10 Ways to Improve Your English Pronunciation

Improve your English pronunciation with these 10 tips. Learn how to have a better American accent and understand fast English speakers.

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[easyenglishpod]

1. Shadowing -- This means you're repeating directly after a native English speaker.
2. Practise phrases or full sentences.
3. Practise intonation and word stress.
4. Learn with KEY SOUNDS are the most difficult for you.
5. Learn specifics for linking and reductions.
6. Practise challenge words.
7. Practise tongue twisters.
8. Study IPA.
9. Test yourself with voice texting.
10. Record yourself and compare it to a native English speaker.

[aimebida]

I always face this problem. Thank you very much for the lesson, for classes.
You're the great teacher I ever seen, always so clear with a fluent english
Thank you very much 🙏

[englishlearn]

I love your lessons, Vanessa ❤❤❤From Uzbekistan🎉

[VoiceoverByIvy]

Who could dislike this?
I love your lesson Vanessa.. I am slowly improving my pronunciation. As a voice-over artist, this is so crucial.

[RC-skmy]

Vanessa, I’m always been looking for ways to speak English fluently. I haven’t found a satisfying way suitable for me until I met you! Your teaching method is amazing. I can learn English while having fun. Really like u! ———greetings from an oversea Chinese student.

[ExtraStarsAcademy]

Hello Vanessa, your fan from Nigeria here. Mother tongue interference do play a part in this part of the world. Thanks for your great lessons. You always inspire me. I love your smiles, they are full of life.

[awaledegewione]

Vanessa, I have been following you since 2017. You may not dont know it. But i am telling you, you have supported me. Thank you for being teacher. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[anasuero]

The most amazing teacher is definitely Vanessa❤️

[sainttnias]

Im an english teacher and i love how you show and explain everything in a very enthusiastic way Just like how i do so i decided to show your videos to my studens. Thanks so much keep the good vibes!

[Lilu]

Thanks Vanessa I have a lot of problems with my pronuntiation, your videos are really helpfull you're a good teacher.

[kqnjflz]

You are the perfect example of an English teacher❤️

[BUDbizWIZ]

Dear ESL students,

Another teacher has entered the chat and is here to contribute to a few of these pointers Vanessa has so graciously given us. Vanessa is an excellent teacher, so my commentary is with respect to the tips and advice she has already given. Yet, I felt compelled to contribute and provide other examinations/tips on various other nuances that exist within American English pronunciation =D. So, here you go...

As an American English teacher for almost 20 years, I'm here to give the following advice:
Students have to understand that some of these pronunciation tips Vanessa is giving students are influenced by what part of the USA she grew up in. For example, she and I pronounce the word "sentence" COMPLETELY different when speaking naturally with connected speech patterns. When I speak the word "sentence", I don't speak with such an extreme glottal stop on the "t", as she does in that word, and the puff of air on the "t" comes out when I'm pronouncing it. I think many other Native speakers of American English would agree with me on that examination of the word, and on many others.

Also, pronunciation patterns in connected speech CHANGE, sometimes drastically, when speaking the _same word_ in a different tense. Again, in the word "sentence"--> If I was to say, "I'm sentencing you to life in prison for the crime committed", the word "sentence" is spoken in the continuous tense and, therefore, becomes RHYTHMIC in its syllable breakdown, such as in "I'm _sen-tince-zing_ yu ta (for "to") life en priz'in for tha (or maybe heard as a quick/soft "da" sound) crymm cu-meh-did".

The following, in my professional advice, are some "other" top rules that should be taught about American English pronunciation:
1. From the vantage point of, let's say a British English speaker, American English is a NON-PHONETIC "version" of the English language. Americans are notorious for almost never speaking words as they look or are written.

2. English is not _only_ intonated but a rhythmic language which means sounds and syllables have an up and down pattern, such as in the word "Identify"--> (up) EYE (down) den-neh-fye.

3. Your tongue ALWAYS has to poke out when speaking words with the "TH" sound. Air then escapes over the tongue for a spoken OR non-spoken "Brea_th_y" sound. Try it.

