The American English Pronunciation Podcast offers weekly lessons covering the most common and difficult English pronunciation issues. Learn the General American Accent English speaking techniques and become better understood. Level: Intermediate to Advanced ESL/ELL students
219: /g+n/ as in ”signal” and ”ignore”
"Coarticulating" the /g/ and /n/ is the trick to fluent pronunciation of these two sounds. Don't release the /g/ before starting the /n/.
Transcripts available on Pronuncian.com
10/26/2016 • 9 minutes, 29 seconds
218: Learn to hear vowels to learn to pronounce them
Test your ability to identify vowel sounds with this special listening quiz episode. Transcripts available on pronuncian.com.
10/14/2016 • 14 minutes, 13 seconds
217: Compare long e, short i, and short e /i, ɪ, ɛ/
The long e, short i, and short e /i, ɪ, ɛ/, are three front vowel sounds that can be practiced from a high, front tongue position to a mid-front position. Compare and contrast!
Full podcast transcripts available at pronuncian.com.
9/29/2016 • 11 minutes, 1 second
216: The Cardinal Vowels--long e /i/, oo sound /u/, short o /ɑ/, and short a /æ/
All about that vowels diagram that shows the vowel sounds placed over a sort of square-like shape that’s bigger on the top than it is on the bottom. Transcripts at pronuncian.com.
9/17/2016 • 12 minutes, 43 seconds
215: Adding ”bonus” information by using a low pitch
Use a low pitch to signal a spoken aside (like information that would be written in parentheses or between commas).
Transcripts available at pronuncian.com.
9/1/2016 • 8 minutes, 16 seconds
214: Yes/No Pitch Patterns
Understand the rising and falling pitch patterns for yes/no questions and learn how to read emotion.
Transcripts on pronuncian.com. Classes available from seattlelearning.com.
8/20/2016 • 10 minutes, 21 seconds
213: Intonation of Wh- Questions
What are you *really* asking? Using a rising or a falling pitch on a wh- question means something different than using a rising pitch.
Transcripts available at pronuncian.com
8/7/2016 • 6 minutes, 53 seconds
212: /r+ɚ/ “explore” into “explorer”
Adding /ɚ/ (schwa+r) to an /r/ can be difficult. Make it into two syllables, but don't add a vowel sound between. Learn how here! By Seattle Learning Academy. Transcripts on pronuncian.com.
7/25/2016 • 7 minutes, 24 seconds
211: Compare /æ/ and /ɑ/ (’short a’ and ’short o’)
Words like 'hat' and 'hot' are important to distinguish.
Full episode transcripts available at Pronuncian.com
3/28/2016 • 7 minutes, 30 seconds
210: ’-ue’ ending (unique, avenue, and rescue)
Is it silent, pronounced as 'long u' or 'oo sound'?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/27/2015 • 7 minutes, 2 seconds
209: The difference between /ə/ and /ʌ/: schwa and short u
What's up with /ə/ and /ʌ/ in words like 'custom' /ˈkʌs təm/?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
3/25/2015 • 9 minutes, 1 second
208: Cone/corn, coat/court
Practice the difference between the or sound and the long o sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
3/11/2015 • 7 minutes, 33 seconds
207: Why is ’quarter’ so hard to say?
Rhyming with 'shorter' and 'border,' this is a quirky word.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/25/2015 • 8 minutes, 32 seconds
206: I like/I’d like... bacon!
Rhythm and linking from /d/.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/11/2015 • 8 minutes, 11 seconds
205: Dealing with ’o-u-g-h’
No English spelling could be more confusing.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/28/2015 • 7 minutes, 36 seconds
204: How ’have to’ becomes ’hafta’
Informal contractions for fluency!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/14/2015 • 7 minutes, 41 seconds
203: When /t/ sounds like /d/ during linking: alveolar stop
Most recognize the /d/ in the pronunciation of 'little' but how about in 'out_of'?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
12/31/2014 • 8 minutes, 41 seconds
202: How similar are /n/ and /l/?
Even small differences in vocal tract profiles can make a big difference.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
11/12/2014 • 5 minutes, 12 seconds
201: Why is ’symptom’ pronounced that way?
Learn the many variations of the letter 'o' pronunciation.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/16/2014 • 5 minutes, 51 seconds
200: A new spelling poem!
Written for you, by Amanda, to help you learn the long vowel spellings.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/1/2014 • 5 minutes, 47 seconds
199: Would you like some coffee or tea?
