How to Lose Your Accent
Practise your vocalic sounds., Listen to and repeat examples of words spoken by a native English speaker., Make sure that you open your mouth widely enough and read out loud for at least thirty minutes daily. , Practise the 'th' sound., Stress the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Practise your vocalic sounds.
English has 5 written vowels (a,e,i,o and u), but 12 vocalic sounds (/i:/,/ɪ/,/e/,/æ/,/ɑ:/,/ɒ/,/ɔ:/,/ʊ/,/u:/,/ʌ/,/ɜ:/,/ə/) and about 26 consonantal sounds. -
Step 2: Listen to and repeat examples of words spoken by a native English speaker.
You need to identify an example accent that you wish to imitate. ,, 'Th' is pronounced behind the teeth, where most languages pronounce 'd' and 't'.
It's not achieved by sticking your tongue between your teeth.
The TH sound can be easily made by putting your tongue gently between the top and the bottom teeth and then gently blowing. as in the words THree and THrough.
Never ever put the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth in order to create the TH sound! , English is a stress-based language. , Finish one word before you start the next.
Remember to say the final consonant in a word. , channels as much as possible and try to listen carefully to every word and then practice them.
If you don't have access to English tv channels, try the BBC Radio World Service. ,, -
Step 3: Make sure that you open your mouth widely enough and read out loud for at least thirty minutes daily.
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Step 4: Practise the 'th' sound.
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Step 5: Stress the correct syllable if there is more than one syllable in the word.
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Step 6: Speak slowly.
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Step 7: Watch English T.V.
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Step 8: Listen to something in English daily
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Step 9: whether its news
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Step 10: television
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Step 11: a film or an audio book.
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Step 12: Buy a pronunciation dictionary and start working on it.
Detailed Guide
English has 5 written vowels (a,e,i,o and u), but 12 vocalic sounds (/i:/,/ɪ/,/e/,/æ/,/ɑ:/,/ɒ/,/ɔ:/,/ʊ/,/u:/,/ʌ/,/ɜ:/,/ə/) and about 26 consonantal sounds.
You need to identify an example accent that you wish to imitate. ,, 'Th' is pronounced behind the teeth, where most languages pronounce 'd' and 't'.
It's not achieved by sticking your tongue between your teeth.
The TH sound can be easily made by putting your tongue gently between the top and the bottom teeth and then gently blowing. as in the words THree and THrough.
Never ever put the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth in order to create the TH sound! , English is a stress-based language. , Finish one word before you start the next.
Remember to say the final consonant in a word. , channels as much as possible and try to listen carefully to every word and then practice them.
If you don't have access to English tv channels, try the BBC Radio World Service. ,,
About the Author
Sarah Ortiz
Creates helpful guides on pet care to inspire and educate readers.
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