*Please note that this post is geared toward pronunciation teachers with a background in speech pathology or linguistics. However, language learners may find this information useful as well! Did you know that dictionaries use broad phonetic (or phonemic) transcription of words? While you may see...

Small Talk: Not Rocket Science If you struggle with small talk, you’re probably making it more complicated than it really is. Small talk is about finding common ground. It is about filling a small amount of space with little nothings. It’s about passing the time in...

Meet my best buddy, Mr. Mouth.  Creepy? Yes. Useful? Couldn’t possibly live without him. You can probably tell that this mouth is well loved. I didn’t quite realize how ragged he looked until I took a picture of him to send to a friend. What makes...

“Of” and “off.” Similar spellings, different pronunciations.  Did you know that the words “of” and “off” have different vowels? Also, though both are spelled with an “f,” only word contains a /f/ sound. Two things make these “of” and “off” different. Vowel sound Do you remember the difference...

In your throat, you have a set of vocal folds (or vocal chords).  These folds can either be pulled apart or pushed together when producing speech sounds.  If you pronounce a sound with your vocal folds pulled apart, the sound will be voiceless.  If you...