Practice intonation patterns of choice questions.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
6/25/2014 • 6 minutes, 14 seconds
198: Pronouncing ’clothes,’ ’close’ (verb), and ’close’ (adjective)
Make these difficult words easier to say!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
6/11/2014 • 7 minutes, 36 seconds
197: Linking vowels to sound fluent!
Some before and after student audio to illustrate linking.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
3/26/2014 • 10 minutes, 17 seconds
196: Do you say ’people’ as ’peopo’?
Common problems with words that end in '-le.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/26/2014 • 6 minutes, 24 seconds
195: Dropping the /k/ in ’asked’ (HIMYM)
YES, you can pronounce it as 'ast'!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/5/2014 • 8 minutes, 47 seconds
194: ’faux pas, chauffeur, fiance,’ and more
Loanwords from French into English.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/22/2014 • 9 minutes, 36 seconds
193: ’Twas the Night Before Christmas
In this Christmas special, learn where to find free ebooks and audio books online!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
12/19/2013 • 5 minutes, 47 seconds
192: Special holiday words
Mistletoe, tree farms, Scrooges, and more...
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
12/5/2013 • 8 minutes, 46 seconds
191: The difference between ’my car’ and ’Mike are’
Aspiration, of course.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
11/27/2013 • 9 minutes, 17 seconds
190: From ’wait time’ to ’snack time’
Linking different stops is a bit harder than linking same and similar stops.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
11/13/2013 • 5 minutes, 24 seconds
189: Linking magic!
Linking same and similar stop sounds increases spoken fluency.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/30/2013 • 9 minutes, 22 seconds
188: Heteronyms: ’Lead’ rhymes with ’read’
AND 'lead' rhymes with 'read'!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/16/2013 • 6 minutes, 51 seconds
187: ’Fall’ and ’autumn’
In the US, it's 'fall;' in the UK, it's 'autumn.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/2/2013 • 7 minutes, 11 seconds
186: Fake it ’til you make it!
Are you uncomfortable speaking really well?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/11/2013 • 5 minutes, 31 seconds
185: From /ʒ/ to /ʤ/ (’zh’ to ’j’)
A natural progression through consonant sounds.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/28/2013 • 7 minutes, 11 seconds
184: Pronouncing /ʒ/ the ’zh sound’
If you can say sh, you can say zh!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/14/2013 • 5 minutes, 40 seconds
183: expected and unexpected /s/ and /ʃ/ minimal pairs
Pairs like 'sock' and 'shock' are obvious; 'sour' and 'shower' might not be.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/31/2013 • 6 minutes, 6 seconds
182: ’on’ and ’off’: /ɑn/ and /ɔf/
The 'cot/caught' merger and short o/aw sound revisited.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/17/2013 • 6 minutes, 45 seconds
181: The troublesome ’thr’ /θr/ combination
Practice words like 'three, through, throw, thread,' and 'threaten.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
How to know which form of this high-frequency word to use.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
6/19/2013 • 6 minutes, 19 seconds
179: The silent /p/ in ’pneumatic’ and ’psychology’
A listener request for an explanation of less-common patterns.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
6/5/2013 • 4 minutes
178: ”Feeling” the vibration of vowel sounds
Learn the feel the 'long e' /i/, 'short a' /æ/, and 'short o' /ɑ/.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
5/15/2013 • 9 minutes, 41 seconds
177: -ate suffix revisited--advanced lesson
Highly fluent speakers understand this suffix.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
5/1/2013 • 9 minutes, 14 seconds
176: Swearing!
If you're going to swear, you'd better be able to pronounce short vowel sounds!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
4/17/2013 • 11 minutes, 27 seconds
175: Short Vowels Minimal Sets
Practice sets like: pat, pet, pit, pot, putt.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
4/3/2013 • 8 minutes, 6 seconds
174: 3-sound clusters beginning with ’s’
/skr/ (scratch) /spl/ (splash) /spr/ (spree) and /str/ (streak)
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
3/20/2013 • 7 minutes, 33 seconds
173: Digraphs and trigraphs, complicated spelling patterns
sh, th, tch, dge, gn, mb, and more!
