October begins the parade of heavily “themed” holidays in the United States. First we celebrate Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and finally Christmas. I am dedicating this post to 10 of the highest frequency Halloween-themed words that you are likely to use this month, especially if you...
“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...
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...
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 the pronunciation different in words with the same spelling pattern? The answer is actually pretty simple. ...
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” in the word “bomb” is silent. Finish this word with an “m.” Other words that...
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 because they are motivated. They signed up for the training course on their own, didn’t...
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 main emphasis or stress in the sentence does NOT go on the most important word. A...
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 courses with trainers who don’t specialize in accent reduction, or in online programs. The main...
Open the voice memo app on your phone (if you don’t have a smart phone, grab a handheld recorder) and record yourself saying these three words: cope, cop, cup. Listen to the recording. Do all three words sound different or do a couple of them...