4 Free Tips to Improve Pronunciation and Accent (Completely Free)
You are spending so much time to improve Pronunciation and Accent
Tons of hours have been spent to learn all the phonetics sounds.
Teachers tell you where to position your mouth (most Accent coaches do this)
But you still struggle to speak clearly in a way people understand you. You don’t see an improvement in your Accent
I’m talking about real improvements in pronunciation and accent.
I’m talking about the type of progress that allows you to communicate with others in a comfortable and low-stress manner.
While it is essential that you understand how to use English in a structured and formal environment, it is equally important for you to be able to make small talk with colleagues before a conference or ask for directions on the streets of a city you are visiting for the first time.
How do you adapt your English abilities to speak with a clear accent and pronounce words in a way everyone understand you?
The good news is there are ways to improve your accent and pronunciation as an adults. Here are a five things you can do to make you accent sound more native:
There are three things every English student must do to take their skills to the next level.
These things are all FREE
You just need practice!
Join English Speaking Practice
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Speak slightly slower
If you are a non native English speaker with an accent, try speaking slightly slower than you are used to.
When you speak slower your accent will reduce automatically. You will improve pronunciation at no cost!
Also, the listeners would have a little bit more extra time understand what you say.
Think about it this way – do you want someone with an accent you find hard to understand speak very fast?
Probably not. Do the same thing when you are speaking English.
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Also, remember that most languages around the world are spoken at a faster speed than English.
If your first language is Spanish, Russian, Chinese or Tamil you would feel this difference clearly. English cannot be spoken at the same speed that you speed these languages.
Slowing yourself down by a notch will make your accent sound more native and clear.
You lose nothing by slowing down a bit.
More people will understand you and that is a great way to communicate with more people, more often.
Absorb English like a child
Have you been studying English for years but still can’t speak with a clear accent?
Do native English speakers find it hard to understand your accent?
Are you worried you are pronouncing some words differently than native English speakers?
Do you want to get rid of those awkward “R” sounds in your accent?
Think of how children learn to speak English. They do not study phonetic charts. Instead, they just listen to how English is spoken and mimic that.
How to Improve English Speaking like a child. Be Free from grammar!
You CAN do the same thing as an adult. It is not IMPOSSIBLE.
But you have to spend time practicing real Conversational English with a Native English Teacher.
In order to truly master the English language you need to practice using it all the time.
If you are a beginning student this means memorizing new vocabulary and building simple sentences.
For an intermediate student this means learning more verb tenses and talking or reading about more complicated subjects.
An advanced student this means focusing on high-level topics and mastering idioms, phrasal verbs and English expressions.
But, at each level, practice is key. English is a tool to help you at work, in school, or for personal reasons.
Like any tool, you must keep it sharp and ready to use at all times. Practice is essential to improve pronunciation when learning English.
Can you improve your accent and pronunciation by practicing with a non native English teacher?
No.
A non native English teacher can help you with grammar and vocabulary but if you want to really improve pronunciation you need to practice speaking with a Native English Teacher.
Want to sign up for a trial English Class with a Native English teacher?
Don’t waste time on Phonetic charts
Most English teachers try to use Phonetic charts when helping students with pronunciation improvement and accent reduction.
However studies show that learning phonetic charts has zero value on improving pronunciation or accent.
The reason is average people don’t know how to control the parts of your mouth where vowels or consonants are pronounced!
Here is a better way to improve pronunciation and accent.
If you are an actor or a singer who has received special voice training as a child you may be able to do this but average humans can’t.
Rather than wasting time learning Phonetic charts , start practicing English speaking with a native teacher 2-3 times a week.
This will help you improve your pronunciation naturally without any memorization.
Record your voice and compare with Native Speakers
You have to learn accent and pronunciation from your ears, not your eyes.
The English language has a very specific rhythm to it and you will not understand this without listening carefully to your voice and comparing that to Native English speakers.
The good news is you can very easily record your voice using your phone or computer.
So how should I compare my voice with Native English speakers?
1.) Find a YouTube video where a Native English Speaker is talking. Write down what they are saying or find the transcript.
2.) Record your voice saying the same content.
3.) Now compare the 2 recordings side by side and make notes of the differences.
This very simple methodology will give you a clear baseline of where exactly you need to improve in terms of accent and pronunciation.
There is no rocket science – You should not be paying a fancy accent reduction specialist for this stuff!
One final rule to Improve Pronunciation…
And finally, the most important thing you need to do if you are ready to take your skills to the next level is to accept that you are going to make some mistakes.
Stop worrying about speaking English perfectly.
The goal of speaking any language is communication. So, communicate!
Say what you want to say and don’t worry about whether everything that comes out of your mouth is right or wrong. Once you do this you will begin to make real, substantive progress.
Learning English can be challenging, but it is something you can do.
If you practice frequently, speak with native English speakers, and stop worrying about every mistake you will be amazed at how much you can learn. And, hopefully, you’ll have some fun using your new English skills at the same time.