3/6/2013 • 10 minutes
172: The ’cc’ spelling pronunciations (as in ’accuse’ and ’succeed)
Is it /k/ as in 'accuse' or /ks/ as in 'succeed'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/20/2013 • 7 minutes, 10 seconds
171: The silent /l/ in the word ’salmon’
Even words we don't use often still matter.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/6/2013 • 6 minutes, 12 seconds
170: ’schwa+r’ /ɚ/ paragraph practice
Practice this difficult sound in context.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/23/2013 • 8 minutes, 21 seconds
169: Pronouncing ’Seattle’
It takes an advanced lesson to handle a word like 'Seattle.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/9/2013 • 11 minutes, 9 seconds
168: Stress pronunciation patterns in 3-syllable words
Main stress, secondary stress, and schwa, all in one word
12/19/2012 • 7 minutes, 28 seconds
167: When to use the informal contraction ’useta’
And when can 'used to' be substituted by 'would.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
12/5/2012 • 9 minutes, 16 seconds
166: Understanding /ŋ/, the ’ng’ sound
When does (and doesn't) the g sound follow the ng sound?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
11/7/2012 • 8 minutes, 58 seconds
165: What is the vocal tract?
From the lips to the throat and the nose down to the vocal cords.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/24/2012 • 7 minutes, 38 seconds
164: Consonant clusters in English
/br/, /pr/, /gr/, /kr/, and /skr/ at the beginning of a word.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/10/2012 • 8 minutes, 35 seconds
163: -ile and the differences in American and British English
fragile: /ˈfrædʒ əl/ in the US /ˈfrædʒ aɪl/ in the UK.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/26/2012 • 6 minutes, 18 seconds
162: The differences between /b/ and /v/
Two different, yet similar sounds.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/12/2012 • 8 minutes, 37 seconds
161: Schwa in 2-syllable words
The importance of tiny syllables!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/29/2012 • 9 minutes, 30 seconds
160: w+a (want), w+a-r (warm), w+o-r (work)
Less-known patterns for the aw sound, schwa+r, and or sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/8/2012 • 8 minutes, 39 seconds
159: What are non-phonetic words?
Words that aren't pronounced like we'd expect.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/25/2012 • 7 minutes, 30 seconds
158: Vowels plus voiced and unvoiced consonants
Vowel sound duration depends on many things.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/11/2012 • 12 minutes, 14 seconds
157: Native French speakers special!
The top 10 errors made by native French speakers.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
6/27/2012 • 11 minutes, 14 seconds
156: Silent letters in high-frequency words
Which high-frequency words have a silent consonant?
5/30/2012 • 5 minutes, 39 seconds
155: The f sound and semi-irregular plurals
3 things to keep in mind when making 'wife' into 'wives' and 'leaf' into 'leaves.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
5/16/2012 • 10 minutes, 18 seconds
154: ’She sells seashells’
A tongue twister to compare the sh sound and s sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
5/2/2012 • 8 minutes, 6 seconds
153: ’Look at Luke!’
Compare the oo sound and other u sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
4/18/2012 • 7 minutes, 39 seconds
152: ’s-c-h’ and the word ’schedule’
An American/British difference and a Greek history.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
4/4/2012 • 4 minutes, 13 seconds
151: j/ch sounds plus -ed ending
Practice adding the -ed ending to the j or ch sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
3/14/2012 • 8 minutes, 3 seconds
150: Common spellings and non-phonetic words
How do we choose which spellings are common and which words are non-phonetic?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/29/2012 • 8 minutes, 42 seconds
149: Practicing the /w/ and /v/
/w/ and /v/ in paragraph practice.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/15/2012 • 6 minutes, 57 seconds
148: More ’th’ sounds practice
Practice quickly saying the th sounds in paragraphs.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/1/2012 • 8 minutes, 3 seconds
147: The -ious suffix
All of those vowels and two different pronunciations make this a tricky suffix.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/11/2012 • 8 minutes, 3 seconds
146: Happy ”New” Year!
