Be Careful of the Sound /j/ The sound /j/ can also give you information about a person’s accent. This is the j, ge or dge sound that you can hear in American English words like “jump”, “gentle” and “judge.” (You can hear it twice in “judge”!) Many American speakers don’t pronounce this sound after the… Continue reading Putting on an American Accent – Part 5
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Putting on an American Accent – Part 4
Do not Forget the Schwa Sound /ə/ If I had to pinpoint one sound that will massively help you develop an American accent, it would have to be the schwa sound. It is found in nearly every word! When you listen to advanced learners who speak American English fluently but who do not exactly sound… Continue reading Putting on an American Accent – Part 4
Putting on an American Accent – Part 3
Learn to Pronounce Your Ts and Ds Right The Letter ‘T’ The letter ‘T’ is another example of a letter that will tell you if a person is from the States right away. The first thing you have to remember about the letter ‘T’ is that, in the American accent, it sounds like something between… Continue reading Putting on an American Accent – Part 3
Putting on an American Accent – Part 2 – Learn to Pronounce the Letter ‘R’
As we saw in Part 1, the General American accent is rhotic, meaning the letter r is always pronounced. To understand the American ‘R’, try paying attention to these words on videos/movies: cardboard car enforce better paper The r sound in American English does not use a “trill” like some other languages such as Spanish.… Continue reading Putting on an American Accent – Part 2 – Learn to Pronounce the Letter ‘R’