Pronunciation is a significant facet of your native language and can often be the difference between sounding like a genius and sounding as if you’re speaking gibberish. Pronunciation takes time, practice, focus, and patience. By the way, how do you pronounce portmanteau? If you want to sound your best when speaking with others then these 10 tips are for you!
10 useful pronunciation tips are:
1. Pronounce ‘Words’ like they are ‘No Words’
Many people have a habit of pronouncing words by thinking of them as no words rather than the actual word. This happens when you confuse the two sounds of English – and particularly English-speakers who are from Scandinavia.
Tone it down and talk slowly to yourself as you read out each word. It’s almost as if you’re speaking in your native language (a language that tends to sound funny to most people).
2. Learn How to Pronounce “th”
This is a nightmare for many English learners! The “th” sound is fairly unique to English and if you want to sound like you’re from London, Scotland, or the deep south of America then this is a sound you’ll need to master. Pronouncing the “th” sound can prove to be a difficult hurdle to jump. It is pronounced by touching the tip of the tongue against the top middle teeth and then releasing it. Think of this as a “Thingy” sound.
3. Don’t Add an “-ing” to Verbs
The “-ing” suffix is one of the most commonly mispronounced words of the English language. Be sure to pronounce it by saying something like “-uh-ih-ing”, not “-ih-uh-ing”, which is how it’s often mispronounced. Nothing is less attractive than when you hear someone monotonously adding an “-ing” sound when it doesn’t fit in a sentence. For example “I am eating.” This should be spoken as “I’m eating.” Take your pauses and stops like big men, not little girls!
4. Don’t Do the “Double Plosive”
The “double-plosive” is when you pronounce consonants that are produced by using the tongue to stop air (such as B, K, P, D, etc) followed immediately by another consonant (such as T). This is quite common when people are trying to speak quickly. Remember that extra “p” or “t” sound? That’s what I’m talking about.
5. The Art of ‘Thinking of Each Word’
We’re not just talking about different parts of speech, like nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives. We’re talking about each word. For example “not” should be pronounced differently than “fart”. It’s a common problem for English learners to use the same accent for both words. Many people have a habit of just throwing words out there without giving them much thought. This can be proven when they are mispronouncing words and make the listener have to work hard in order to understand what they’re saying. For example “Bathroom” should just be “Boatam-oh.”
6. The Art of ‘Trying to Sound Normal’
Do people really like it when you go out, sound like you’re from another country, and say stuff that normally wouldn’t be said? Or do they rather prefer you to speak the way normal people would speak? No one actually likes it when a person goes and speaks with their own little accent. Rather, many people just don’t want to hear it! And if no one else does then try to get rid of it as much as possible.
7. The Art of ‘Pronouncing the Letters and Sounds’
Let’s say you’re learning a new language. For example you learn German. In order to pronounce the words correctly, try to cut out the sounds between letters (such as “b” in “bed,” “g” in “get,” etc). Think of every word as a letter and not just a concept or word.
8. Sing it Like You’re Singing!
Pronouncing like you were singing is quite different from how you would normally speak, yet if everyone was taught this there would be less speech impediments and people would sound more attractive when they speak (e.g., no weird noises). For example, “I am riding a bicycle.” Should be pronounced “I’m riding a bicycle.”
9. The Art of ‘Voicing’
It’s important to learn how to pronounce your words correctly. However, there is more than just the actual sound of each word. For example, some words that you say may not have an “R” accent behind them but they do have a different sound (such as “Gardening” vs. “Garden”). To achieve an authentic sounding word, try and use either the same tone or different tone if it makes sense (e.g., elderly people may have a more high-toned voice versus younger people).
10. The Art of ‘Saying “Uh” and “Aaah”‘
Many people have a habit of saying short bursts of words like “uh” in the middle of a sentence. This shows that they are not paying attention to what they are saying and often makes people feel annoyed at them. Try to avoid it, as it doesn’t make you sound attractive.
Conclusion:
Common speech mistakes made by people with accents can often lead to people feeling annoyed. But these 10 tips are very easy to follow, and if you are a first-generation English speaker, then they will prove to be extremely helpful in your quest to sound like an American. Happy Pronouncing!
