08 Jun “con” and “com”: How Stress Affects the Vowel
Pronunciation of “con” and “com” can seem tricky in words like “complete,” “concert,” and “condition.” When do you use /ə/ (“uh”) and when do you use /ɑ/ (“ah”)? Why is...
31 May Top 5 Words with Phantom (Silent) Letters in American English
Have you ever noticed that letters in some English words are not pronounced? Here are the top five words that surprise non-native English speakers in my accent training courses. 1. Bomb The “b”...
18 May Practice Makes Perfect
If you think getting kids to do their homework is challenging, try convincing a 40-year-old to do theirs! Some people mistakenly assume it is easier to get adults to practice...
27 Apr Stressed About Sentence Stress?
Placement of stress in a sentence is critical when trying to get people to understand your meaning and to arrive at that understanding quickly and easily. Against gut intuition, the...
22 Apr The Listen and Repeat Method: Does It Work?
Quick and easy doesn’t exist in accent training, but it doesn’t stop people from trying to find a magic pill. Many language learners end up in large group classes, in...
01 Mar An Easy Fix: Pronouncing the Spelling “au” Correctly
Most non-native speakers of English pronounce "au" incorrectly, regardless of where they are from in the world. Think about the words “auto,” “audit,” and “caught.” What sound do you use...