How to Improve Your English Pronunciation

Do you feel like you need to take a course in English pronunciation 101? English pronunciation is one of the hardest aspects of the language to wrap your head around and learn. Have you ever wondered why people ask for things to be repeated or why we have expressions like, “Sorry, I didn’t catch that. What do you mean? Pardon me?” This happens for many reasons, but the two main factors are pronunciation and intonation. Even if English isn’t your first language, we need to slow it down. Intonation and speed are key components of fluency.

In today’s fast-paced world, everything moves at the speed of light, and we expect things to happen in a “nanosecond.” We don’t read; we scan. Not only that, we prefer to use audio tools like Siri and Google to spoon-feed us all the answers to our questions. Having better pronunciation boils down to a few simple rules and managing your speed.

Imagine yourself as a comic book character. The words you say come out of your mouth and fly through the air into a speech bubble. That message then travels through time to the other person, who may be multitasking.

In the past, people would pay more attention and make eye contact. Nowadays, we often deal with distractions in daily communication. People are glancing at their smartphones, thinking about lunch, or planning the next task on their to-do list, all while supposedly listening attentively! That’s why it’s so important to keep your messages short, try to speak slowly and clearly, and be as effective as possible. Remember, less is more when it comes to getting your message across. Be aware of common mistakes you might make in your pronunciation and intonation. These small changes can make a big difference in how your message is received.

Understanding pronunciation and intonation, and recognizing the differences between them, will help you achieve fluency, sound more natural, and boost your confidence.

Enough said—let’s dive into some ESL pronunciation tips that you can start practicing today.

1. Know Your Vowel Sounds

A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y—these six little letters can make your head spin. How can you tell the difference between a long and short vowel?

Do You Schwa?

The most common vowel sound in English looks like an upside-down e and is called the “schwa”. It sounds like a person who is lazy or sleepy, the sound is “uh.” It’s the quietest vowel sound. Check out these words: Panda, bacon, balloon.Can you hear the “uh” sound?

The schwa sound can be uh or eh depending on the context. Here’s a practice video from the BBC LEARNING ENGLISH to help you master it.

Long Vowels

I & O: These letters can make long sounds when placed between two consonants. Examples include Stroll, Kind, Child, Gold.

Look Out for the Silent E

The silent e at the end of many words makes the vowel before it have a long sound. Examples are Save, Cave, Pave, Rave, Bone, Home, Phone, Crime, Shine, Time, Dune, June, and Fumes.

Vowels That Work in Teams

When vowels like EA, AI, EE come together, they often make one sound. Examples include Peach, Reach, Please, Train, Grain, Strain, Cheese, Sneeze, and Breeze.

Everyone Loves a Hero

Vowels at the end of words can also have long vowel sounds, as in Emu, Hero, We, She, Wifi.

Short Vowels and Common Sounds

• A = 'ah' as in apple, cab, cat, bank, man, map

• E = 'eh' as in egg, bed, best, end, jet, test

• I = 'ih' as in insect, did, him, pig, slid, whim

• O = 'awe' as in bog, bop, cop, dog, shop, won

• U = 'uh' as in tug, jump, mug, sun, duck, run
  

2. Listen Up!

Listening to short audios daily can greatly improve your accent and pronunciation speed. Try mimicking the voices you hear, focusing on short audio clips made specifically for ESL learners rather than English movies or songs. This way, you can work on your pronunciation without the extra distractions.

3. Have a Look at the Phonetic Alphabet

Looking at the phonetic alphabet can make it easier when you encounter tricky words like those ending in 'ough' (e.g., though, through, tough, ought). They may look similar, but each one has a different sound. Don’t frown—embrace the challenge!

4. English Pronunciation Practice with Tongue Twisters and Reading Aloud

Tongue twisters are a fantastic way to practice pronunciation. They help you improve your skills while having fun! Here’s one of our original tongue twisters. If you’d like to listen along, click here for a pronunciation guide:

Hot dogs, corn dogs, chili cheese dogs, dogs in the morning, dogs at night. Those delicious dogs wrapped up in the bun are all nice and tight. Waiting for me to take a big bite.

If you want to improve your pronunciation skills or listening skills, check out our website cwe-languages.com. You’ll find great tongue twisters and English listening practice samples and packs to purchase, with a PDF script included!