How to Improve English Pronunciation and Reduce Your Accent

5 Tips for Improving Pronunciation and Reducing Accent

Some of the most challenging aspects when learning English are pronunciation, rhythm, word stress, accent, and intonation. In fact, mastering pronunciation and accent reduction are goals commonly discussed in English classrooms or courses. 

A good number of students prioritize accent and pronunciation before any other skill. But all skills should be tackled together. For today's blog post, we'll go over some tips on how to face these important areas. 

Having a balance between reading, writing, listening, and speaking will allow you to use and understand the language on a daily basis. These tips are meant for all learners! Grab a pen and paper to jot down some of these recommendations. 

1- Use a Dictionary to Check Pronunciation 

What comes to your mind when you read this: /ɪmˈpɔrtnt/, /ˈizi/, /ˈɔkwɚd/? 

If your answer is "important, easy, and awkward," you would know that English isn't pronounced the same way it's written. English learners will likely come across a word that is spelled totally different from its pronunciation. Some English dictionaries include a phonetic transcription of the word, that is to say, the way the word is pronounced. But how do you learn all the terminology? Learn the International Phonetic Alphabet. 

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) shows the representation of the spoken language. The beauty of this is that each phonetic symbol represents only one sound. Therefore, there shouldn't be too much trouble when reading a word in a dictionary. 

Learn consonant and vowel sounds. Examples of phonetic symbols for consonants are /p/, /k/, /j/, and /y/. Phonetic transcription of vowel sounds include /I/, /ɑ/, and /aɪ/. Also, paying attention to voiced (/b/, /d/, /v/) and voiceless (/p/, /t/, /k/) sounds will make you feel more familiar with sounds native speakers use in conversations.

Here you can learn more about vowels and consonants or the position of the mouth to produce each one. 

2- Shadowing

Before explaining this technique, you must understand that each English word has stressed and unstressed syllables. Also, English sentences have different intonation patterns that should be memorized. The combination of these will improve your speaking abilities. 

How does shadowing work? You basically talk at the same time the native speaker does. If you're uncertain about what type of audio or clip to listen to, pick one that is about a topic you're interested in. Or think of the way people speak and shadow a person you like. That way, you'll pay close attention to stress and intonation. If possible, turn on the captions to see each word the speaker pronounces. Notice the intonation of each sentence and the pauses in between phrases. 

You'll kill two birds with one stone: Learn new words for your vocabulary repertoire and improve your English accent. 

Is there another benefit? Yes! Shadowing improves listening skills because you'll be training your ear. To start, dedicate at least one hour a day to shadowing. If you prefer, use your headphones or find a quiet place to listen to sounds clearly. 

3- Listen to Podcasts

Are you too busy to watch your favorite show in English? Listen to podcasts instead! Most podcasts are recorded using a high-quality microphone, and speakers tend to articulate their words. As a language learner, listen to understand how individual sounds work in a complete sentence. 

Podcasts are useful for learning more about connected speech as well. You listen to connected speech when the speaker links the sounds to make their speech smoother. YouTube is a great source when searching for awesome, free podcasts. Once again, choose a category you like to make the experience more enjoyable. When you listen to a podcast, pay attention to the words and grammatical sentence constructions the speaker uses, too. 

4- Read Out Loud 

It's probable that you've read out loud at least once in your life. When speaking another language, your voice is used in a different manner. The way you articulate words and position your lips differ from the way you communicate in your native language. 

Books can be valuable not only for increasing your vocabulary, but also for improving pronunciation. During the first years of school, students are taught to read by respecting punctuation and making pauses appropriately. As a language learner, if you can't read out loud, you should still listen to someone read out loud. Audiobook recordings are a great resource.

Audiobooks are recorded in a way that the listener hears clearly each sentence pattern the narrator pronounces. Also, audiobooks include the option to increase or decrease the speed the speaker is talking. This facilitates focusing on a sentence to repeat it as many times as necessary. 

5- Practice and Practice 

The best teacher is time. English pronunciation isn't the exception. Make having an understandable English accent a priority. Set pronunciation goals each month. Apply what you learn to everyday situations and pay attention to the way speakers pronounce words. Creating habits for improving your pronunciation will help you see faster results.  

Realistic goals will lead to realistic results. Find a video you would like to shadow and repeat what the speaker says for at least thirty minutes a day. Then, replay what you remember of the speech in your head to recall the intonation of the sentences each day. This is useful when you practice the language on your own. 

Take Responsibility for Your Learning and Progress 

Although having a tutor or instructor can help you spot areas needing improvement, you're responsible for your own learning. The benefit of doing so is that you'll recognize strengths and weaknesses alone. That is important because you're conscious of the mistakes to avoid in the future.  

When it comes to speaking, you should ask as many questions as possible. Developing good pronunciation skills is mostly up to you. Paying attention to the different sounds and receiving feedback will allow you to see more changes in less time. 

Being conscious of your own learning will boost your confidence. Start building a strong foundation. There's no specific rule to learn to sound like a native speaker or reduce your accent. Constant practice makes noticeable difference. 

Takeaway 

Speaking a different language with an understandable accent might take some time, but it's not impossible. By having a plan with specific resources and goals, you can obtain strong speaking skills. Also, consider hiring a tutor to work on specific areas of your pronunciation and accent. Each investment you make is a new door that opens up in your life.