*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...

“What was she thinking?” “I wonder what she was thinking.” “How could he do this?” “I wonder how he could do this.” Did you notice anything different about the structure in each pair? The first sentence is a question that is asked directly. The second sentence transforms...

Ah, the bane of every non-native speaker’s existence!  The dreaded “can” and “can’t.” In American English, you need to use contractions in order to sound natural.  Unless you are trying to emphasize your point (along the lines of “I can NOT believe she just did...

“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...

Have you ever had to repeat yourself when saying “fourteen” or “forty,” “seventeen” or “seventy”? Here are some pointers that may help people understand these numbers more easily when you speak. The differences… Stress (sometimes) When you pronounce the word “forty,” primary stress, or emphasis, is placed...