10 Tips for Mastering English Pronunciation

Perhaps the hardest part about learning English is learning how to pronounce words. We’re sharing the 10 tips for mastering English pronunciation here.

Do you worry that your English pronunciation is getting in the way of good communication, especially at work? You aren’t alone!

More than 60 million people living in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home. Even if only 10% have trouble with English pronunciation, that’s over 6 million people!

It wouldn’t be a surprise if that number was higher. English is a difficult language to pronounce for many who learn as an adult. English uses many sounds that are different or non-existent in other languages.

But there are ways to improve your pronunciation and continue building habits that will improve your language skills.

10 tips for mastering English pronunciation

Practice at least one of these a day and you will improve your English skills. 

1. Slow down

Sometimes we think that if we speak quickly we’ll sound more like a native speaker. Or, if we’re unsure of our pronunciation, the listener won’t notice.

The truth is, speaking at a faster rate doesn’t make up for poor pronunciation. In face, it makes it more difficult for others to understand us. 

Take a deep breath before speaking and take your time speaking. The people you are speaking with will slow down to match your pace without realizing it. So, not only will you be better understood, you might have an easier time understanding them.

 

2. Exaggerate mouth movement

This is one to practice at home or with trusted friends. 

Exaggerate how you move your mouth when making certain sounds. For example, if you say “TV”, stretch your mouth wide for the two “ee” sounds. Or if you say “things”, be obvious about putting your tongue forward and against your top teeth to make the “th” sound. 

By speaking with exaggerated mouth movement, your muscles become accustomed to what they need to do to make the sounds. Then when you are speaking with colleagues or to the clerk when shopping, your muscles will “remember” and help improve your English pronunciation.

3. Identify your weak spots to strengthen them

Ask a friend or language instructor for the 3 sounds you most often mispronounce. 

Common issues for many people learning English as a second language:

• Mixing up L and R
• Mixing up P and B
• Mixing up B and V

Whatever your three most frequent stumbling blocks, find 5 English words that use each of those sounds. Write them down. You should end up with a list of 15 words.

Practice saying those words as often as possible. After your pronunciation has improved, repeat the assessment and word list.

If you want an extra challenge, try tongue twisters.

4. Record yourself and ask for feedback

If you have a smartphone, you can use it to record yourself speaking. You can use video or sound only. The goal is to make a 40-60 second recording.

Read a page of a book or talk about your day. What you say isn’t important. The important part is to speak for the full recording and make sure the sound quality is good.

Now ask a trusted friend with good English pronunciation to listen to your recording. Ask them questions such as:

• Were there any words I mispronounced? If so, which ones?
• Were there any words you didn’t understand?
• Did I use the right sentence structure? (Structure is the order of the words. It doesn’t affect English pronunciation but proper structure does reflect strong English skills.)

4. Read aloud 

This is another tip for practicing English pronunciation at home.

When you read aloud to yourself, you can recognize areas for improvement more easily. Subconsciously, you compare how you speak to the way people around you (or on TV or in the movies) do.

6. Sing popular songs

Singing is a fun way to improve your English pronunciation.

Select songs that have clear lyrics that reflect the vocabulary and English pronunciation you want to develop.

You can start by listening to The Beatles, especially songs recorded before 1967. The lyrics have a high percentage of common words and the way they are sung makes them easy to understand.

Try “I Want To Hold Your Hand”, “Please, Please Me” and “And I Love Her”.

No matter what songs you choose, find the lyrics online to help strengthen your reading skills at the same time as your English pronunciation skills.

7. Listen to news broadcasters 

Most American new broadcasters are trained to speak “General American” English. This is the accent that most people in the U.S. consider neutral. 

It is often the accent used in movies, TV, and podcasts as well.

The comedian and late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert is known for learning how to speak with a General American accent instead of his native South Carolinian accent. Like many who are new to speaking U.S. English, he found his original accent presented obstacles in his work life.

8. Use an online dictionary

Check online dictionary for pronunciation when discovering a new word. Most now offer sound clips of how the word is pronounced using the General American accent.

Two options are Dictionary.com and Merriam-Webster.com.

9. Imitate video narration

Find a video online and turn on the Closed Captioning feature so that the narrator’s words are also written on the screen.

Listen for 20 seconds. Go back and then, using the words written on the screen, speak along with the narrator.

10. Listen to audio books

Using audio books to improve your English pronunciation is another way to have fun while improving your American English skills. 

Choose a book that interests you. Listen while you do chores or go for a walk. By listening for 20-40 minutes at a time, you will subconsciously learn how to pronounce words and structure sentences.

To make the exercise even more useful, get the book (in paper or digital format) and follow along. Many public libraries offer print and audio books.

In summary

Like learning anything, improving your American English pronunciation takes time and practice. Use a variety of methods for practicing your pronunciation to stay interested and motivated.

And, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Learning English pronunciation can be difficult. Doing it with the help of someone else makes it easier. 

 

Looking for support and guidance while doing the exercises suggested in this article? Would you like to interact with other students and pronunciation trainers?

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