"New" in American and British English.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
12/28/2011 • 8 minutes, 6 seconds
145: a, e,i, o, u and sometimes y
Why is 'y' sometimes a vowel.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
12/14/2011 • 9 minutes, 32 seconds
144: -ed ending exceptions
Some -ed adjectives gain a syllable.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
11/30/2011 • 6 minutes, 42 seconds
143: Don’t over-pronounce sounds
Exaggeration is not authentic speech.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
11/2/2011 • 7 minutes, 34 seconds
142: The syllabic /l/
Don't add a vowel sound!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/12/2011 • 7 minutes, 13 seconds
141: We ”recently” changed our t sound lesson
Updates to the alternative t sound patterns.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/28/2011 • 9 minutes, 7 seconds
140: The ’oo’ spelling of the words ’foot’ and ’soon’
The oo sound is more common, but the other u sound is possible.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/14/2011 • 6 minutes, 58 seconds
139: Pronunciation of ’sure’
It begins with an sh sound, but after that, it gets a little complicated.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/31/2011 • 8 minutes, 43 seconds
138: Pronunciation of ’often’
/t/ or no /t/, and what about the 'o'?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/10/2011 • 4 minutes, 45 seconds
137: ’ct’ spelling plus -ed and -s ending
Difficult consonant combinations explained.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/27/2011 • 9 minutes, 30 seconds
135: m sound/n sound/ng sound
The sounds that come out your nose!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
6/29/2011 • 7 minutes, 22 seconds
134: consonant-y-consonant
The letter "y" in the middle of a word.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
6/15/2011 • 8 minutes, 20 seconds
133: t/d, p/b, and k/g at the beginning of a word
Puff practice! Stop sounds at the beginning of words.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
6/1/2011 • 7 minutes, 50 seconds
132: ea spelling: long e or short e
Which pronunciation is the most common for this spelling?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
5/18/2011 • 9 minutes, 31 seconds
131: The word ”new” in place names
Syllable stress patterns in open compound nouns.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
4/28/2011 • 4 minutes, 41 seconds
130: 2-syllable word stress
How accurate are the 2-syllable word stress patterns?
3/30/2011 • 8 minutes, 37 seconds
129: Portuguese speakers special, part 2
Troublesome consonant sounds for Portuguese speakers.
Troublesome consonant sounds for Portuguese speakers.
3/16/2011 • 13 minutes, 17 seconds
128: The pronunciations of i-consonant-e
i-consonant-e in 1-, 2-, and 3-syllable words for English as a Second Language Learners.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
3/2/2011 • 9 minutes, 54 seconds
127: Portuguese speakers special, part 1
The English vowel sounds that cause problems for Portuguese speakers.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/17/2011 • 12 minutes, 13 seconds
126: Unstressed syllables, part 2
Short i as an unstressed vowel sound for English as a Second Language Learners.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/2/2011 • 9 minutes, 28 seconds
125: Unstressed syllables, part 1
Schwa: the most important weak vowel sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/19/2011 • 9 minutes, 3 seconds
124: French words in English
How the French language affects English pronunciation.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/4/2011 • 7 minutes, 26 seconds
123: A Merry, Marry, Mary Christmas
A tri-sound merger explained for the Holidays.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
12/22/2010 • 6 minutes, 22 seconds
119: The bunched /r/
Which of these two techniques for the r sound works best for you?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/27/2010 • 8 minutes, 29 seconds
118: The prefix re-
long e, short i, short e, and schwa: all pronunciations of re-
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/13/2010 • 9 minutes, 25 seconds
117: Suffixes with /ʧ/ (ch sound)
The -tion, -tial, -ure, and -al suffix and how they relate to the ch sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/29/2010 • 7 minutes, 14 seconds
116: Using ’ain’t’
When is--and when isn'--'ain't' appropriate?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/15/2010 • 10 minutes, 36 seconds
115: Sound combinations: sp-, st-, sk-, sc-
What happens to unvoiced stops after the s sound?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/1/2010 • 8 minutes, 54 seconds
114: ’Puff’ (aspiration) details of stop sounds
Stops are /b/, /p/, /k/, /g/, /d/, nd /t/, and the amount of "puff" we give to them matters.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/18/2010 • 9 minutes, 17 seconds
113: The /h/, like a chameleon
No sound can become more like surrounding sounds than the h sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/4/2010 • 7 minutes, 7 seconds
112: Dropping the /d/
Here is a little-discussed rule about omitting the d sound in certain consonant clusters.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/21/2010 • 10 minutes, 15 seconds
111: Linking /v/ and /f/
Practicing a few simple techniques can make it much easier to transition to and from the v sound and f sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/7/2010 • 8 minutes, 37 seconds
110: Troublesome /v/ and /f/
Be careful with the /b/, /p/ and /w/ when working with the /f/ and /v/.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
6/23/2010 • 12 minutes, 13 seconds
109: /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/ (s, z, sh, and zh sounds) compare and contrast
Four sounds that are quite similar, but different in a few very important ways.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
6/9/2010 • 15 minutes, 43 seconds
108: In the US, it is ’learned’ and ’spelled,’ while the British kept ’learnt’ and ’spelt’
The English past tense became regular; the British kept the irregular spelling.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
6/2/2010 • 8 minutes, 29 seconds
107: ’ck’ after short vowels (as in back), ’k’ after all the others (as in ’bake)
Learning intricate English phonetic patterns can give you confidence in vowel pronunciation.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
5/26/2010 • 6 minutes, 11 seconds
106: ’long u’ stressed and reduced; /yu/ or /yə/?
