The North American Accent

Many people think an English accent is about pronouncing R L TH  consonant sound, and it is but there is so much more to speak with a North American accent.

The way a person speaks clearly and with confidence to other people includes four parts:

The first part is the physical. 

How do you pronounce the consonant sounds of English? This includes how you place your tongue, your lips, and your palate to pronounce sounds like “TH” “V” “ER” “L”

The second part is the pronunciation of the vowel sounds.

You don't have to do anything physical to make vowel sounds but you do have to hear the difference in each sound. 

Sometimes it takes a little time to hear the difference in words like: Seat and Sit or Eat and It.  Once you can hear the difference then you can practice making the different sounds when you speak.

The third part is word stress.

People don't always pay attention to word stress but I think it's the way to make your English flow. It is where do you put the stress or emphasis on a word.  Do you say computer, or computer international or international?  There is a big difference when you emphasize the right place, and your speech will flow and be understood when you emphasize the correct part of the word.

The fourth part is the sentence flow and intonation, or the tone of your voice.

Do the tone of your voice and the energy of your speaking align with what you are expressing with words?  Does your voice pitch, stress and rhythm match the meaning of the words you are saying such as: excitement, surprise, agreement, or frustration?

Take a look at the video below to start learning “How to Have a Great North American Accent”:

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