Category: Accent Modification
Mastering the /r/ Sound in North American English: A Step-by-Step Guide For many learners of English, the /r/ sound in North American speech is one of the most challenging to master. Unlike other languages where /r/ might be rolled, tapped, or trilled, North American English uses a rhotic /r/. Rhoticity simply means that the /r/ is …
What are the differences between the /u/ sound in ‘fool’ and the /ʊ/ sound in ‘full’? Here are the differences between the /u/ sound and the /ʊ/ sound. Vowel Length The /u/ sound, as in ‘fool’, is a long vowel sound. The /ʊ/ sound, as in ‘full’, is a short vowel sound. The /u/ sound is …
The /oʊ/ sound is found in words like ‘road’, ‘coat’, and ‘focus’. It also occurs at the beginning of words like ‘only’ and ‘old’. The /oʊ/ sound is a diphthong. This means it’s one sound made by gliding the tongue from one vowel position to another — starting at and moving higher toward . One common …
Connected Speech: Linking consonants to vowels In natural spoken English, words often connect to each other smoothly. One common way this happens is through consonant-to-vowel linking. This means that when a word ends in a consonant sound, and the next word starts with a vowel, the consonant links to the vowel, making speech flow more naturally. …
Connected Speech: Linking Vowels to Vowels Using the Y sound Connected Speech is important because it improves fluency and makes the flow of our speech smoother. Watch this video to learn how to use a Y sound to connect a vowel sound at the end of a word with a vowel sound at the beginning of the …
