Pronunciation is essential for speaking AND understanding spoken English well. It should be the FIRST thing you learn when studying a language. You should focus not only on how to make the different sounds (paying close attention to the sounds that don’t exist in your language), but also how to hear the sounds.

Good pronunciation = good listening skills = good communication skills!

Forget about how to pronounce words in your own language. English pronunciation is completely different from your language! The letters may be the same, but they are pronounced very differently in English. Focus on correct English pronunciation!

English learners often ask me, “How can I improve my pronunciation?” Here are my tips.

 

1. Rhythm

First & foremost, it is essential to understand the concept stress. This is the foundation of English pronunciation. Many languages do not have stress, so it is important to learn how to stress words and syllables.

 

2. Sounds and Words

How to Pronounce L and R
Practice the L and R Sounds
50 English Words with ‘ch’ Pronounced /k/
25 English Words with ‘ch’ Pronounced ‘sh’
Practice the ‘sh’ and ‘ch’ Sounds
Practice the ‘th’ sounds vs. /s/ and /z/
Practice the ‘th’ sounds vs. /t/ and /d/
Practice the /v/ sound vs. /b/
Practice the /v/ sound vs. /w/
60 Words with the / ʌ / “uh” Vowel Sound
7 Commonly Mispronounced Words
11 Words with Silent Letters
5 More Commonly Mispronounced Words
Words That Look the Same but are Pronounced Differently!
30 French Words Used in English
“The Chaos!” – A poem about the chaos of English pronunciation and spelling

 

3. Intonation

 

4. The American Accent

N + T = Silent T