Arabic

If your native language is Arabic, these are the most likely accent patterns you will find in your speech.

The pronunciation targets you can work on to improve your American Accent are listed below.  You can purchase this module on the Subscriptions button or in our store.

Use the links to go to the video and practice materials for each sound. Practice in the order listed, as the most important patterns are listed first.

Step 1:  Z
can sound like s at the ends of words
was /wʌz/ sounds like wass

Step 2: D
can sound like “t” at the ends of words,
or be left off the ends of words
code sounds like coat,
or we’d sounds like we

Step 3: /ɪ/ “vowel ɪ” 
can sound like vowel ee /i/   
it sounds like eat

Step 4:  TH /θ/ (as in “think, with”)
can sound like t at the start or ends of words
thing sounds like ting
with sounds like wit

Step 5:  TH /ð/ (as in those, breathe)
can sound like d at the start or ends of words
those sounds like dose
breathe sounds like breed

Step 6: /æ/ “vowel a”
can sound like vowel ah /a/
cat sounds like cot

Step 7:  V
can sound like W at the start of words
very sounds like wary
    can sound like F at the ends of words
leave sounds like leaf

Step 8: /ɹ, ɚ/ "vowel er"
can sound like vowel schwa /ə/
bird sounds like bud

Step 9:  R
can be rolled    

Step 10:  P
can sound like “b” at the start of words
pay sounds like bay

Step 11:  T
can sound like "d" at the start of words
to sounds like do

Step 12:  ng
can have an extra g or k sound
thing sounds like think

Step 13:  Consonant Clusters
can have sounds left off,
or the same error patterns as above
lived sounds like lift or live, 
want sounds like wan, 
words sounds like word or worts

Step 14:  /e/ “vowel ay”
can sound like vowel eh /ɛ/
wait sounds like wet

Step 15:  /a/ “vowel ah”
can sound like vowel o /o/
not sounds like note

Step 16:  /ʊ/ “vowel U”
can sound like vowel oo /u/
look sounds like Luke

Step 17: /ə/ “vowel schwa”
can sound like written letter rather than the American "uh" sound     
between sounds like bee-tween
above sounds like ay-bove

Step 18:  G
can sound like K at the ends of words  
pig sounds like pick

Step 19: /ei/ “Vowel Ay”
can sound like vowel eh
snake sounds like snack

Step 20:  J
can sound like ch or zh at the ends of words
ridge sounds like rich or rizh 



Step 21: /i/ “Vowel Ee” as in eat
can sound like vowel /ɪ/
meet sounds like mitt