Don't Know How to Pronounce Words Because Only Reading It

"What?"

"Tin can you say that over again?"

How many times do yous hear this when you're speaking? Even if your vocabulary and English grammar are perfect, it can however be difficult for people to understand you because of your pronunciation.

Learning to pronounce English words correctly tin be ane of the hardest parts of learning English.

The English language has some sounds that your native language might not, so you lot will accept to larn how to make completely new sounds.

Plus, English vowels make it really tricky to know how to say a discussion. "Way," "weigh" and "whey"are all said the same, for example, while "comb," "bomb" and "tomb" are all pronounced differently.

Ah! Yeah, we know information technology can brand y'all crazy.

So that's why we accept 15 tips for yous, to aid you pronounce English words better.

Download: This blog post is available every bit a user-friendly and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

How to Improve Your English language Pronunciation: 15 Tips to Talk Like a Native

1. Learn to listen.

Before yous learn how to speak, you'll need to learn how to heed. Some sounds can be hard to tell apart when you're listening. Did the speaker sleep or slip ? Did he hurt his chin or his shin ? If you can hear the divergence, it volition be easier to speak the difference.

There are many guides to become you started in learning to listen. Nosotros have some groovy manufactures hither almost learning to mind from movies, songs and music and podcasts. You tin can as well notice listening exercises online, like this 1 from Rong-chang.

The pronunciation practise at Many Things is really slick, especially its huge option of lessons onminimal pairs. Minimal pairs are pairs of words like slumberandslip, that are only different by one sound. You lot tin click on each word to hear a complete sentence with each, then quiz yourself in the 2d box and click the correct answer.

When you want to listen to authentic English language instead of pronunciation exercises, y'all can scout videos on FluentU.

2. Larn with the Best English Pronunciation Dictionaries Online

You probably already apply a dictionary to translate English words, just online or digital dictionaries can offer many additional benefits, including pronunciation guides. These kinds of dictionaries can exist one of the most useful tools you tin can have for practicing English pronunciation—all-time of all, they're bachelor online for free!

Here are some of the best pronunciation dictionaries yous tin find and use online.

Google Translate

Website | iOS | Android

You may accept already used Google Interpret during your English studies. Google Translate is an easy-to-use translator that also provides pronunciation guides for unmarried words and whole sentences. As soon as you lot go to Google Translate's interface, you can look up any word and it will requite yous a number of definitions and an sound pronunciation.

If you're just looking for pronunciation help, type in Google search "how to say (insert word)." You will go both an audio pronunciation guide (which you tin can slow down) and a visual guide that shows how your mouth should move when saying the give-and-take.

FluentU

Website | iOS | Android

While studying English language, you might want to learn and feel the word in a more "natural" way. You lot might want to listen to the discussion beingness used by someone in a real-life scenario.

FluentU and its many video lessons tin can allow you do just that! The program comes with its ain kind of pronunciation dictionary, only with a few extra features.

Every video lesson in FluentU comes with special interactive captions. You can click on any discussion and instantly heed to its pronunciation and learn its definition; at the same fourth dimension, you can also run across and hear the word being used in different videos.

Considering FluentU uses real-life videos, you lot tin heed to and learn a discussion while information technology's beingness used in context. In-context ways that you know and remember near all the other factors involved, and then for the words yous learn in FluentU, you lot get a lot more than information nigh them.

Forvo

Website | iOS | Android

Forvo is a user-generated pronunciation guide in which native speakers submit audio clips of themselves proverb certain words or phrases. You lot can look upwardly a discussion, learn its definition and listen to how different people from different places say it. There are as well pronunciations for whole sentences and phrases too!

Forvo is well-liked considering existent people are the ones speaking the words. You lot can as well see how certain speakers are ranked in their pronunciations; the pronunciations with the most likes may be the ones you should focus on.

