DAY 2
accent & pronunciation
video
Welcome to Day 2 of the
Accent & Speaking Challenge!
Here are the vowels that are present in General American. They are super important because since American English has so many vowel sounds, they need to be pronounced clearly so that you are understood and you can understand others better.
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Practice the vowels by pronouncing the words next to the symbol.
SINGLE VOWELS
/i/ fleece
/ɪ/ kit
/ɛ/ dress
/æ/ trap
/ə˞/ nurse (‘r’ sound)
/ə/ comma
/ʌ/ oven
/ɑ/ drama
/ɔ̜/ thought
/u/ goose
/ʊ/ foot
DOUBLE VOWELS
/eɪ/ face
/aɪ/ price
/ɑʊ/ mouth
/ɔ̜ɪ/ choice
/ɤ̈ʊ̯/ goat
/oə˞/ north
/ɑə˞/ start
/iə˞/ near
/ɛə˞/ square
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In the video, I pronounce the /ɑ/ drama and /ɔ̜/ thought vowels in the same way. This is a variation that also occurs in General American - sometimes, these two vowels are pronounced in the exact same way, especially in the dialects spoken on the West of the Rocky Mountains in the US. This is how I pronounce them. However, you can pronounce the vowel in a more rounded way sounding more like an ‘o’ sound.
There are other types of variations within General American because it’s not one accent - it’s a family of accents which sound similar. This is good news for you as a learner because you can choose which sounds you prefer, as long as they’re within the GA family. Yay!
In many dictionaries, /ə˞/ will be treated as a consonant and transcribed as /r/, which is also correct.
The diphthong /ɤ̈ʊ̯/ is often transcribed as /ɔɪ/, and the diphthongs with /ə˞/ are transcribed using /r/.
The phonetic transcript of words can vary from dictionary to dictionary. However, the pronunciation is the most important here, and the way it is transcribed is secondary. The important thing for you is to find a way to practice and get used to seeing these symbols if you want to use dictionaries or phonetic transcriptions.
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Compare your vowel system to the vowel system of English and work on spotting the differences between them.
Also, if you want to have a consistent American accent in English, remember to use the American vowels in words where there is another vowel pronounced in other varieties of English.
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Model and practice in every word that you pronounce during your focused practice.
You can go also back to Day One and pronounce the words and phrases with the focus on the vowel sounds.
DAY 2 speaking video
Look at you. Day 2. You’re doing amazing! I’m so proud of you.
Let’s build on the awesome work you did on Day One:
Are there any grammar structures that you know and understand but avoid using because you haven’t practiced saying them?
Are there any words that you use many times (like good, bad, nice) that you know are simple and you’d like to use more advanced vocabulary but you haven’t practiced using it, even though you know it?
Practice using the structures and the words in a natural way. Use the techniques mentioned in the video and create your own methods.
For example, if you were to practice using the 3rd Conditional, you could ‘give a speech’ in which you would talk about the things you wish you had done differently in the past. You could use this technique of giving speeches with any grammar structures.
For vocabulary, you could create your own sentences using the words that you want to remember better. After you’ve come up with them, read them out loud. When they pop up in your head during the day, say them out loud. When you watch a movie and you hear this word or this phrase, repeat it after the actor or the actress.
Another way would be to notice any time during the day when you stop to think about a word or a phrase. Once you know what you wanted to say, try to remember it better next time. You can create a set of flashcards or notes on your phone and put the phrases and words that escaped you on a flashcard. Review them often by (you guessed it!) reading them out loud.
Remember not to push yourself to master all of the areas at once and at the same time. Learning, improving and mastering a skill is not a sprint - it’s a series of marathons with breaks in between.
Let me know how Day Two feels!
video in polish
WANT MORE?
PRACTICE FURTHER INSIDE THE FACEBOOK GROUP:
xoxo,
instructor
Welcome to the 7 Day Accent and Speaking Challenge!
My name is Laura Maliszewska and I have a teeny tiny obsession: helping you overcome all of your fears and blocks when you speak English.
Over the next week, we'll be utilizing pronunciation learning techniques and speaking activities as tools to deepen your practice, improve your speaking skills in English, and cultivate self-confidence when speaking with an American accent.
Get ready for massive transformation of your English (and your life as a result).
xo
Laura