Are you a native Vietnamese speaker who:
- has trouble with the final sounds in words like different, liked, and last?
- wants to speak English more smoothly, with natural linking and intonation?
- isn't sure where the stress goes in long words like scientifically, Wednesday, and mischievous?
American English Pronunciation for Vietnamese Speakers: Top 5 Pronunciation Challenges
These are the five pronunciation challenges I see most often in my Vietnamese-speaking students. Read about each one below, then watch the free video lessons to practice. Don't forget to click here to download your free Guidebook to the Sounds of American English, too!
Vietnamese Challenge #1: Final Consonant Sounds
Final consonants are often the biggest challenge for Vietnamese speakers, especially /z, s, t, v/ at the end of a syllable or word. Think of the "ed" in checked, the "t" in it was, and the "es" in misses. Consonant clusters can be hard too. A cluster is two or more consonants together in the same syllable, like the "st" in last or the "br" in bread.
Many Vietnamese speakers drop these final sounds completely. That's a problem, because in English the final sound often carries grammar. The -s in Katie's shows possession, and the -ed in liked shows the past tense.
Click here for a PDF on How to Link Consonants and Vowels in American English
So when a final sound is missing, the listener hears a pronunciation mistake and a grammar mistake at the same time. That makes it much more noticeable.
How to Pronounce Final Consonants in American English
English words can end in many different consonants. A good place to start is with two common endings, the -s ending and the -ed ending. Then practice using final consonants to link one word to the next, so your speech flows.
Watch the videos below to start practicing final consonants. You can also read these lessons: Pronounce the Past Tense Like a Native Speaker; Never Delete This Sound; Linking in Connected Speech.
Vietnamese Challenge #2: Syllable Stress
Vietnamese and English build words very differently. Vietnamese words are made of short syllables, and each syllable gets about the same stress and length. So long English words can be hard for Vietnamese speakers, both the sounds and the stress.
English has many words with three or more syllables, and the main stress can fall on any of them: the first, the second, the third, and so on. The syllables in a word also have different lengths and different amounts of stress. Stressed syllables are longer and higher in pitch. Unstressed syllables are shorter and lower.
Click here to download a PDF of Syllables and Stress in American English
Because of this, Vietnamese speakers often give every syllable in an English word the same stress, or no stress at all. That can make words hard to recognize, because English listeners rely on stress to understand what you're saying.
Click here to download a PDF of Stress in Sentences in American English
How to Pronounce American English Syllable Stress
In English, you show stress with pitch, volume, and length. A stressed syllable is usually higher, longer, and a little louder than the syllables around it. Unstressed syllables are often reduced, and their vowel changes to the schwa /ə/ or IH /ɪ/.
Watch the videos below to start learning American English stress patterns. You can also read these lessons: The Three Types of Syllable Stress; Pronounce BIG Words in American English; Unstressed Syllables and Word Reductions.
Vietnamese Challenge #3: Intonation
Vietnamese is a tonal language with six tones (though some speakers don't use all of them). Each tone has its own pitch pattern, and changing the tone changes the meaning of the word.
English uses pitch to show meaning too, but in a very different way. Inside a word, pitch shows stress: stressed syllables are usually higher, and unstressed syllables are lower. Across a sentence, pitch shows which words are important and what kind of sentence it is. A sentence that ends with a falling pitch is usually a statement, and one that ends with a rising pitch is usually a question.
Since the two systems are so different, English intonation takes practice, and even a small difference can change how you sound. For example, if your pitch jumps up too high too fast, an American listener may hear annoyance or rudeness, even when you don't mean it at all.
How to Pronounce American English Intonation
Watch the videos below to start learning American English intonation patterns. You can also read these lessons: American English Intonation of Statements and Questions; Sound Natural and Native with Intonation Templates; 3 Powerful Techniques to Boost your Intonation.
Vietnamese Challenge #4: Voice Placement
Have you heard of voice placement? Placement is where your voice seems to "come from" in your body. The sound starts with your vocal cords vibrating in your throat, but the spaces above them, in your throat, mouth, and nose, shape where that vibration seems to sit.
Every language has its own placement. Some languages, like Spanish and French, sound very forward, almost as if the sound comes from the lips. American English sits lower, between the middle of the mouth and the upper chest, with a little bit of nasal sound.
Click here for a PDF of Voice Placement Exercises: Resonatory Exercises
Placement may sound like a strange idea at first, but I promise it's a big part of any accent! It affects how you say the sounds, syllables, and intonation of a language.
Click here for a PDF of Voice Placement Exercises: Phonatory Exercises
Vietnamese placement tends to be higher in the head and more nasal than American English. When Vietnamese speakers keep that placement in English, listeners may notice the accent right away.
How to Pronounce American English Voice Placement
Placement can take longer to learn, because you can't see the muscles that make it. Instead, you learn by feel and by ear. American English placement should feel low, relaxed, and easy, and it should sound that way too.
Watch the videos below to start learning American English placement. You can also read these lessons: American English Voice Placement; Voice Placement: Front Vowels; The Basics of Voice Production Part 4: Resonatory Exercises.
Vietnamese Challenge #5: American English Grammar
Some grammar differences between Vietnamese and English show up in pronunciation, too.
The first is the verb "to be." Vietnamese has a similar verb, là, but it isn't used the same way. In English, "to be" connects a subject to an adjective: He is sleepy. In Vietnamese, the same sentence translates to He sleepy. So Vietnamese speakers often leave out "to be" in English.
The second is articles. Vietnamese doesn't use articles, but English uses a, an, and the all the time: This is a house, I drove the car, She ate an apple. Vietnamese speakers may leave them out (She ate apple), or add one where English doesn't use it (I went to the work today instead of I went to work today).
How to Learn American English Grammar
My best tip: imitate American English speakers, even when you don't know the grammar rule. When you copy what you hear, you also learn the rhythm of English, and you start to hear how small words like a, the, and is sound in real conversations.
Watch the videos below to start practicing. You can also read these lessons: Learn American English Reductions and Rhythm with Seinfeld!; Learn American English with The Office; Top 10 Reductions of the word “have”.
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Nicky found her own voice in English, and her confidence grew a lot.