Because the audio submissions tin can come up from all over the world, you can heed to how the same discussion is said in dissimilar regional accents; the importance of this will be discussed in more detail subsequently.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Website | iOS | Android

Merriam-Webster is also known every bit "America'southward near useful and well-known lexicon." Information technology'south no surprise then that it's here on this list! The dictionary offers detailed definitions and information about the words you wait up, as well as clear, good-quality audio pronunciations.

Y'all can too download the free app version of this dictionary, which comes with some special features. With the app, y'all can search for words by speaking them out loud into your device's microphone—this is great for when you don't know how to spell a word, just it's besides proficient speaking practise. If there are any words that interest you, you tin can salvage them into your own "favorites" listing.

WordReference

Website | iOS | Android

WordReference is a helpful multilingual dictionary. Information technology supports translations for a lot of languages, so if your native linguistic communication is included, you can find words in English by writing it out in your linguistic communication, or search for English words and get translations in your language. This is very helpful when you want to brand sure you're getting the right translations.

WordReference as well lets you heed to audio pronunciations in different English accents, more than many other dictionaries. Virtually online dictionaries may just offer one British pronunciation and one American pronunciation, but WordReference also specifies other specific accents such as Irish, Scottish, American Southern and fifty-fifty Jamaican. Afterward you expect up a give-and-take, you can click on the "Listen" button to pick the accent you want to hear and alter the speed of the audio.

Oxford Learner's Dictionaries

Website | iOS | Android

Oxford'due south online dictionary, provided past the well-respected Oxford University Press, is a nifty resource for beginner learners. Sometimes, dictionaries tin offer a lot of information that tin brand things confusing—Oxford's lexicon takes out a lot of the confusion and gives you lot the main things you need. The definitions are written in an easy-to-empathise manner and yous go plenty of instance sentences that show y'all how the word is used.

The dictionary has 2 pronunciation options: you tin listen to the word spoken in British English or in American English. The pronunciations are done by unlike male and female humans (not robots!), which can be swell for your listening practice.

Collins Online Dictionary

Website | iOS | Android

This lexicon offers most of what the other listed dictionaries have, only with some actress sound features. Once you await up a word, Collins dictionary also provides audio pronunciation of the word in its different forms (such as in past tense or participle form). There are even sound pronunciations for the example sentences that prove the give-and-take in utilise, which tin can exist very useful when you desire to practice speaking in whole phrases.

Collins dictionary provides slightly unlike definitions: the first "Collins" definition, the second "British English" definition and the third "American English" definition. With each definition department, you tin can hear either the British or American pronunciation of the word. In some cases, at that place may even be a video clip of a real person maxim the give-and-take!

One matter to notation is that the instance sentence pronunciations are done past a text-to-speech robot instead of a human. However, the phonation doesn't sound besides unnatural or strange, so you can still find these pronunciations helpful!

A dictionary is a study tool that you'll always desire to have effectually when y'all're studying and practicing English. If you e'er learn a new word and aren't sure how to pronounce it, then a dictionary with audio functions can give you immediate aid.

3. Notice how your rima oris and lips move.

When you speak, you move your mouth. How y'all motility your rima oris affects how you pronounce a word.

The first step to correcting your oral fissure shape is to discover it and pay attention. There are a few ways you tin cheque that your mouth and lips are making the correct shape:

• Apply a mirror. This is past far the simplest way to tell what your oral cavity is doing while you talk.

• Put a finger in front of your lips (like you're saying "shh"). As you speak, don't motion your finger. You should feel your lips moving away from or pushing confronting your finger.

Lookout man other people and notice the shape their oral cavity and lips make when they talk. Try post-obit forth with your favorite TV evidence or movie. Can you repeat the faces and sounds that the actors are making?

In that location are guides and pictures online that will assistance y'all learn how to motility your mouth. Sounds of English has some good explanations for pronouncing specific words. This guide is for people making 3D animations, but the pictures are a great start to understanding how your mouth should look when yous speak.

