Monthly Archives: December 2020

• Happy Holidays!

  The “h” sound (at the beginning of “Happy” and “Holidays”) is made by opening your mouth and exhaling a huff of air from the lungs. To make this sound, pretend you are trying to fog up your glasses to clean them. If you’re a Russian speaker, make this sound a bit softer. The American “h” […]

• Joy to the World

  The title of this traditional Christmas carol features a word that is challenging for a lot of non-native speakers. To help with clearly pronouncing both the “r” and “l” sounds in the word “world”, think of there being two syllables, as if it were spelled “werrold”. It’s a little trick that will help it come […]

• It’s a Wonderful Life

  It’s the season that the popular 1946 American film of this title is being watched. This title uses a commonly used feature of American English — contractions, such as “it’s” (for “it is”). Speaking with contractions is a quick change you can make that will help you sound more like a native speaker.

• Helloo(w) December

  The “o” sound in American English is long and has a slight “w” sound at the end. To sound like a native speaker, double this vowel sound and really round your lips at the end.

• Happy “Th”anksgiving!

  The “th” sound is made with the tip of your tongue between your upper and lower teeth, and with moving air. If you speak with an accent that tends to substitute an “s” or “z” sound, such as Russian, think of the “th” like an “s” with the tongue between the teeth. If you speak […]