If your native language is Russian, 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. The links will take you to the appropriate video lessons and additional practice materials. You can purchase this module on the Subscriptions button or in our store.
Practice in the order listed, as the most important patterns are listed first.
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
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: W
can sound like v at the start of words
why sounds like vie
Step 4: 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 5: /ɪ/ “vowel ɪ”
can sound like vowel ee /i/
it sounds like eat
Step 6: TH /θ/ (as in “think, with”)
can sound like s
thing sounds like sing
with sounds like wiss
Step 7: TH /ð/ (as in those, breathe)
can sound like d or z
those sounds like dose or zose
breathe sounds like breed or breeze
Step 8: /ɹ, ɚ/ "vowel er"
can sound like vowel schwa /ə/ or is rolled
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
can be left off the ends of words
to sounds like do
boat sounds like bow
Step 12: ng
can have an extra g or k sound
thing sounds like think
Step 12: 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 13: vowel eh /ɛ/
can sound like /e/ “vowel ay” or /i/ vowel ee
wait sounds like wet or wheat
Step 14: /æ/ “vowel a”
can sound like /a/ vowel ah or vowel eh /ɛ/
cat sounds like cot or ket
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: /i/ Vowel ee
can sound like vowel /ɪ/
seat sounds like sit
Step 20: J
can sound like ch
ridge sounds like rich
jump sounds like chump
can sound like v at the start of words
why sounds like vie
Step 4: 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 5: /ɪ/ “vowel ɪ”
can sound like vowel ee /i/
it sounds like eat
Step 6: TH /θ/ (as in “think, with”)
can sound like s
thing sounds like sing
with sounds like wiss
Step 7: TH /ð/ (as in those, breathe)
can sound like d or z
those sounds like dose or zose
breathe sounds like breed or breeze
Step 8: /ɹ, ɚ/ "vowel er"
can sound like vowel schwa /ə/ or is rolled
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
can be left off the ends of words
to sounds like do
boat sounds like bow
Step 12: ng
can have an extra g or k sound
thing sounds like think
Step 12: 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 13: vowel eh /ɛ/
can sound like /e/ “vowel ay” or /i/ vowel ee
wait sounds like wet or wheat
Step 14: /æ/ “vowel a”
can sound like /a/ vowel ah or vowel eh /ɛ/
cat sounds like cot or ket
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: /i/ Vowel ee
can sound like vowel /ɪ/
seat sounds like sit
Step 20: J
can sound like ch
ridge sounds like rich
jump sounds like chump