Advanced American English Pronunciation | Complete Mastery

Before we started on pronunciation examples, let’s go over the basic format and structure of the course, so that you can make sure to get the most out of it.

Some common words needed to explain English pronunciation will come up through the course. We need to understand those before the course can begin in earnest.

You may have heard the quotation “perfect practice makes perfect”. What does that mean? It means that even the best course will not give results if you don’t put in the work and approach it in the right way. In this lesson, we’ll focus on that.

The difference between one sound and another may be very subtle. The position of the tongue and mouth, changed only slightly, can make two completely different sounds. In this lesson, we will focus on building the awareness between what you hear and what you do with your mouth.

Learning how to do something is one thing. Mastering it is another. Getting good at anything requires building habits so that you can do it without thinking. If you have to think about your pronunciation, how will you have the bandwidth to think about what you’re saying? Let’s learn how to build strong English pronunciation habits.

Learning how to do something is one thing. Mastering it is another. Getting good at anything requires building habits so that you can do it without thinking. Let's practice a few examples.

How can we develop and refine the ear? It’s tricky but essential for learning native English pronunciation. If your listening skills are not as good as your reading ability, you need to bring your listening up to and beyond that level. Let’s get to work.

If you only rely on letters and letter combinations to tell you the pronunciation of words and sounds, you will be lost forever. Still, it’s useful to understand the connections between English pronunciation and spelling. In this lesson, we will explore this for specific letter combinations.

If you only rely on letters and letter combinations to tell you the pronunciation of words and sounds, you will be lost forever. Still, it’s useful to understand the connections between English pronunciation and spelling. In this lesson, we will explore this for letters that aren’t pronounced—silent letters.

If you only rely on letters and letter combinations to tell you the pronunciation of words and sounds, you will be lost forever. Still, it’s useful to understand the connections between English pronunciation and spelling. In this lesson, we will explore the way native English speakers typically pronounce non-English words.

If you only rely on letters and letter combinations to tell you the pronunciation of words and sounds, you will be lost forever. Still, it’s useful to understand the connections between English pronunciation and spelling. In this lesson, we will focus on the pronunciation of English vowels and vowel combinations that don’t sound as they appear.

There is a very unique sound in American English Pronunciation called ‘The Strange S’. It has other names, and in fact, other letters besides ’S’ may make that sound. It can be a challenge because it requires several things to happen in the mouth at the same time. In this lesson, we will explore it, with examples.

‘X’ has several different pronunciations, and it is unique because those pronunciations tend to contain other letter sounds. Indeed, ‘X’ can contain the ‘G’ sound, as well as the ‘K’ sound, and the ’S’ or ’Z’ sound. Let’s explore the different ways to say this unique letter through examples.

Most people do not realize that the ‘Long i’ sound contains two other vowel sounds placed side-by-side. The difficulty in saying it correctly relies on moving from one vowel to the other in the correct way. In this lesson, we will practice and master this very common sound.

The ‘Z’ sound can be tricky for a number of reasons. If it’s too sharp, it sounds too much like ‘J’. If it’s too soft, it may sound like the ‘R’ sound. To master this sound, we need to practice ‘Z’ example words.

Perhaps one of the most often mispronounced words in American English is the ‘OU’ diphthong. It’s difficult because it requires very subtle movement of the mouth. And if said incorrectly, there may be misunderstandings. Let’s practice this sound in real English words. Remember, it has to become a habit.

Knowing how to carry the voice through words with voiced and unvoiced sounds will prevent that choppy sound common among non-native English speakers.

Compound words are single words made up of two or more smaller words. To pronounce these without breaking the voice, pay close attention to the voiced links between each of the two words.

In this lesson, let’s explore ways to carry the voice through some of the most challenging words. These are from a list of words I have compiled over the years teaching English, and they make carrying the voice different for different reasons.

In this lesson, let’s explore ways to carry the voice through some of the most challenging words. These are from a list of words I have compiled over the years teaching English, and they make carrying the voice different for different reasons.

In this lesson, we will explore a few tips and practice methods for improving your ability to speak with flow and carry the voice. For this skill, learning how to do it is just the first step. Practice regularly so that you can build strong habits. You shouldn’t have to think about pronunciation while you are speaking English.

Whether vowels make the long or short sound often depends on the word itself, including the number of syllables, and where the vowel is placed in the word. In this lesson, we will look at a few examples to get the main idea before jumping into serious practice.

In this lesson, learn about vowels that go before consonants at the end of a syllable, or the end of a word. It’s not that simple, because some rules cancel out others.

A word like ’soy’ seems like it should follow the rule from the previous lesson, but it doesn’t. Why not? What about long vowel sounds? Are there rules for when the vowel sound has the long sound? Of course! Let’s learn all about them.

While you may be familiar with the 'silent e’, knowing when to use it requires some exploration and practice. In this lesson, let’s explore this common English pronunciation rule and practice examples.