You tin also notice great videos showing how to properly form the mouth and lip shapes when you're speaking, like this ane from Georgie Harding:

Feeling potent? Loosen up your oral fissure and natural language and become ready to practice your speech with this fun warm-up exercise from Howcast!

iv. Pay attending to your tongue.

The main deviation between rice and lice is in your natural language. When you speak, you motility your tongue to make sounds. You lot probably didn't even notice that, since you practice it without thinking. To improve your English pronunciation, it's a skilful idea to cheque what your natural language is doing.

Some difficult sounds for non-native speakers to make are the letters "Fifty" and "R," and the sound "TH." Pronouncing them correctly is all in the natural language!

• To make the "L" audio, your tongue should touch the back of your front teeth and the top of your oral fissure, only behind your teeth. Endeavour it now: Say the discussion "light." Say it a few times. Feel where your tongue is in your mouth. Make sure it touches the top of your mouth. For further practice, here's a handy resources: whorl down for a free worksheet with L audio sentences and phrases specifically chosen by our linguist. Information technology includes practical tips too that you can apply right away to improve your L audio pronunciation.

• To make the "R" sound, your tongue should non touch the top of your mouth. Pull your tongue back to the eye of your mouth, near where it naturally rests if you weren't maxim anything. Equally you say the sound, your lips should be a trivial rounded. Try it now: Say the give-and-take "right" a few times. You should experience air blowing between your tongue and the top of your oral fissure as you lot speak. You should also experience your lips get a little rounder when you brand the audio.

• Now for the "TH" audio. This one may seem strange if you lot don't have a similar sound in your native language. To make this sound, put your tongue between your elevation and bottom teeth. Your natural language should stick out a little between your teeth, and as you button air out of your oral fissure, let some air escape between your tongue and teeth—that's what makes the audio. Effort it at present: Say the word "think." Repeat it a few times. Brand certain you push your tongue between your teeth.

Now that you know where to put your natural language, can yous hear the difference?

For a more detailed explanation on how to make those three sounds correctly, watch this video from the Woosong University:

Or cheque out this 1 from Society English:

There are many other pronunciation guides on YouTube, so look around for one that helps you master the sounds of the linguistic communication!

If you can't figure out what to do with your tongue to make the correct sound, endeavour request someone. Ask them to say a word with that audio, then tell yous where they put their tongue. They probably never idea virtually it before, either!

5. Intermission words down into sounds.

Words are made up of syllables, or parts. The word "syllable," for example, has three syllables: syl-la-ble. Turning words into parts can make them easier to pronounce.

To cheque how many syllables a word has, place your manus apartment only under your chin. Say the discussion slowly. Each time your chin touches your manus, that's a syllable.

You can even write the word down in parts. Exit a space or describe a line between each syllable (every syllable should have at to the lowest degree ane vowel: a, east, i, o, u, y). Now endeavour saying the discussion. Say information technology slowly and interruption after each syllable. Isn't that easier?

If you're having problem with syllables, you can bank check out How Many Syllables. This website shows you lot the syllables in any discussion you look up, and even shows you how to pronounce it.

6. Add stress to sounds and words.

English language is a stressed linguistic communication. That means some words and sounds are more important than others. You tin hear this when you say a discussion out loud. For example, the discussion "innovate" is pronounced with a stress at the cease, so it sounds like this: "in-tro-DUCE."

Sometimes where y'all put the stress in a give-and-take tin can alter the word's meaning. Say this word out loud: "nowadays." If you said "Nowadays," you are talking about a noun that means either "right this moment" or "a souvenir." If you said "preSENT," yous are talking about a verb that means "to give or show."

There are rules for where the stress goes in each word. Here'southward 1 dominion:

• Most two-syllable nouns are stressed on the first syllable, and nearly two-syllable verbs are stressed on the second syllable.

That'south simply similar the word "nowadays." Here'due south another example: the noun "ADDress" is the place where you live, and the verb "address" is to speak to someone.

