Even small differences in vocal tract profiles can make a big difference.

Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

202: How similar are /n/ and /l/?

Most recognize the /d/ in the pronunciation of 'little' but how about in 'out_of'?

Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

203: When /t/ sounds like /d/ during linking: alveolar stop

Informal contractions for fluency!

Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

204: How 'have to' becomes 'hafta'

No English spelling could be more confusing.

Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

205: Dealing with 'o-u-g-h'

Rhythm and linking from /d/.

Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

206: I like/I'd like... bacon!

Rhyming with 'shorter' and 'border,' this is a quirky word.

Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

207: Why is 'quarter' so hard to say?

Practice the difference between the or sound and the long o sound.

Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

208: Cone/corn, coat/court

What's up with /ə/ and /ʌ/ in words like 'custom' /ˈkʌs təm/?

Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

209: The difference between /ə/ and /ʌ/: schwa and short u

Is it silent, pronounced as 'long u' or 'oo sound'?

Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

210: '-ue' ending (unique, avenue, and rescue)

Words like 'hat' and 'hot'  are important to distinguish.

Full episode transcripts available at Pronuncian.com

211: Compare /æ/ and /ɑ/ ('short a' and 'short o')

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.

American English Pronunciation Podcast

212: /r+ɚ/ “explore” into “explorer”

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

213: Intonation of Wh- Questions

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.

214: Yes/No Pitch Patterns

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.

215: Adding "bonus" information by using a low pitch

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.



American Ehgligh Pronunciation Podcast

216: The Cardinal Vowels--long e /i/, oo sound /u/, short o /ɑ/, and short a /æ/

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.

American English Pronunciation

217: Compare long e, short i, and short e /i, ɪ, ɛ/

Test your ability to identify vowel sounds with this special listening quiz episode. Transcripts available on pronuncian.com.

218: Learn to hear vowels to learn to pronounce them

"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

219: /g+n/ as in "signal" and "ignore"

At the end of the word, the /ŋ/ doesn't need an additional /g/. The /g/ is potentially included mid-word.

Transcripts available at pronuncian.com

220: The 'n-g' spelling creates /ŋ/, as in the word 'song'

Compare words like "thin/fin," "mouth/mouse," and "both/boat"

Transcripts at pronuncian.com

221: Compare 'unvoiced th' to /f/, /s/, and /t/

The American English Pronunciation podcasts teaches non-native English speakers and ESL/ELL students correct English pronunciation in short lessons. Learn, listen, repeat!

Popular tracks by Seattle Learning Academy