Master the pronunciation of difficult words in American English!
English is not a phonetic language, which means that the spelling does not match the pronunciation. This can be super frustrating for non-native English speakers. Here you'll learn how to pronounce some of the most difficult words in American English, with step-by-step instructions and close-ups of each of the sounds.
Speak FAST English with my #1 FREE Practice Tool!
In this video, I'll show you my #1 best practice tool that can help you master American English rhythm, speed, and fluency - and the best part is it's FREE!
Top 10 Reductions of the Word "Have"
Get ready to learn the advanced pronunciations of the top 10 most common phrases in American English that use the word "have." Sound like a native speaker with this video!
Difficult Reductions in English
Learn how to speak clear and fast English in this short video! Julie teaches you how to pronounce the common English reductions of the phrases: ask her, ask him, I asked her, I asked him.
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English [Part 22!]
Perfect your American English and learn to pronounce challenging English words in this video - and all pronunciations are shown up close and in slow motion. Plus, learn about linking with the Stop T and Flap T, and learn how the word "have" changes when it's in the phrase "have to"!
How to Pronounce Difficult Minimal Pairs - EH /ɛ/ vs. AA /æ/
In this video, I'll show you how to pronounce two of the most challenging vowels in American English: the EH /ɛ/ "red" and the AA /æ/ "rad" vowels: End/And (stressed), Beck/Back, Ken/Can, Bed/Bad, Beg/Bag/Bug, Ed/Add, Ekt (not a real word)/Act, Esk (not a real word)/Ask.
How to Pronounce Difficult Minimal Pairs - Student Request [Part 21]
Practice the ER vowels /ɝ, ɚ/, linking with the flap /ɾ/, the nasal flap, vowel reductions, and much more in the following words: Words, what else, drawing, action, good afternoon, preventive, audit, operations, apparatus.
How to Pronounce Difficult Minimal Pairs - Student Request [Part 20]
Nearly all of my accent clients ask for help with pronouncing the American R sound, and they've requested help with the words in this video. What about you? How well can you pronounce the R-colored vowels in these words? Appear, stairs, alarm, car.
How to Pronounce Difficult Minimal Pairs - Student Request [Part 19]
This list of words targets many important areas of pronunciation - the Dark L, the AR vowel + Stop T, the ER vowel, the final J sound, and the tricky "aw" spelling in the word "jaw"! Channel, partner, negotiations, challenge, jaw.
Speak Clear and Fast English: Rule of Three and "Asked"
Learn to speak clear and fast English using reductions and the Rule of Three! In this video, I'll teach you how to reduce the word "asked" using the Rule of Three. Then you'll practice reductions, linking, and rhythm with me at the end.
How to Pronounce Difficult Minimal Pairs - AH /ɑ/ vs. UH /ʌ/ [Part 18]
How well can you pronounce the AH /ɑ/ and UH /ʌ/ vowels in these word pairs? Mosh/mush, socks/sucks, bog/bug, pox/pucks, Ron/run. In this short video, see each word as I pronounce it at my normal pace, at a slower pace, and then up close and in slow motion!
How to Pronounce Difficult Minimal Pairs - AH /ɑ/ vs. UH /ʌ/ [Student Request Part 17]
How well can you pronounce the AH /ɑ/ and UH /ʌ/ vowels in these word pairs? Don/done, knot/nut, flocks/flux, talk/tuck, and pawn/pun.
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English - [Student Request Part 16]
More difficult words as requested by my private accent clients! How well can you pronounce these words in American English? Monetization, horizontally, Israel, and parallel.
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English - [Student Request Part 15]
Listen for vowel reductions, vowel syncope (when a syllable is deleted completely), and the Light L vs. the Dark L! Colloquial, residue, averaging, and Spanish. In this short video, see each word as I pronounce it at my normal pace, at a slower pace, and then up close and in slow motion!
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English - Minimal Pairs [Student Request Part 14]
Let's practice some minimal pairs in American English! Get tons of practice with these two front vowels: AA /æ/, like in "bad", and EH /ɛ/, like in "bed". Can you pronounce: pressure vs. pleasure; laughed vs. left; sand vs. send; bad vs. bed; and bland vs. blend?
Linking with the Contraction "I'd"
Learn how to link two consonants together using the contraction "I'd". The final /d/ in "I'd" usually turns into an unreleased D consonant, which can be super challenging for non native speakers to pronounce.
