Accent reduction: Part 1] Five English homophones to check
Clear and correct English pronunciation for Homophones – Part 1. So many of our accent reduction students ask us about homophones. Homophones are words that are spelled differently but are pronounced...
View ArticleThe difference between ‘accent’ and ‘pronunciation’.
I am often asked about ‘accent’ and ‘pronunciation’. The dictionary definition of the word ‘accent’ is – a distinctive way of pronouncing a language, especially one associated with a particular...
View ArticleAm I too old to reduce my accent and improve my English accent?
No! Never too old. Well, if you are over 75 years old I might say you are getting a little ‘over the hill’ or that you are a little ‘long in the tooth’ (‘over the hill’ and ‘long in the tooth’ both...
View ArticleWhy do people have different accents?
In the first years of life we learn the sounds of our native language from our parents and those around us. We learn these sounds by watching, listening and copying. By the age of 2 we are very good at...
View ArticleSpanish speakers – 5 things to avoid (not ‘aboid’) for excellent English...
These 5 English pronunciation tips for Spanish speakers are a little introduction to improving your English pronunciation. We have many Spanish speaking students who take our courses to improve their...
View ArticleDo you get tired speaking English?
Students often say to me “After a few hours of speaking English my mouth gets very tired and I feel exhausted!”. Did you know if your mouth gets tired when you speak English that’s actually a good...
View ArticleIn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) what does /ə/ mean?
Many people find using the International Phonetic Alphabet helpful. In fact, it is an extremely helpful tool that will help you improve your English pronunciation and help you neutralize your accent...
View ArticleImproving my pronunciation of sounds at the ends of words (word endings)
I am often asked by students what a good warm up exercise is to improve their pronunciation of sounds at the ends of words. Speakers of Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and other languages of South East...
View ArticleLooking for a job? Why you must have a great voicemail greeting.
Why is it ESSENTIAL for job seekers to have voicemail with a professional greeting? I was recently giving a presentation to a group of students studying their Masters of Business Administration (MBA)....
View ArticleOpening and moving your mouth.
As you know, I say over and over again that many non-native speakers could improve the sound of their English by opening and moving their mouths more. Some students have said to me – ‘But I can’t see...
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