You may know that ‘C’ makes the ‘K’ and ’S’ sounds (among other things), but do you know when it should be the ‘K’ and when the ’S’? Let’s explore this very useful English pronunciation rule with common examples.

You may know that ‘G’ makes the ‘J’ and another harder sound (among other things), but do you know when it should be one or the other? Let’s explore this very useful English pronunciation rule with common examples. Remember that there are exceptions to every rule.

’S’ is one of the most common letters in the English language. So, mastering all its subtle pronunciations is essential. Part of that process is learning the rules that determine when ’S’ is voiced and when it isn’t. In this lesson, we will work through examples to understand and master the ’S’ rule.

There are patterns of stress within English words based on word endings. Learning the endings, such as ’sion’ and ‘ic’ will allow you to guess the stress of a word you’re encountering for the first time. Remember, ’stress’ in pronunciation means adding force and volume to a word, or part of a word.

Two-syllable English words have some common patterns of stress that are surprisingly simple and easy to learn. Once you’ve learned them, you’ll have a map for remembering the pronunciation of most two-syllables. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.

The Schwa sound tends to be forgotten in most courses on English pronunciation, and yet it is an essential part of natural spoken English. This unstressed neutral vowel sound allows for words and sentences to be expressed more smoothly. Without the schwa, you can’t achieve that native sound.

Understanding the Schwa sound is not enough. Of course, we need to put in the work. Let’s practice real-world examples of sentences that contain the Schwa sound. Your honed awareness will be tested in this lesson.

In this lesson, let’s do a quick overview of the section, and look at a few examples to understand the different ways in which words and phrases can get mixed up. The section will cover homophones, homographs, minimal pairs, and more.

Homographs are two or more words that are spelled the same but have different pronunciations and meanings. If a word is spelled the same as another, how can we know how pronunciation to use? Find out in this lesson, and learn by example.

Homophones are two or more words that sound the same but have different spellings. If you focus too much on spelling, it’s easy to get confused. If you instead focus on sounds and use your ear as the main source of truth for correct pronunciation, you’ll never get lost in confusing pronunciation.

Homophones are two or more words that sound the same but have different spellings. If you focus too much on spelling, it’s easy to get confused. If you instead focus on sounds and use your ear as the main source of truth for correct pronunciation, you’ll never get lost in confusing pronunciation.

In this lesson, let’s explore words that sound similar but not the same because of the vowel sounds they contain. Subtle changes in mouth shape make all the difference here, and it’s essential to get it right. If you build habits with the wrong pronunciation, it will be even hard to change later.

In this lesson, let’s explore words that sound similar but not the same because of the vowel sounds they contain. Subtle changes in mouth shape make all the difference here, and it’s essential to get it right. If you build habits with the wrong pronunciation, it will be even hard to change later.

It’s easy to mispronounce words that have consonant sounds very similar to others. The key is to focus on what the mouth has to do to make each sound, and ensure your mouth is doing the same thing. That’s why we’ve been working so hard to develop listening and awareness!

It’s easy to mispronounce words that have consonant sounds very similar to others. The key is to focus on what the mouth has to do to make each sound, and ensure your mouth is doing the same thing. That’s why we’ve been working so hard to develop listening and awareness!

Let’s practice Oronyms, or phrases that sound quite similar, and explore the small differences between them. This lesson also covers a recommendation for additional practice for the section, particularly if you like reading tongue twisters and poems.

This lesson will explore the typical intonation pattern of most English sentences, which is critical for natural speech. If you want people to hear the ends of your sentences, you need to have mastered this pattern.

In this lesson, let’s focus on mastering the intonation pattern we learned in the previous lesson. We’ll explore examples across a range of situations to really get the feel for it. Practice is key!

Not all ‘question tones’ are the same. Some questions require a specific type of rising intonation, and some do not. In this lesson, let’s explore questions used to ask for information, sometimes called ‘WH’ questions.

Questions that ask for a clear ‘Yes’ or ’No’ answer are typically called ‘Yes/No’ questions. You may know that these questions use rising intonation. You may not know that this is not always true, and there is a specific way to do the rising intonation so that it sounds natural. We’ll practice examples and explore this type of intonation fully in this lesson.

There are a couple of different ways to say this type of common question, and each way has its usage and meaning. In this lesson, let’s practice examples to master the different ways to say ‘tag questions’.

How do you know when someone is being sarcastic? Often, you’ll hear it in their intonation (although not always). In this lesson, we will explore the intonation of this very common form of humorous remark.

As we get close to the end of the section and the course, it’s important to remember that pronunciation is not the same for each person. It’s language! Let’s talk about exploring individual expression when it comes to intonation.

When we say long lists of things, we tend to use a certain intonation pattern. In this lesson, the final lesson of the section, we will practice example lists to master a less common aspect of American English pronunciation.