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English - Advanced English [Student Request Part 13]
Get ready to expand your English vocabulary! Learn to pronounce: barbaric, weir, momentum, and parameter.
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English - Advanced English [Student Request Part 12]
Learn to pronounce these advanced words in English: nonchalant, ignominious, Worcestershire, truculent, and surfeit.
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English [Student Request Part 11]
Can you pronounce these words in American English? Pettiness, camaraderie, interchangeable, plateau, and echelon.
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English [Student Request Part 10]
Can you pronounce these words in American English? Poorer, attributed, and interesting.
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English - Dark L [Student Request Part 9]
Can you pronounce these words in American English? Model, bundle, curious, wildlife.
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English [Student Request Part 8]
Can you pronounce these words in American English? Theoretical, environmental, familiar, and clothes.
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English [Student Request Part 7!]
How well can you pronounce these tricky words in American English? Follow, croissant, outrageous, month vs. months.
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English [Student Request Part 6!]
How well can you pronounce these tricky words in American English? Pier, co-coordinator, vacation, girl.
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English [Student Request Part 5!]
How well can you pronounce these tricky words in American English? Considered, Can vs. can’t, Adulation, and Degenerative.
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English [Student Request Part 4!]
Can you pronounce these words in American English? Deity, Leisure, Leave vs. Live, and Collateral.
The Rule of Three
Have you ever wondered why native speakers of American English don't pronounce the "t" in "lastly"? Or in "Christmas"? Or in the phrase "first day"? It's because of the Rule of Three!
How to Pronounce Difficult Words in American English: Student Request Part 3
How well can you pronounce these words in American English? Conscience, ubiquitous, realm, and moderate (this word has 2 pronunciations: it's a noun/adjective and a verb).
How to Pronounce 12 Difficult Words in American English [Another Student Request]
Learn how to pronounce these difficult words in English: Vulnerability, exposure, uncertainty, engineer, engineering, literal, literature, the Netherlands, maintenance, scenario, sixth, sixth day.
American accent: How to pronounce 10 Difficult Words in American English [Student Request]
Learn how to pronounce these tricky words in English: Cumbersome, continuous, colonel, tired, taught, through, dropped, bud, suds, fifth (2 pronunciations).
Nasal Plosion and a Final T Consonant
This video is for all the advanced English speakers out there!! Let's combine two important (and tricky) pronunciation areas of American English: The T consonant and nasal plosion!
How to Pronounce Words with Nasal Plosion
Nasal plosion is an advanced area of American English pronunciation, but if you can use it correctly, you will sound much more natural to a native speaker!
How to Pronounce Usual and Usually
"Usual" and "usually" are great examples of how vowel syncope and syllable reductions can impact pronunciation! You might be surprised to learn that there are TWO ways to pronounce "usual", and THREE ways to pronounce "usually"!
How to Pronounce Or, War, East, and Yeast
"Or/war" and "east/yeast" sound so similar - and they look similar when someone pronounces them. How can you tell the difference within these word pairs? There is one key difference between these words, and it happens so quickly in conversational speech that you might miss it.
How to Pronounce Been, Bean, and Being
Been, bean, and being sound so similar, and they look similar when someone pronounces them! But there are 4 ways in which these words are different: length, intonation, syllable count, and the vowel and consonant sounds.
Speak Fast English: How to Shorten Your Words
If you want to instantly improve the rhythm of your spoken English, this is the way to do it! Speak like a native by using these four tips to make your words shorter in American English: contractions, reductions, contractions + reductions, and "informal contractions"!
Vowel Syncope: Words You're Saying Wrong!
American English loves to meddle with the vowels! Vowels can be reduced, they can have multiple pronunciations, and they can be combined with other sounds. In the case of vowel syncope, the vowels are deleted completely!
Ten Difficult Words in American English Part 2
American English pronunciation can be tricky - there are silent letters, hidden sounds, and multiple pronunciations for the same spelling. Perfect your pronunciation of 10 difficult words in American English: tour, tourist, rural, mural, squirrel, pencil, awful, felt, aspirin, and average.
How to Pronounce 10 Difficult Words in English: Part 1
Learn the best tips on how to pronounce 10 difficult words in English (that you may be pronouncing wrong!), including milk, girl, world, million, clothes, months, vegetables, comfortable, three, and thirty.