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Are you a native Korean speaker who:
- has trouble saying the ends of English words clearly?
- wants to speak English more smoothly, with words that connect?
- isn't sure when a word has an R and when it has an L, as in light and right?
American English Pronunciation for Korean Speakers: Top 5 Pronunciation Challenges
These are the five pronunciation challenges I see most often in my Korean-speaking students. For each one, I explain what happens, and my free video lessons show you how to fix it.
And don't forget to download your free Guidebook to the Sounds of American English!
Korean Challenge #1: The L /l/ and R /ɹ/ Consonants
Korean speakers often mix up L /l/ and R /ɹ/ at the start of a word (light and right) and in consonant clusters (glass and grass). L or R can also come out as a flap /ɾ/, which sounds like a quick D /d/ to American ears.
So right and light can both sound like "raiteu," and glass and grass may sound like "geurasseu" or "geudasseu," with an extra vowel after the consonants.
Download a PDF: How to Pronounce the American English R Sound
Download a PDF: How to Pronounce the Light L and Dark L
When R comes at the end of a word, as in car, better, and tutor, Korean speakers sometimes drop it, so the words sound like "ka," "beduh," and "tuduh."
These changes can make a word very hard for listeners to recognize. "Gudasu" doesn't sound like grass to an American ear at all.
How to Pronounce the American English L /l/ and R /ɹ/ Consonants
The key is your tongue's shape and position. For L, the tongue is narrow, the back of the tongue is low, and the tongue tip can rise to the roof of your mouth. For R, the tongue is wide, the back of the tongue is high and pulled back, and the tongue tip doesn't touch anything at all!
Watch the videos below to practice L and R, or read my lessons: How to Pronounce the L /l/ Consonant; How to Pronounce the R /ɹ/ Consonant; Your #1 Go-to Guide to the Dark L.
Korean Challenge #2: Adding Vowels Between and After Consonants
Korean speakers often add a vowel after a final B, V, K, G, or D, especially after a long vowel. So babe and wave may sound like "beibeu" and "weibeu," and make, pig, and made may sound like "meikeu," "pigeu," and "meideu."
A vowel can also slip in after SH /ʃ/, CH /ʧ/, and J /ʤ/, so wash, church, and bridge sound like "washy," "churchy," and "bridgy." And it can appear inside a consonant cluster, so bread sounds like "beu-redeu."
Extra vowels like these can make a word hard to recognize. A listener may not hear "beu-redeu" as bread at all.
How to Pronounce Final Consonants in American English
The best way to practice final consonants is to practice linking them to the next word. Your speech gets smoother, and the extra vowel disappears at the same time.
Start with the videos below, or read my lessons: Linking with the B /b/ Consonant; Linking with the G /g/ Consonant; Linking with the Unreleased D Consonant.
Korean Challenge #3: Syllable Stress
Putting the stress on the right syllable is hard for many English learners, and it's especially hard for Korean speakers. Korean intonation is often flatter than American English, and the syllables get more equal stress. American English works very differently.
Download a PDF: Syllables and Stress in American English
Stressing the wrong syllable can turn your word into a different word. Some English words are spelled the same, and only the stress tells you which word it is.
Take the word object. As a noun (I see an object on the table), the stress is on the first syllable: "OB-ject." As a verb (I object to that rule), the stress moves to the second syllable: "ob-JECT."
Stress matters in sentences, too. Look at these two:
They'll sell fish.
They're selfish.
The vowels and consonants are almost the same, so the sentences can sound alike. Americans make them different with stress:
They'll sell FISH.
They're SELfish.
If the stress goes in the wrong place, sell fish can sound like selfish, and your listener gets confused.
Download a PDF: Stress in Sentences in American English
How to Pronounce American English Syllable Stress
A stressed syllable is usually higher in pitch, longer, and a little louder than the syllables around it. Unstressed syllables are often reduced, and their vowel usually changes to the schwa /ə/ or IH /ɪ/.
Watch the videos below to learn the patterns, or read my lessons: The Three Types of Syllable Stress; Pronounce BIG Words in American English; Unstressed Syllables and Word Reductions.
Korean Challenge #4: Intonation
Korean intonation usually stays in a narrower, flatter range. American English intonation has a few clear "peaks" in each sentence, with lower "valleys" on the other syllables.
Korean question intonation also changes from region to region. In standard Korean, the voice often goes up for both yes/no questions (questions you can answer with "yes" or "no") and wh-questions (open questions that start with words like who, what, where, and when).
In the Gyeongsang (Kyungsang) dialect, it's often the opposite: the voice goes down for both kinds of questions. In the Jeolla dialect, it can go down and then up. In American English, the voice usually goes up for yes/no questions and down for wh-questions.
The wrong intonation can change your meaning. A small rise turns a statement into a question. A bigger rise can sound surprised, doubtful, or even annoyed.
How to Pronounce American English Intonation
Watch the videos below to practice, or read my lessons: American English Intonation of Statements and Questions; Sound Natural and Native with Intonation Templates; 3 Powerful Techniques to Boost your Intonation.
Korean Challenge #5: The F /f/ and P /p/ Consonants
Korean doesn't have an F /f/ sound, so many Korean speakers use P /p/ instead. As a result, coffee, cough, and laugh sound like copy, cop, and lap. Because these are all real words, your listener may hear a different word than the one you meant.
It happens in words that aren't exact pairs, too: difficult can sound like typical, enough like and up, and informant like important.
How to Pronounce the F /f/ and P /p/ Consonants in American English
Since Korean doesn't have F, that's the best place to spend your practice time. For F /f/, your upper teeth come down and lightly touch the inside of your lower lip. Your upper lip moves up and out of the way. It doesn't help make the sound! If you feel your lips touching each other, you've made a P instead. Use a mirror and make sure you can see your upper teeth when you say F.
Watch the videos below to practice, or read my lessons: How to Pronounce the F /f/ and V /v/ Consonants; How to Pronounce the P /p/ and B /b/ Consonants; Place, Manner, and Voicing of American English Consonants.
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