Final "j" is sometimes mispronounced as the voiceless "ch" sound. "J" is made in the same location in the mouth as "ch," but you use your voice on the "j" sound. Listen to the contrasting words on the audio file below to hear the difference between the "ch" and "j" sounds at the ends of words. Still having a hard time? Can you say "j" at the beginnings of words, as in the word "jump?" If so, try the phrase "a jump" (ay-jump), running the two words together. Say it slowly, then speed up. Eventually, leave off the "-ump" and you will be saying the word "age" with a final "j" sound. Use the recording below to practice.
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You’ve mastered the past tense verbs. You’ve changed see to saw, am to was, and added the “-ed” for the regular past tense. You’ve read, learned, written, and spoken: but did you say it correctly? Even though we add two letters (“ed”) to make a verb past tense, we usually only add one sound. Sometimes, it’s a voiced “d” sound, as in played or listened. Sometimes, the “ed” is pronounced as the unvoiced “t” sound, as in “looked.” When the sound preceding the “ed” is voiceless, like the “k” in “look,” the “ed” will also be voiceless. When it is a vowel or voiced consonant, such as in play or listen, the “ed” will also be voiced. But when the verb ends with a t or d, we add a syllable, pronouncing the “e” as well as the “d,” and is “treated” or “headed.” Look at the lists below for more examples, or listen to the recording to practice the correct pronunciation.
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When a native Spanish speaker speaks English, they are likely to have some difficulty producing the “v” sound. In Spanish “b” and “v” make the same sound. In English, “v” has its own distinct sound. To make an American-sounding “v,” try placing your upper teeth on your lower lip. Use your voice and blow air over your lip. Looking in the mirror can help you see if you are making the sound correctly. Now try an American “b” sound – put both lips together, then use your voice and pop your lips open. These words are good for practicing the difference between “v” and “b”: vote, boat; vend, bend; vat, bat; dove, dub; vase, base. Click on the audio file to hear the difference and try for yourself! Want to see this in action? Check out the video. Want more? Subscribe to Speech Modification on YouTube.
Ever wonder how people sound in different parts of the United States? PBS’s extensive website, “Do You Speak American?” has a wealth of information about regional variation in American English. Not only do we use different words in different parts of the country, but our accents are different. You can listen to recordings from different cities across the US here. How does your city sound compared to the others? Image credit: Robert Delaney
Americans speak with a wide variety of regional accents. American accent training will help you have a Standard American Accent, but there's no reason not to enjoy hearing the different accents people speak across the United States. Here's an audio clip from Robert Blumenfeld's "Accents, A Manual for Actors," where he demonstrates regional differences in the pronunciation of the words "pork chop." photo from porkbeinspired.com |
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