Good Online Dictionary for Pronuncation

I recommend this dictionary for looking up the pronunciation of words: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/.

I like the fact that it has two different accent options - one American Accent and one British. The vowels and consonants are mostly pretty authentic to an American Accent. Many other online English dictionaries are confusing in this regard.

Also, if you have studied British English in your country, it's useful to hear both versions of the same word. Just for fun, look up the words, "better," "student" and "awful."
Big differences in the two different accents!

Don't Give Up!

How is this about accent reduction? Well, I believe that any time we have a goal, sometimes we will feel like giving up. I try to encourage all of my students to keep trying, to follow their dreams. It brings me much joy to see them succeed. Some are Hollywood actors trying to get a part in a movie, some are recently graduated MBA's going on their job interviews and others are people who are simply tired of always being asked to repeat themselves and what country they come from. I post these quotes by famous people to inspire you to keep going. Never let your dreams die! :)

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
-- Mark Twain

It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer. ~Albert Einstein


“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
-- Dale Carnegie

Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock. ~Author Unknown

"Studies indicate that the one quality all successful people have is persistence."
-- Joyce Brothers (1928-) U.S. psychologist and talk show host

"All of us have bad luck and good luck. The man who persists through the bad luck - who keeps right on going - is the man who is there when the good luck comes - and is ready to receive it."
-- Robert Collier

"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop."
-- Confucius

"Our greatest joy is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
-- Confucius (551-479 BC), (K'ung Fu-tse) Chinese philosopher "

"Decide carefully, exactly what you want in life, then work like mad to make sure you get it!"
-- Hector Crawford

Most Common English Words

Below is a link to a list of the 100 most common English words. These 100 words make up about one half of all written material. Learn to pronounce them perfectly and your accent will sound much better!!

Here are some from the list that are very commonly mispronounced by non-native speakers:

1. the
2. of
3. were
4. water
5. some
6. look
7. could
8. other
9. from
10. this
11. these
12. word

Can you say the above words perfectly?
Click here for the whole list.

pronunciation of the article "a"

Many accent students are confused about the correct pronunciation of the article "a." Why do some people say /ei/? You can pronounce it both ways, either as /ɘ/ or as /ei/. It just depends on how quickly you are speaking and whether you pause before the "a." /ei/ is usually used in slower speech and for special emphasis.

So, there's no right or wrong, but you will hear most people say: /ɘ/.

pronunciation of numbers - common mistakes

Here is a video lesson I just made about some common mistakes in pronouncing some difficult numbers, such as "fifty" versus "fifteen."

click here to view video.

Don't Stop Practicing

“Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their champion character.” T Alan Armstrong.

The above quote inspires me and reminds me of one the students that I worked with today. She had spent an hour and a half at home just practicing one particular vowel sound that she had been struggling with. She recorded herself over and over again until she got it right. Then she played the recording for me and it sounded perfect!! I was so impressed with how good her accent was. If you have the discipline to work hard, you will see great results!

Listen to Famous Speeches for Practicing your Accent

A wonderful way to work on improving your accent is to listen to famous speeches. I found this great website which contains hundreds of famous speeches. You can hear the audio and sometimes see the video of the speech. The best part is that each speech has a transcript with it. That way, you can practice reading it out loud.

I recommend that you listen to the whole speech several times while reading it. That way you can learn the pronunciation of some new words. Then, I recommend that you listen again, clicking on pause after some short phrases. Try to repeat the rhythm and intonation of the speaker. Pay attention to how the speaker is linking words together.

This website includes all of Obama's major speeches and speeches from some classic American films. It can be a fun way to practice. Enjoy!!

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/

(To learn all the rules of linking, rhythm and intonation, I recommend that you purchase "The American Accent Course:50 Rules You Must Know" available at: accurateenglish.com/dvd's.htm)

pronuncation of "TH" + "S"

Paolo asked the following question:

I bought a copy of your dvds.. you mentioned that sometimes the "th sound" is silent, in words such as: "months" or "clothes" so that months sounds like mons am i right? and clothes should sound like close.. but there are also other words you haven't mentioned... like deaths,, truths, smiths.. so my question is: how should i pronounce these other words? and also is there a steady rule for the silent th?
thanks
Paolo

Hi Paolo,

Good speakers of English always pronounce the "th" followed by an "s" as in words like "strengths" and "Smiths." This is a very difficult combination of sounds to create. You have to practice moving your tongue quickly and smoothly from the tip of the tongue for the "th" (with a vibration of air) to the position slightly behind your upper teeth (the gum ridge) for the "s."
However, in today's speech it has become pretty standard to not do this with the words "months" and "clothes." Most people drop the "th" and just say "mons" and "close." Those are the only two words that I can think of where it's standard and acceptable to take short cuts in pronouncing both of these consonants. Otherwise, standard, educated speech requires that you not take those short cuts.

10 Tips for Public Speaking

Make a New Year's resolution to improve your speaking skills. I recommend that you join Toastmasters.

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations. Find one in your area.

The organization has nearly 250,000 members in more than 12,500 clubs in 106 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience.

Here is an article from Toastmasters to help you gain confidence speaking in front of people:

1. Know your material. Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more about it than you include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language – that way you won’t easily forget what to say.
2. Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words; Practice, pause and breathe. Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected.
3. Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It’s easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers.
4. Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids. Read the rest of the article here: http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.asp