Japanese

 If your native language is Japanese, these are the most likely accent patterns you will find in your speech when you speak English. The pronunciation targets you can work on to improve your American Accent are listed below.  The links will take you to the appropriate video lessons and additional practice materials.  You can access the first videos for free.  The rest of the module is available for purchase on the Subscriptions button or in our store. 

Practice in the order listed, as the most important patterns are listed first.

Japanese

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Practice module for speakers of Japanese.
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Step 1:  Z
can sound like s at the ends of words
was /wʌz/ sounds like wass or wa
can sound like j or dz at the start of words
zero sounds like jero or dzero

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:  T
can be left off the ends of words
boat sounds like bow

Step 4:  /ɪ/ vowel /ɪ/
can sound like /i/ “vowel ee”  
it sounds like eat

Step 5:  TH /θ/ (as in “think, with”)
can sound like s
thing sounds like sing
with sounds like wiss

Step 6:  TH /ð/ (as in those, breathe)
can sound like d, z or th /θ/
those sounds like dose or zoze
breathe sounds like breeze or breeth

Step 7: ng
can sound like n or have an extra "k" sound
thing sounds like thin or think

Step 8:  L
can be left off the ends of words
 can sound like r at the start of words and in blends
call sounds like caw
lead sounds like read, play sounds like pray

Step 9: /æ/ “vowel a”
can sound like vowel ah /a/
hat sounds like hot

Step 10:  V
    can sound like f or b at the ends of words
leave sounds like leaf or leeb
can sound like b at the start of words
very sounds like berry

Step 11: R /r/ and /ɹ, ɚ/ "vowel er"
can sound like vowel schwa /ə/ in the middle or ends of words
bird sounds like bud
can be rolled or sound like l at the start of word and in blends
reef sounds like leaf, free sounds like flee

Step 12:  Consonant Clusters
can have sounds left off,
or the same error patterns as above
lived sounds like li, lift or live, 
want sounds like wan, 
words sounds like word or worts

Step 13:  final J  
can sound like zh /ʒ/ or "ch"
edge sounds like ezh or etch

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