Americans have long maintained a fascination with British culture. Specifically British English and its associated bevy of wholly unique terms and phrases that have led some to define it as being more sophisticated and proper than American English, while still others find the mere sound of the accent attractive. In truth, British English is no [...]
Capturing Accents Lost to History In the previous two Accents in Movies articles, we've talked about the important role dialect coach Tim Monich has played in helping some of Hollywood's most high profile actors master a variety of complex accents, from the standard native New York accent to a southern accent that reflects a background [...]
The French have always had difficulty in pronouncing a few sounds in the English language – the soft “th”, the “h”, the soft “r”, and the short “i”. Note: Read Part 1 first. As you'll see below, words such as "thousands" and "hedgehog" feature letters that are mistakenly omitted by native English and French speakers, [...]
If one devotes the time and energy into constructing a frequently mispronounced words hall of fame for those people learning the American accent, the words "mayonnaise" and "crayon" would loom large. They might have not been the precise reason such a shrine was erected per se, but they are certain hall of fame mispronounced words. [...]
Have you seen or heard words that you feel are difficult for you to pronounce while learning the American accent? Chances are, even native English speakers are having trouble pronouncing these words correctly on a consistent basis. Though they are unlikely to admit it. For example, when it comes to words such as "Porsche", they [...]
The vast majority of clients we work with say the area they are least confident speaking in is the workplace. Many find it hard to communicate with their colleagues, or they are uncomfortable when their colleagues ask them about their accent (Where are you from? You don’t sound like you’re from around here, etc.). Other [...]
Our series focusing on commonly mispronounced words by Spanish speakers concludes with words such as “eyes” and “not.” If you find that you’re having trouble with the latter word, be sure to ask your accent coach to prioritize the pronunciation of words with short vowel sounds in your English accent training sessions. While Spanish does [...]
English accent training can be used by native Spanish to refine their pronunciation skills, but they will quickly realize that English has a rhythm of its own. It is natural to look for parallels between English and Spanish in terms of sentence structure, grammar, and pronunciation and attempt to bring the rules that govern one [...]
Why English and French Were Considered Co-Official Languages of the 2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janerio were plagued by controversy seemingly from the minute Brazil was selected as the host country for these games on October 2, 2009. Most of the controversy centered around the fact the Olympic athletes risked [...]
When trying to learn American English, one possible stumbling block is the pronunciation style of American English itself. The style focused on in accent reduction training is meant to achieve a standard American English accent. By contrast, the native English speakers you interact with on a business level and socially are more apt to use [...]
As you try to learn American English, one possible stumbling block may be the very pronunciation style focused on in accent reduction training. It is meant to achieve a standard American English accent. By contrast, the native English speakers are you interact with on a business level and socially are more apt to use slang [...]
Many of our clients at Accent Pros, who come in for accent reduction sessions, have advanced degrees and have excellent command of the English language. Given the evolving state of the English language; however, they may mispronounce informal slang and phrases that are regularly used in the workplace, and on various popular social media platforms [...]
Today's commonly mispronounced words entry begins with "library", a word that is difficult for many in accent reduction training to pronounce correctly. Primarily due to the presence of two consonants in the second syllable. As you'll see below, one of the consonants often gets dropped during the process of enunciating the word, which can lead [...]
Today's commonly mispronounced words entry begins with "across", a word that is likely to provoke a lot of questions from those who are attempting to learn American English with a reduced accent. The reason for this is quite simple: There are many highly educated, working Americans who mispronounce this word on a regular basis without [...]
Accentpros hopes that that our new series focusing on British slang and terminology has given you a deeper appreciation for British English and also made you aware of the ways in which slang terms and phrases have influenced the development of your own speech patterns. The acquisition of slang terms into your vocabulary is inevitable [...]
Here at AccentPros the majority of our blog readers--and clientele--are educated business professionals who are trying to learn how to speak English with an Americanized accent. We'd be remiss however if we didn't acknowledge the portion of our audience that also notify as world travelers, and therefore may be primarily concerned with how their accent [...]
The incentive to learn how to speak English language can come from anywhere. Most often people are motivated by the prospect of career advancement into learning a new language, while others merely enjoy the process inherent in learning new languages, their hope being that the new language they're currently learning will eventually benefit them down [...]
After reading this article you may be left with the impression that the best way to learn American English is trough repetition. Until you feel as though you know the selected words by heart and can integrate them into your everyday vocabulary seamlessly. Such an idea is reinforced by accent reduction CD's and programs such [...]
As you begin the process of learning how to speak English with a neutral standardized accent, don't be surprised if you suddenly become more keenly aware of social cues and how you interact with friends, family, and co-workers on a regular basis. Are you naturally friendly and quick to greet people with a "hello" or [...]
The final installment in this edition of our commonly mispronounced words series leads off with "ask." At face value, this one syllable word may seem overly simplistic and not worthy of much attention as you refine your pronunciation skills in American accent training. However a closer look reveals "ask" to be a word whose mispronunciation [...]
