Archive for Russian Speakers

Accent Reduction for Spanish Speakers

I work with many Spanish speakers in my accent reduction coaching course. A common word that they have trouble pronouncing is the word problem. The reason is this. The O in the the word problem does not sound like the O as in no or go. This O sounds like the A in the word

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American English: How to Pronounce Can & Can’t

One common pronunciation problem  for non-native American English speakers is the pronunciation of the words can and can’t. Here are a couple of accent tips that will help you pronounce these words correctly. 1. When you say the word can’t you should give it extra stress or emphasis (like all negative auxiliary verbs). 2. The

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American English Pronunciation for Russian Speakers

One way for native Russian speakers to reduce their accent is to change the way they make the R sound. The Russian R is very distinctive because it is trilled or rolled as the tongue taps quickly on the gum ridge behind the upper teeth. American English speakers do not tap their tongue on the

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American English Pronunciation:The Voiced & Voiceless Th Sounds

In spoken American English the letter combination TH makes two different sounds. One of these sounds is voiced and the other is voiceless. The IPA symbol for the voiced th sound looks like this /ð/. The IPA symbol for the voiceless th sound looks like this /θ/. While both of these sounds cause problems for

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