If this all sounds also complicated, don't worry well-nigh memorizing all these rules—the best mode to acquire is by listening and practicing. Think that almost native English speakers don't know the rules either, they merely say what "sounds right." With plenty practice, yous tin can get what sounds right besides.

This video about six common English mistakes goes over word stress in detail in the get-go bespeak:

Keep watching the rest of the video for other useful tips for avoiding some of the almost mutual English learner mistakes.

Picket this video from mmmEnglish for more data about syllable stress in English:

Sentences have stresses too; some words are more of import, and are said with more clarity and strength than the residual of the sentence. Endeavour reading this sentence aloud: "I ate some toast with butter in the morning."

The judgement should accept sounded like this (the assuming words are the stressed ones): "I ate some toast with butter in the forenoon." Notice how y'all wearisome down every fourth dimension you become to an important give-and-take, and speedily laissez passer over the less important ones?

Go along practicing past reading out loud, having conversations and listening well to where others place stress when they speak.

7. Ask yourself which dialect of English yous want to learn.

When you lot speak English, do you want to audio similar you're from America or England? Commonwealth of australia or New Zealand? Peradventure Canada or S Africa.

Choosing your dialect of English is one of the first decisions to make on your English language-learning journey. First of all, information technology will determine much of the vocabulary you learn. For example, English speakers in Ireland use different terms for certain things than English speakers in the Us—peculiarly when it comes to slang.

Second, this choice will drastically bear upon your pronunciation.

The ii most mutual types of English language for ESL students are probably American English and British English.

Choosing which type will impact how you lot pronounce sounds. For example, in America, the "r" audio at the stop of a give-and-take is much harsher.

And when a "t" appears in the middle of a give-and-take, Americans oftentimes pronounce it as a "d," while the British pronounce it as a hard "t." Think of words similar "h2o," "whatever" or "lighter."

That'due south but the beginning. I could go on and on!

Choosing between American and British English will also drastically alter how you say words similar "aluminum," "schedule," "garage" and "mobile," just to proper name a few.

Once y'all've called which dialect of English language you want to accept on, base your studying methods and tools on that conclusion.

For instance, if y'all want to learn American English, you wouldn't want a British language exchange partner, would you? You're going to emulate the sounds you hear, and then y'all want to find people and resources that will feed you the right emphasis.

Watching movies and TV shows are fantastic means to learn English and pick up accents. I particularly honey watching TV series, because you have hours of content, and you learn to sympathise characters' accents over fourth dimension.

If you're looking for a British Telly show, I recommend "The Crown," a drama about Queen Elizabeth Two. I also love "The Great British Baking Bear witness." This reality show is lighthearted and fun to picket, and you'll option up modernistic slang.

How about English shows? "Friends" is a classic option for learning English, and many Americans will love to talk about it with you. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is a sitcom that's currently on the air that centers around cops (policemen and women) in New York Urban center.

You lot tin can likewise discover learning materials that betrayal you exclusively to your desired dialect. Take apps, for case.

If you want to learn British English, LearnEnglish Sounds Right will provide an English pronunciation guide for people wanting to achieve a British emphasis, and y'all can download it for your iOS or Android device.

ELSA Speak: English Accent Motorbus is a slap-up app for learning how to speak like an American. Download it at the Apple or Google Play shop.

You can besides use resources also apps, and they tin be just as useful in helping you lot go the dialect you want.

As you can see, your choice of dialect volition affect every other decision you make regarding English pronunciation!

viii. Exaggerate certain sounds (make them bigger).

Anyone who has acted in the theater knows most exaggeration.

Have you ever been on phase and made a facial expression or reacted to someone else'southward line, just for your managing director to yell, "Do information technology bigger!" On the phase, you have to exaggerate to appear normal to the audience.

English pronunciation is the exact same way.

