You can speak with an accent and be an extremely eloquent speaker. Nevertheless, there are some excellent tips to help you improve your English pronunciation, which we have provided below.
Many English students think that the faster they speak, the better an impression they will make. Speaking fast tends to slur their speech and reinforce bad habits. Speaking slowly, on the other hand, will give you time to think about what you are saying and how you are saying it. It will also make you feel more relaxed. Pay special attention to the ones you have trouble pronouncing. When speaking a foreign language, you will be using your speech organs differently. This is why it is important to pay attention to the mouths of native speakers and try to mimic them in front of the mirror.
One of the great things about the Internet is that it provides a wealth of free resources on about any topic. If you prefer podcasts over videos, there are some great ones, like pronuncian. Tongue twisters are a time-tested method of improving pronunciation. A tongue twister is a phrase that is difficult to pronounce, because it is made up of many similar sounds. For example,. Start off by trying to pronounce all of the words in the tongue twister slowly, but correctly. Then try to pick up the pace until you can say them really fast.
You will see for yourself that they are an excellent way of exercising your speech organs. A big part of pronunciation is actually hearing the correct way of pronouncing the different English sounds.
The only way to learn to discern those sounds and get used to the way they are pronounced is by listening to a lot of English. There are many diagrams and videos in textbooks and online that illustrate how to use your tongue and your mouth when pronouncing each sound. Start practicing difficult sounds in front of the mirror by first learning where to place your tongue and how to shape your mouth.
If you are pronouncing a difficult word, not just a sound, it helps to break down that word into syllables and say each of them slowly. This website shows you the syllables in any word you look up, and even shows you how to pronounce it.
English is a stressed language. That means some words and sounds are more important than others. You can hear this when you say a word out loud.
This video about six common English mistakes goes over word stress in detail in the first point:. Keep watching the rest of the video for other useful tips for avoiding some of the most common English learner mistakes. Watch this video from mmmEnglish for more information about syllable stress in English:.
Sentences have stresses too; some words are more important, and are said with more clarity and strength than the rest of the sentence. Keep practicing by reading out loud, having conversations and listening well to where others place stress when they speak. Australia or New Zealand? Maybe Canada or South Africa. Choosing your dialect of English is one of the first decisions to make on your English-learning journey.
First of all, it will determine much of the vocabulary you learn. For example, English speakers in Ireland use different terms for certain things than English speakers in the United States—especially when it comes to slang. Choosing which type will affect how you pronounce sounds. Watching movies and TV shows are fantastic ways to learn English and pick up accents.
How about English shows? You can also find learning materials that expose you exclusively to your desired dialect. Take apps, for example. If you want to learn British English, LearnEnglish Sounds Right will provide an English pronunciation guide for people wanting to attain a British accent, and you can download it for your iOS or Android device.
Download it at the Apple or Google Play store. You can also use resources besides apps, and they can be just as useful in helping you get the dialect you want. As you can see, your choice of dialect will affect every other decision you make regarding English pronunciation! Creativa provides premium videos for learning English and business communication skills.
Creativa provides entertaining videos, useful but unexpected tips, and goes beyond just English to teach you body language and intonation. Creativa is a new product from the FluentU team.
Creativa offers plenty of other helpful content that you can find very useful in your English studies. Make sure to check it out and give your English skills a boost!
Exaggerate the sound until you feel ridiculous. Are you exaggerating to the point that you feel stupid? Believe it or not, exaggerating these sounds will likely make it easier for native speakers to understand you. No, not just the word. Try writing it out phonetically by their sounds instead of their spelling.
Try making flashcards. Write the word on one side, then spell it out phonetically on the other side. This can be especially useful for visual learners! If you need help, visit EasyPronunciation. Type in the word or sentence you need help with, and the website will transcribe it phonetically for you. Bonus—it lets you choose between American and British English! Want to master English pronunciation? Sit down and listen. Listen to someone speak and write down what they are saying.
In my high school French classes, we had to take dictation write what the teacher said every week. The teacher spoke for 20 minutes, and we had to write down exactly what she said. Trying to decipher her accent and write down what we heard made me understand French spelling and pronunciation better. There are plenty of ways to find a resource! EnglishClub is a great dictation website, regardless of your learning level.
Choose from elementary, intermediate or advanced dictation. Then a second time at a slowed-down speed so you can write it down. Listen for a third time at a normal speed. Then check your answer. YouTube also has many options to practice your listening and writing skills. Seuss dictation video :. You can also watch a scene from a TV show or movie and write down what you hear. When speaking English, do you struggle with sounds that are similar? Tongue twisters can be a fun but tricky!
Podcasts are great for that. Your lips, tongue, throat, and jaw are all involved in making the sounds. I remember when I was learning French, I would sometimes notice that my mouth felt sore from speaking in French all day. Podcasts are fantastic for learning English in general and are great when it comes to practising your English pronunciation. Listening to native speakers gives you a bit of a guide that you can use for your own pronunciation.
Basically, shadowing just means repeating the words right after you hear it, almost at the same time, like a shadow or an echo. We love it. One of the best ways to correct your English pronunciation is to listen to native speakers and compare your pronunciation to them. That way you can go back and listen to hear where you get stuck or where your pronunciation was significantly different from a native speaker.
Recording yourself is also great for showing your progress: look back months later and see how much better you are after all your practise. Try even using a video recording to see the way that your mouth moves. The important thing is that you get into the habit of recording yourself speaking and then adjusting your pronunciation.
One of the best ways to practise your pronunciation is actually just to speak. Speaking should be an essential part of your English immersion course. If you are thinking of finding an English teacher online, we've written some extensive guides on the major websites:.
Most of us do not need to sound like a native-English speaker. Your goal is probably just to be understood easily. Also remember that even native English speakers have trouble understanding other native English speakers with very strong accents.
In Canada, people from rural Newfoundland have notoriously strong accents that others often have difficulty understanding. Some Scottish accents are similarly challenging to understand. Log in. Sign up. Published on July 16,
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