoken American English.
Here is a link to a lesson on the 2 ‘th’ sounds. At the end of the lesson is an audio practice activity that you can use to practice.
American English Audio Lesson-The TH Sounds
If you like the lesson, be sure to sign up for my free four week accent reduction course on the page. This is a free introductory course with no obligations!
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Tagged: Accent Reduction Techniques · american english audio · American English Pronunciation · chinese speakers · filipino speakers · french speakers · South Asian Language Speakers · Spanish & Portuguese Speakers
Many people have been visiting the blog looking for information on American English intonation patterns. In American English we use different types of intonation or pitch to express meaning and emotion. You can’t learn about intonation without listening to native speakers so you need to use audio or books to practice this skill.
One of the best books for learning and practicing the rhythms and intonations of spoken American English is Ann Cook’s American Accent Training . This book comes with 5 CDs that you can use to listen and practice.
Here is a short article with some more information about intonation patterns.
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Posted in: American Accent Training, Ann Cook, Intonation Patterns, american english audio.
Tagged: american accent · american english intonation · american english pronunciation books · learn american accent
I know that many of my readers are doctors and nurses who want to improve their pronunciation of American English medical vocabulary. There are many sites that feature the vocabulary but there are not many with audio.
I did find a good website hosted by Pearson Education which contains free online audio and activities. The website was developed to accompany the book titled, Medical Terminology: A Living Language.
The online activities include an audio glossary for each chapter of the book that you can use to listen to and pronounce medical English.
Be sure to check out this book and website if you are in working in the health care fields!
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Posted in: Medical English, english for nurses.
Tagged: english for nurses · Medical English
Spanish speakers frequently drop the consonant sounds at the ends of words. This can cause your speech to sound both accented and grammatically incorrect.
If you are a Spanish speaker, here is one technique you can use to reduce your accent.
Words in Spanish do not typically end in a consonant clusters but English words frequently do. Since Spanish speakers are not accustomed to articulating consonant clusters (without vowels) at the end of words they frequently leave off a consonant sound.
One accent reduction technique to help with this problem is to use linking. Here is how it works:
When a word ends in a consonant sound and the next word begins with a vowel, try to use the last consonant to link those words together.
Here are a few examples:
In the phrase We worked on it link the ‘d’ (which has a /t/ sound) to the ‘o’ so that it sounds like We work don it.
In the phrase I liked it link the ‘d’ (which has a /t/ sound) to the ‘i’ so that it sounds like I like tit.
In the phrase I loved it, link the ‘d’ to the ‘i’ so that it sounds like I love dit.
In the phrase I studied economics link the ‘d’ to the ‘e’ so that it sounds like I study deconomics.
The above phrases may look a bit silly when written like this but it represents the way we SAY them.
Don’t forget that leaving the last sound off a word will contribute to your accent!
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Posted in: Accent Reduction Techniques, American English Consonant Sounds, American English Pronunciation, Learn American Accent, Pronunciation Exercises, Spanish & Portuguese Speakers.
Tagged: Accent Reduction Techniques · American English Consonant Sounds · American English Pronunciation · learn american accent · linking · Spanish & Portuguese Speakers
Do you speak English with a foreign accent? If you do, you may have found that native English speakers find it difficult to understand you. Even though your grammar and writing are excellent, your accent may be preventing you from making progress; getting the best job, getting a promotion or even making new friends.
The most effective way for you to reduce your accent and improve the way you speak American English is to work with an accent reduction coach. That’s because accent reduction coaching is very personal. The sessions are customized to meet your specific needs.
I am currently offering online accent reduction coaching at excellent summertime rates. All sessions are done face to face using Skype video, a very convenient and private way for you to learn.
The cost is $200 US dollars for 4 one hour sessions. But, if you sign up for coaching during the month of August I will send you a copy of the course book Mastering the American Accent with Audio CDs
for free.
Coaching is the best option for serious students who really want to improve. That’s because you WILL have to practice a lot after each session.
Click here Accent Reduction Coaching to read the details. These rates will not be available in October so get started now!
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The schwa + r sound /ɚ/ is frequently a confusing feature of American English pronunciation.
In many situations when a vowel is followed by an /r/, only the /r/ sound is heard. The vowel sound isn’t really heard at all! This is called the schwa + r /ɚ/.
The letter combinations or, er, ur & ir often have the /ɚ/sound. Here are some commonly used words that contain this sound. Even in stressed syllables this sound is fairly short in duration.
word
world
work
honor
learn
perfect
jury
sure
surprise
girl
bird
The letter a + /r/ also sounds like /ɚ/ when it occurs in unstressed syllables. Words include: dollar, polar, grammar, collar.
The /ɚ/ creates a syllable but this syllable does not have a clear vowel sound. Please click here if you need to know about the schwa vowel sound.
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Posted in: Accent Reduction Techniques, American English Pronunciation, American English vowel sounds, Phonetic pronunciation, R & L Sounds, Schwa Vowel Sound.
Tagged: Accent Reduction Techniques · American English Pronunciation · American English vowel sounds · learn american accent · schwa sound
I meet many non-native English speakers who have excellent grammar. However, they do not articulate word final consonant sounds strongly enough and this contributes to their accent.
One word final sound that many people fail to articulate is the past tense ed. Failing to pronounce the ed will definitely contribute to your accent!
Most of my students understand that American spoken English has 3 sounds for the past tense ed but they need to practice these sounds to make them more automatic.
Eva Easton has a nice page on her website that you can use to learn about and practice the 3 sounds of ed. Don’t forget to take the quiz at the end!
American English ed sounds
You can learn the rules for how to pronounce ed endings and much more with the book Mastering the American Accent with Audio CDs
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Tagged: Accent Reduction Techniques · American English Pronunciation · chinese speakers · Spanish & Portuguese Speakers · vietnamese speakers
