Category Archives: Accent reduction

• On the ball

  The words “on” and “ball” have the same vowel sound as in the word “father”. Some nonnative speakers say this sound with a more closed mouth and rounded lips. This sound is pronounced with a open mouth and no lip rounding. The expression “on the ball” means to have things under control, or to understand […]

• Martin Luther “King” Jr.

  The “ng” sound in “King” is one sound. It does not have a “n” sound or a “g” sound. Instead it is a different sound altogether. Some nonnative speakers add a hard “g” sound, saying “King-g” instead. To make the “ng” sound, the back of the tongue hits softly against the throat. To make the […]

• Joyous Jan(y)u(w)ary

  The word “January” is spoken as “Jan(y)u(w)ary”. In American English, we link two vowel sounds together with a “w” or “y” sound. The “w” and “y” sounds are in a class of sounds known as “glides”. Some vowel sounds in American English are “glided” vowels. That is, they have a slight “w” or “y” sound […]

• Happy New Year!

  The word “happy” has a tense “ee” sound at the end. This common word ending, spelled -y, is typically pronounced “ee”. The tense “ee” sound is a long sound, made with your tongue high and your lips smiling. The sides of the tongue are pressed against the roof of the mouth.

• June bug

  It’s June bug season. The first sound of the word “June” is a “j” sound. You can think of “j” as a combination of “d” and “zh”. Spanish speakers often pronounce this sound as “zh” or “sh” instead, so make sure you add a slight “d” to this sound.