Welcome back! Have you checked out my Accent Reduction classes yet? If you are an advanced student of American English pronunciation you have probably learned about linking (or liaisons). Linking refers to the connections between words. Ann Cook, author of American Accent Training, says that these connections “allow us to speak in sound groups” instead [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Accent Reduction Techniques’
American English Pronunciation: How to Make the /n/ & /l/ Sounds
Chinese speakers from some dialects tend to confuse word medial and word final /l/ & /n/ sounds when they are speaking English. This causes communication problems and contributes to your accent.
The /n/ & /l/ sounds are articulated in almost the same manner as the tongue touches behind the tooth ridge. The tongue is a bit [...]
American English Pronunciation: Don’t Drop ED!
Many non-native English speakers do not articulate word final consonant sounds such as 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 [...]
American English Pronunciation: The Sounds of X
The letter X has two pronunciations in American English. Here is the first one. When X is followed by a stressed vowel it is pronounced like /gz/.
Here are a few examples:
1. exAct→egzact
2. exActly→egzactly
3. exAmple→egzample
4. exAm→egzam
5. exAmine→egzamine
When an X is followed by a consonant sound it is pronounced like /ks/.
1. exTreme→ekstreme
2. exTinguish→ekstinguish
3. exPect→ekspect
4. contexT-contekst
5. nexT→nekst
When the letter X is at the end of a [...]
American English Intonation Patterns
In spoken English intonation refers to the rise and fall of your pitch over the length of a thought group or sentence.
Using the correct intonation is very important because the rise and fall of your pitch conveys meaning to your listeners.
Many linguists say that spoken English has four levels of phonetic pitch: 1-low, 2-middle, 3-high, [...]
The Importance of the Schwa Sound
This week many people have emailed to ask about the English schwa vowel sound. This vowel sound is found in both American and British English and it is the most common sound in the English language.
The best place to learn about the schwa is here on the BBC website. Be sure to view the funny [...]
Using Thought Groups in Spoken English
When Americans speak they divide longer sentences into sections called thought groups.
The words in a thought group receive different types of stress. The function words, such as articles and prepositions, are usually unstressed. The content words, usually nouns and verbs, are stressed. In each thought group there is also a very important word called [...]
Intonation Patterns in American English
Many American English pronunciation courses focus on how to articulate the individual vowel and consonant sounds in the language. Learning to articulate vowel and consonant sounds correctly can be very useful and will help you reduce your accent.
However, learning to use American English stress and intonation patterns can really help you improve the way you [...]
American English Pronunciation: The R & L Sounds
In spoken American English both the /r/ & /l/ sounds are called “liquids”. That’s because the air stream moves around the tongue in an unobstructed manner. Both the /r/ & /l/ sounds are voiced so you should feel a vibration in your throat when you say them.
When you make the light /l/ sound, the tongue [...]
