Tips and Tricks: Word Endings

Every accent has its own distinct character, but often one of the elements that can make you hard to understand has to do with the ends of words.  In American English, we usually pronounce sounds at end of a word, unless the word ends with a silent “e” (such as in the words name, goose, slice) or the word has been adopted into English from a foreign language (such as the words bourgeois, gourmet).  A common error found in many foreign accents is de-voicing final consonants (for example, saying “bet” instead of “bed”), saying the final sound of the word too softly or leaving it off entirely.  This error can be compounded by the speaker’s lack of confidence and desire not to call attention to his or her accent.

Practice reading aloud, and slow down enough to say all of the sounds you see in the written words.  You will feel your mouth moving more than you are used to.  Next, try having a short conversation using this same technique.  You may find that people can understand what you are saying better because you are putting the end sounds on your words.

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