The long u can be difficult to recognize in multi-syllable words, especially when it's reduced.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
5/19/2010 • 11 minutes, 25 seconds
105: Pronouncing ’though,’ ’thought,’ ’through,’ and ’thorough’
These four o-u-g-h words can be so similar, yet different in very important ways.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
5/12/2010 • 6 minutes, 17 seconds
104: Pronouncing ’pronounce’ and ’pronunciation’
Many patterns of pronunciation can be found through a quick study of these two words.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
5/5/2010 • 6 minutes, 53 seconds
102: Russian/Ukrainian Special Episode
Learn the most common difficulties Russian and Ukrainian speakers face when speaking English with an American English accent.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
4/21/2010 • 14 minutes, 14 seconds
101: Subtle oddities of the word ’subtle’
A silent /b/, an altered /t/, and a strange history make the word 'subtle' interesting to learn about!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
4/14/2010 • 6 minutes, 37 seconds
100: A Hundred/One Hundred
Why is saying 'a hundred' more common than saying 'one hundred' in American English?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
4/7/2010 • 9 minutes, 10 seconds
99: Three-word informal contractions
'How did you' can be reduced to 'howdja;' 'where did you' to 'wheredja;' and 'what did you' to 'whadja,' but those reductions can cost listener comprehension.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
3/31/2010 • 6 minutes, 18 seconds
97: The transition from ’used to’ to ’useta’
Informal contractions are born when speakers find easier ways to pronounce words.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
3/17/2010 • 6 minutes, 20 seconds
96: How ’women’ could have been ’wimmen’
Noah Webster did his best to make spelling easier, but his ideas weren't always accepted.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
3/10/2010 • 4 minutes, 47 seconds
94: /t/+/y/=/ʧ/, /d/+/y/=/ʤ/, surprising ’ch’ and ’j’ sounds.
Assimilation: two adjacent sounds can cause changes to pronunciation.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/24/2010 • 8 minutes, 17 seconds
93: Do you accidentally make your /l/ into /w/?
Don't round those lips! Especially at the end of the word, the l sound can cause some surprising problems.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Even some native speakers of English are worried about the similar pronunciation of the newest Apple product. Comparing pronunciation of the iPad to the older iPod.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/27/2010 • 5 minutes, 16 seconds
90: The j sound, spelled j, dge, ge, and g(i)
The 'dge' and 'j' spelling are both usually pronounced with the 'j sound.' And don't forget, a 'j sound' is simply a voiced 'ch sound'!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/20/2010 • 6 minutes, 29 seconds
88: Why is ’tch’ (as in ’watch’) easier to pronounce than ’ch’ (as in which)?
The 'tch' and 'ch' spelling should BOTH be pronounced as /ʧ/ (the ch sound, yet 'tch' often seems easier for non-native English speakers.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/6/2010 • 9 minutes, 15 seconds
85: Why is the ’Ch’ in ’Christmas’ pronounced as /k/?
It's all Greek to me! Knowing a little bit of history behind a word can go a long way when it comes to pronouncing the 'ch' spelling.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
12/16/2009 • 4 minutes, 57 seconds
84: ’Who,’ ’what,’ ’when,’ and ’where’: How do you pronouce words that begin with wh-?
Do you pronounce /h/ in the wh- spelling? Not usually.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
12/9/2009 • 5 minutes, 36 seconds
82: Thanksgiving holiday th sounds /ð, θ/ review
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have fun reviewing the 'th sounds' with this extra practice podcast.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
11/18/2009 • 5 minutes, 47 seconds
81: ”About a boat,” comparing /oʊ/ and /aʊ/
These two-sound vowels (the long o and ow--as in 'no' and 'now') both end in the w sound, and both can be spelled 'ow.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
11/10/2009 • 8 minutes
79: Comparing /eɪ/, /i/, /ɑɪ/ (long a, long i, and long e)
Understanding how the vowel sounds in 'bake,' 'bike' and 'beak' are related to /y/.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/28/2009 • 12 minutes, 9 seconds
78: Comparing /æ/, /ɑ/, /ɔ/ (short a, short o, and aw)
Understanding a sequence of low vowel sounds (as in 'stack,' 'stock,' and 'stalk')
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/20/2009 • 8 minutes, 11 seconds
77: Comparing /i/, /ɪ/, /ɛ/, and /ʌ/ (long e, short i, short e, and short u)
Understanding a sequence of very similar sounds (as in 'bead,' 'bid,' 'bed,' and 'bud')
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/7/2009 • 8 minutes, 45 seconds
75: ’can’ and ’can’t,’ how are they different? Not how you expect!