Depending on what your native language is and which dialect of English language you're studying, yous'll notice certain sounds to be difficult. Actually, I remember every ESL student I've met who is learning American English struggles with the American "r" sound!

So how do you master a tricky sound like this?

Exaggerate. Exaggerate the audio until you feel ridiculous. Exaggerate until you're sure it'due south and so over the summit that people are going to make fun of yous.

Are you exaggerating to the point that yous feel stupid? Then you're probably on the right path.

If you're super over the summit in your pronunciation, you'll become more and more than aware of the shape of your oral cavity and the placement of your natural language when you brand that sound.

Believe it or non, exaggerating these sounds will likely make information technology easier for native speakers to sympathize y'all. You may retrieve you sound corny because you aren't used to making these sounds. Just for a native speaker, you'll sound way more authentic than a greenhorn who is shy about these sounds.

What's the goal? Eventually, you volition exist so used to the shape your mouth makes that you won't be witting of exaggerating, and you won't be thinking of English pronunciation rules equally you lot speak. And that's when you know you're on the path to fluency.

9. Write out hard words by their sounds.

Having trouble with sure words? Try writing them out.

No, not just the word. Effort writing it out phonetically (by their sounds instead of their spelling).

Let's say you're struggling with the word pizza. Write it out phonetically: piːtsə.

When you expect at the phonics, you lot tin see that the double-z is pronounced like a "ts."

Try making flashcards. Write the word on one side, then spell information technology out phonetically on the other side. If it helps, you tin can highlight the letters on each side that you're testing yourself on. (This can exist especially useful for visual learners!)

Writing things out phonetically can be hard, especially if it's in your second language. If you need assistance, visit EasyPronunciation.com. Type in the discussion or sentence y'all demand aid with, and the website will transcribe it phonetically for you. (Bonus—it lets you choose between American and British English!)

10. Write down what yous hear.

Want to chief English language pronunciation? Sit down and listen. Mind to someone speak and write downwardly what they are saying.

Yous might be thinking, "Hey, I'm here to practice English speaking, not listening!"

However, listening is an excellent mode to improve English language pronunciation.

In my high school French classes, we had to take dictation (write what the teacher said) every week. The instructor spoke for 20 minutes, and we had to write down exactly what she said. Trying to decipher her emphasis and write downward what nosotros heard made me empathize French spelling and pronunciation better.

Don't have an English instructor who wants to talk aloud for twenty minutes at your disposal? In that location are plenty of ways to find a resource!

EnglishClub is a nifty dictation website, regardless of your learning level. Choose from unproblematic, intermediate or advanced dictation.

You'll listen to the dictation one time at normal speed. Then a 2nd time at a slowed-down speed so you lot tin write it downwards. Listen for a 3rd time at a normal speed. Then cheque your reply.

YouTube also has many options to practice your listening and writing skills. Get started with Speak English with Vanessa'due south Dr. Seuss dictation video:

You can besides watch a scene from a Television receiver prove or motion-picture show and write down what yous hear. If y'all're watching on a service that provides subtitles, play the scene again with subtitles to cheque your work.

If y'all recognize difficult sounds when you lot hear them, it'due south likely that you'll learn how to say them.

11. Practice with tongue twisters.

When speaking English, do y'all struggle with sounds that are similar? Like "sh" and "ch," "t" and "thursday" or the short and long "e" sounds?

Don't worry, you lot're not the but one. Not by a long shot.

Wondering how to amend your English accent in a way that'due south a chip more entertaining? Tongue twisters tin can exist a fun (simply tricky!) fashion to practise differentiating between two sounds.

Tongue twisters are poems that tin can exist hard to recite because a lot of the sounds are similar. In English-speaking countries, people say them just considering it'southward funny when you mess upward and sound airheaded. And it's satisfying when you finally master the poem!

Here are a few examples of popular, effective English natural language twisters:

Want to practice the "due south" and "sh" sounds? Hither's 1:

She sells seashells by the seashore.