4. In past tense pronunciation on REGULAR VERBS with the "ed" at the end of the word. The "e" is dropped and the "d" has to change to 1 of 2 sounds OR is kept the same sound flowing/merging it into the beginning sound of the word following it in a spoken sentence with reduced speech. The sounds are either a spitting "t" sound (such as in "asked" /ass't) or an "id" sound (such as in "needed" /need-id). Yet, in the past tense of "learned" the "d" is maintained after dropping the "e" and the "n" makes an "ñ" sound like in the Spanish language which brings me to my next point:

As Vanessa already mentioned in this video, keep in mind pronunciation has to be taught and/or examined from other angles when teaching to speakers of different languages. I specialize in teaching American English to 1st language Spanish speakers. The best pronunciation classes come from teachers who are most able to compare the sounds of diphthongs and/or phonemes in English to the student's first language, such as in the first sentence in this video. To a Spanish speaking student, I would have said the word "the" would have sounded like an "ah" sound, not an "eh" sound, such as in the vowel sound in the word "hat" -->despite there being a glottal stop on the "t" when flowing into the next word in the sentence with reduced speech.

Here is a more in-depth example of what I mean: the Spanish language has about 25 phoneme patterns in comparison to the almost 50 phonemes in American English. Keeping this in mind, I would not have related it as an "eh" sound before considering it an "ah" sound for a class of L1-Spanish speaking students (and also because _I_, being from a different region of the USA than Vanessa is from, make more of an "a" sound when speaking that word, anyway).

With that said, it should be mentioned, in this video, that connected speech patterns are influenced tremendously by colloquial speech and sound (regions or areas where a native speaker is from that influence the way words are spoken in THEIR American English--> NOT overall and NOT always.) This is a clear distinction that should be disclaimed to students when teaching pronunciation). Anyways. My point is that teaching PRONUNCIATION is, by far, the hardest topic to teach in the English language. Teaching English pronunciation really is a specialty topic and rules cannot be generalized. Why? ..because American English is notorious for BREAKING pronunciation and grammar rules ALL-THE-TIME. (long

Anyway, thanks for reading my 2 cents, or should I say my 10 cents, LOL! Furthermore, a BIG THANK YOU to Vannessa for her taking the time out to contribute to a topic that is tough to teach--> AMERICAN ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION. (The sound I make as I wipe the sweat off my brow when teaching American English pronunciation to ESL students)!

Well, have a great day everyone! Cheers! =D

Best,
Mrs. Ruth

[haogao]

Hi, Vanessa, I am Chinese student, really really love the lessons of you, and hope my ability will boost a lot by learning from you, sincerely thanks😃😃

[ernestorevollar]

Vanessa let me tell you that you're a fantastic English teacher ❤ because you have a striking, compelling and straightforward way of teaching this wonderful language which is the world's most important one so I'm still working on my English learning journey either in terms of grammar skills, pronunciation, reading or listening and so on. I would have to claim that English is full of mind-twisting rules that rely on how you pronounce a bunch of words, how you conjugate the verbs (especially the irregular ones) in mixed grammatical tenses and stuff like that, but even so I really love the language and I'm not afraid of making some mistakes anymore. I think that every single language has its own challenges, grammatical structures, pronunciation patterns, inconsistencies and the list goes on. On the other hand I'm still struggling to pronounce very tricky English words which are even hard for native speakers to pronounce, I have a few problems when listening to English and sometimes I misunderstand some words or even whole phrases because of the rapid speaking rate English has but if you compare it to the Spanish's one you'll probably get overwhelmed by how many speakers talk to each other in a very fast speaking rate. It wasn't so easy to get familiar with the several English sounds that don't exist in my native language either because it was a matter of some getting used to. I decided to learn English mindfully and easily just over five years ago because that was up to me and I wanted to change my lifestyle drastically which is still ongoing and I usually brush up on my English skills in order to becoming a fluent speaker someday and also an American citizen, why not? Well that's a long personal thought of mine and I want to thank you for sharing your impressive knowledge with me and you're also very kind, cheerful and professional Vanessa, because as far as I can tell you are the most multitasking English teacher I've ever had.

[AcademicAshley]

Thanks for the video! Love watching other teachers’ videos and sharing the content with my students. Love the point that when people ask you to repeat yourself, that they care what you have to say even if it’s easier to just nod and smile and pretend to understand 😊

[palomaespinosa]

Dear Vanessa you are very good teacher. I see videos l learn a lot. I am chilean speak spanish thankyou 😘😘😘😘🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

[niurkac]

Thank you Vanessa, you’re the best teacher in this world, you are so sweet. Good bless you and your beautiful family. 💖💖💖

[annachekmareva]

Thank you much Vanessa! I think English is the hardest language to study for advanced level, but the easiest to study for elementary level.

[mauricioarcila]

Vanessa is my favorite English teacher. The best. Thank you. 💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐

[prathyushakkot]

Hey vanessa, i'm a student from india i love to study English and your classes are very helpful to learn the english easily.Thank you for your help for me❤️