Change in vowel sounds, sentence stress, and a glottal stop: lots of details make the pronunciation of these words different.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/16/2009 • 14 minutes, 3 seconds
74: Are ’for’ and ’four’ pronounced the same or differently?
for/four: When do the words for and four sound the same, and when are they different?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/9/2009 • 13 minutes, 17 seconds
73: Reducing the word ’of’ to /ə/
When the word 'of' links into a consonant, the /v/ is often dropped.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/26/2009 • 10 minutes, 25 seconds
72: Using /n/ instead of /ŋ/ (the ’ng’ sound) in -ing ending
-ing: substituting the n sound for the ng sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/19/2009 • 8 minutes, 8 seconds
71: When and why do some words (like ’interesting’) lose a syllable?
Linguistic concepts of 'syncope' and 'compression' make big words into smaller words. Luckily, there is a pattern.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/12/2009 • 6 minutes, 23 seconds
69: Numbers: Teens versus Tens (as in 19 vs. 90)
Syllable stress and alternative 't sounds' are used to differentiate these sounds more than the /n/ at the end of teens!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/22/2009 • 11 minutes, 19 seconds
68: Voiced and Unvoiced ’th’ /ð,θ/ review
Yes, dear listeners, keep your tongue in your mouth! Don't put it between your teeth.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/15/2009 • 9 minutes, 18 seconds
66: Syllabic n’s and nasal plosions (as in the words ’sudden’ and ’couldn’t’)
No vowels allowed! Join /d/ and /n/ to sound more fluent.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/1/2009 • 12 minutes, 21 seconds
65: Uh-oh! The glottal stop in place of /t/
What is a glottal stop and when do Americans use it?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
6/24/2009 • 10 minutes, 59 seconds
63: When Americans drop the /t/ (with audio from The Incredibles)
When do Americans omit the /t/? This audio from the movie "The Incredibles" will help you understand.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
6/3/2009 • 11 minutes, 50 seconds
61: The American /t/ as a quick /d/
Why does 'water' sound like 'wadder'?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
5/21/2009 • 11 minutes, 44 seconds
#60 Tag questions aren’t really questions, are they?
Pitch boundaries are the clue to knowing what someone is really asking when they ask a tag question.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
5/13/2009 • 8 minutes, 1 second
59: Falling pitch boundaries on yes/no questions
When to use a falling pitch instead of a rising pitch on a yes/no question.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
5/6/2009 • 7 minutes, 53 seconds
58: Pitch Boundaries, Rising and Falling
Pitch boundaries organize conversations, and give important emotional clues about the speaker.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
4/22/2009 • 9 minutes, 7 seconds
57: Comparing extra-high and rising pitch words
Learn the difference between contrasting and defensively correcting your listener.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
4/15/2009 • 9 minutes, 54 seconds
56: Extra-high pitch words for extra intensity
Add drama, correct someone, and try to not sound angry with these pitch words.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
4/8/2009 • 9 minutes, 1 second
55: Intonation and high pitch words, an introduction
An introduction to English intonation and high pitch words in yes/no questions.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
4/1/2009 • 10 minutes, 54 seconds
53: Phrasal verb sentence stress
Typical sentence stress changes when phrasal verbs are involved: stress the preposition, not the verb.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
3/18/2009 • 12 minutes, 18 seconds
52: Linking from the -ed ending
Fluently linking from the -ed ending is important for listening comprehension and proper articulation.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
3/11/2009 • 14 minutes, 5 seconds
50: The silent /t/ in ’-sten’ and ’-stle’ (as in ’listen’ and ’whistle’)
There is no /t/ in the pronunciation of words like 'listen' and 'whistle'.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/25/2009 • 9 minutes, 7 seconds
48: ’talk’ and ’walk’ and other ’-alk’ /ɔk/ words
Another silent /l/, plus the 'aw' vowel sound /ɔ/ in this English spelling pattern.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/11/2009 • 8 minutes, 29 seconds
47: ’should,’ ’could,’ and ’would’: /ʃʊd/, /kʊd/, /wʊd/
There /l/ is silent, and the vowel /ʊ/ is the same as the 'u' in the word 'put'.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
2/3/2009 • 5 minutes, 12 seconds
46: ’Three,’ ’through,’ ’throw’ and other /θr/ combination words
The pronouncing 'unvoiced th' /θ/ in English is difficult; the r sound also is difficult. Together they are VERY difficult.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/27/2009 • 6 minutes, 38 seconds
45: Chinese speakers special episode
Learn the specific problems that native speakers of Chinese have when pronouncing English.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/21/2009 • 13 minutes, 50 seconds
44: Letter ’x’ pronunciations: /ks/ or /gz/
While /ks/ is more common (as in 'box'), "gz" ( as in 'exact') is also a pronunciation for the letter 'x'.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/14/2009 • 9 minutes
43: About the words ’world’ and ’word’: /wɚld/ and /wɚd/
The /w/, r-controlled vowels, and /l/: lots of opportunity for pronunciation trouble.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
1/7/2009 • 7 minutes, 6 seconds
42: Spanish speakers special episode
Special episode covering the issues that native Spanish speakers have when speaking English.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
12/30/2008 • 13 minutes, 4 seconds
41: The silent b in the -mb spelling (as in ’climb’ and ’thumb’)
Learn this rule to sound more fluent!