That'south a very famous tongue twister. But in one case you've got that down, endeavour adding on a few less well-known lines:

The shells she sells are body of water-shells, I'g certain.
For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore
Then I'm sure she sells body of water-shore shells.

Alright, now allow's try one to practice the "cl" and "cr" sounds:

How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?

And now i for the "sh" and "ch" sounds:

If a canis familiaris chews shoes, whose shoes does he cull?

Want to practice different sounds with natural language twisters? Have a expect at this list here.

You can also hear some tongue twisters spoken by a native English language speaker on Rachel'south English (and run into that fifty-fifty native speakers tin have problem mastering these tricky twisters!):

12. Use pronunciation podcasts and videos.

At that place are some excellent video and audio guides on English pronunciations that yous can use to improve. The English Linguistic communication Club has videos that show how to make different sounds in English. Rachel's English has friendly videos on how to speak and pronounce American English language in everyday conversations.

If you lot like podcasts amend, Pronuncian has over 200 sound files that help with everything from pronunciation to stress and pitch (how yous raise and lower your voice while you speak).

If none of these are what you're looking for, there are many more to choose from. Observe the 1 that's correct for you.

13. Record yourself.

One way to tell if all your practice is working is to record yourself with a camera. Apply a camera and don't just a sound recorder because it's important to run across how you speak, not only hear it.

Y'all don't need to download whatsoever special software to record yourself; most computers and mobile devices have built-in video recorders. You tin can use PhotoBooth on a Mac or Moving-picture show Moments on a Windows calculator. The specific programs change with fourth dimension (the Film Moments program, for instance, might not be available anymore by the time yous read this) just as long equally a computer has a photographic camera, you lot should exist able to tape videos with it. Your phone or mobile device also has a video capturing app, usually as part of the camera app.

Compare your recording to someone else saying the same words or sounds. Find a video of your favorite function from a film, like this clip from "Earth to Echo." Choose one or two sentences and record yourself trying to match the stress, tone and pronunciation of the video. Then you can compare the two and see what you did differently, and try again.

Ask a friend or picket a video to check. If your pronunciation doesn't sound the same, ask yourself some questions: Are you moving your rima oris the right mode? Is your natural language in the correct identify? Are yous stressing the right office of the word? Use everything you learned in this article and so far!

14. Do with a buddy.

As always, "Do makes perfect!" And it's easier to practice with a friend. Notice someone to do pronunciation with, either in person or through online communities like Language Exchange or InterPals.

Practicing with a buddy (friend) volition give you a run a risk to try everything y'all learned, and learn new things from each other. Plus, it'due south fun!

15. Speak equally much equally y'all tin can.

If you don't speak oftentimes, you can get nervous when it's finally time to open your mouth and say something in English.

It'southward like playing basketball. You might be expert at running, dribbling and passing. But you never shoot the ball.

You know how to shoot the ball. You spotter other people do it all the time. But you've never done it.

When it's time to play and you get a chance to shoot, it would be hard. Plus, yous'd go then nervous past doing something new in front of other people that your nerves could paralyze you.

It's the aforementioned with speaking English. Non merely do y'all need English pronunciation exercise, but you lot need to become over your nerves and so that you feel comfy speaking in front of others. Nerves can pb to a lot of mistakes, particularly regarding pronunciation.

Endeavor making a rule for yourself: You must speak English language to yourself at dwelling. To get-go, try just narrating what you lot're doing when you're cooking dinner or getting ready for bed.

Promise yourself that you're going to speak aloud for at least a few minutes per day.

Think, practice makes perfect!

Pronunciation is equally important to learning English equally vocabulary and grammar. Thank you to these xv tips, y'all'll soon be on your way to pronouncing English like a native.

Download: This weblog mail service is available as a convenient and portable PDF that yous tin can take anywhere. Click here to become a copy. (Download)

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Source: https://www.fluentu.com/blog/english/how-to-improve-english-pronunciation/