12/27/2008 • 4 minutes, 23 seconds
40: ’been,’ not ’bean’: /bɪn/, not /bin/
Americans usually pronounce 'been' with a 'short i,' not a 'long e.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
12/17/2008 • 4 minutes, 15 seconds
39: ’quit, quite,’ and ’quiet’
Learn to correctly say these three similar-sounding words.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
12/10/2008 • 5 minutes, 13 seconds
38: ’idea’--a troublesome little 4-letter word
A few tips about adjacent vowel sounds for this 3-syllable word that help for even more words.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
12/6/2008 • 4 minutes, 31 seconds
37: ’says’ and ’said’--two words NOT pronounced with ’long a’ /eɪ/
/sɛz/ and /sɛd/: be careful about mispronouncing these two high-frequency words.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
11/26/2008 • 5 minutes, 51 seconds
36: Japanese speaker special
Native Japanese speakers of English face special difficulties when speaking English.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
11/16/2008 • 7 minutes, 38 seconds
35: there, their, they’re: they’re all said the same!
Learn the correct way to pronounce these three homophones.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
11/15/2008 • 4 minutes, 24 seconds
34: consonant+y suffix (-cy, -ity, -graphy, -fy) word syllable stress
The consonant+y covers a wide number of suffix-based syllable stress patterns. Learn one and you learn many.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
11/8/2008 • 11 minutes, 27 seconds
33: -ate suffix word syllable stress and heteronyms
Words ending in the -ate suffix are stressed on the 3rd-from-last syllable, but the suffix itself can sound differently depending if the word is a noun, adjective, or verb. Advanced level ESL lesson.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
11/1/2008 • 13 minutes
32: -ize suffix (as in ’recognize’ and ’prioritize’) word syllable stress
Words ending in the -ize suffix are usually stressed on the 3rd-from-last syllable.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/21/2008 • 9 minutes, 11 seconds
31: -ic suffix word syllable stress
Learn about -ic word stress (as in 'classic' and 'economic') and review the 2-syllable word stress rule and -tion/-sion syllable stress.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/15/2008 • 10 minutes, 21 seconds
30: 2-syllable word stress and -tion/-sion syllable stress
English syllable stress follows some very common patterns that can be learned.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
10/8/2008 • 13 minutes, 26 seconds
29: Compare /i/ and /ɪ/ (’long e’ & ’short i’--as in ’sheep’ and ’ship’)
Learn about the often mispronounced short i sound, and compare it with the long e sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/30/2008 • 10 minutes, 10 seconds
28: The /h/ (as in ’hello’ and ’happy’)
Learn to correctly pronounce /h/ in English, not too hard, not too soft.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/24/2008 • 8 minutes, 40 seconds
27: The /g/ and /k/, stops in American English
Voicing and aspiration are characteristics of /g/ and /k/ in English pronunciation.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/17/2008 • 6 minutes, 21 seconds
26: English /m/ and /n/ pronunciation
The /m/ and /n/ are two of the three nasal sounds in English. Learn about them here.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/10/2008 • 7 minutes, 21 seconds
25: The ’ng’ sound /ŋ/ (as in ’song’) pronunciation
Learn about the ng sound (as in 'song'), the first of three nasal sounds in English pronunciation.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
9/3/2008 • 8 minutes, 17 seconds
24: The ’ch’ /ʧ/ and ’j’ /ʤ/ pronunciation in English
Learn about the 'ch' (as in 'church') and 'j' (as in 'judge'), English's only two affricate sounds.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/27/2008 • 9 minutes, 20 seconds
23: The /p/ and /b/ in English
Pronounce /p/ and /b/ correctly and compare them with the consonants /f/ and /v/.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/20/2008 • 6 minutes, 46 seconds
22: Review all the sounds covered so far
Wow, you've been busy learning! Don't lose the important knowledge of English pronunciation that you've gained. It's review day!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/13/2008 • 10 minutes, 3 seconds
21: The Rhythm Rule and sentence stress, continued
How is the rhythm of spoken English created? Continuing learning the basics behind sentence stress and the Rhythm Rule.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
8/6/2008 • 9 minutes, 58 seconds
20: The Rhythm Rule and Sentence Stress
Spoken English rhythm follows patterns of stressed and unstressed words and syllables.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/30/2008 • 10 minutes, 32 seconds
19: -ed ending pronunciation
/d/, /t/, and /ɪd/: become fluent with the three pronunciations for regular past tense verbs in English.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/23/2008 • 8 minutes, 13 seconds
18: The /f/ and /v/ in English
Compare pronunciation of /f/ and /v/ and learn why they're difficult to say fluently.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/16/2008 • 6 minutes, 17 seconds
17: The ’sh’ /ʃ/ and ’zh’ /ʒ/ in English
Practice comparing the 'sh' (as in 'she') and lesser known 'zh' (as in 'vision').
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
7/9/2008 • 7 minutes, 58 seconds
16: Reduced Pronouns: ’he, him, her,’ and ’them’
Learn how and why to NOT say the first sound of the words 'he, him, her,' and 'them.'
7/2/2008 • 5 minutes, 55 seconds
15: Linking vowel sounds
Become fluent by linking a word that ends with a vowel sound to a word that begins with a vowel sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
6/24/2008 • 5 minutes, 50 seconds
14: Linking consonant sounds
Learn how linking from word to word increases spoken English fluency
6/18/2008 • 5 minutes, 10 seconds
13: Informal contractions in American English
wanna, gonna, hafta, whadja, howdja: Learn how to understand and why to use informal contractions in English.
6/11/2008 • 8 minutes, 41 seconds
12: Common contractions in American English
don't, can't, won't, hasn't, didn't, weren't: Learn how to say and why to use common contractions in English.
6/4/2008 • 13 minutes, 50 seconds
11: ’aw’ /ɔ/, ’oi’ /ɔɪ/, and ’ow’ /aʊ/ in American English
Practice comparing the 'aw' with other similar vowels, and practice the diphthongs 'oi' and 'ow.'
5/28/2008 • 11 minutes, 49 seconds
10: The American English ’oo sound’ /u/ and ’other u’ /ʊ/
Learn about the tricky /ʊ/ 'other u' (as in 'put') and/u/, the oo sound (as in 'soon').
5/20/2008 • 12 minutes, 5 seconds
9: The short vowel sounds /æ, ɛ, ɪ, ɑ, ʌ/ in American English
Learn which sounds are short vowels and how to correctly pronounce them.
5/14/2008 • 12 minutes, 12 seconds
8: The long vowel sounds: /eɪ, i, ɑɪ, oʊ, yu/ in American English
Learn which sounds are long vowels and how to correctly pronounce them.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
5/7/2008 • 13 minutes, 9 seconds
7: Pronouncing /w/ and /y/
Learn how to create semi-vowels (glides), the /w/ and /y/ and how they exist in words.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
4/30/2008 • 9 minutes, 16 seconds
6: American English r-controlled vowels /ɚ, ɑr, ɔr, ɛr/
Practice saying and hearing the difference between r-controlled vowels: /ɚ, ɑr, ɔr,/ and /ɛr/
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
4/23/2008 • 12 minutes, 22 seconds
5: The American English /r/ and /l/
The tricky /r/ can cause even more problems when it is near the /l/.
Full transcripts available at www.pronuncian.com/podcasts.
4/15/2008 • 8 minutes, 48 seconds
4: The American English /r/
Learn how the American /r/ is different from the British /r/.
4/7/2008 • 7 minutes, 32 seconds
3: The English /s/ and /z/
When does the -s ending sound like /s/, and when does it sound like /z/?
4/1/2008 • 9 minutes, 9 seconds
2: The English /t/ and /d/
Begin learning about "stops", the /t/ and /d/.
3/24/2008 • 7 minutes, 25 seconds
1: The English ’th sounds’ /θ, ð/
Yes, we have two 'th sounds,' /θ,/ and /ð/and they are both very important.
