Why
do people have
accents?
American English has complex sounds. Many letters have
more than one sound. Some letters even have five sounds. Stress also
changes the way we speak. Most English
classes simplify American English pronunciation. Other reasons why people have accents are:
- learning British
English in the native country
- having to speak
with new sounds--sounds not in your language
- being from a tonal
language--which makes it harder to practice syllable and word stress
- learning from
teachers who have accents
Can people reduce their accents?
Yes!
Many people who think they have heavy accents are pronouncing only two
or three sounds incorrectly, such as R or TH. To change a sound:
- learn the correct position
- practice reading and speaking every day
- keep practicing until the sound is easy
All
of my
students have said that family or friends hear their improvement. Test
results also show that accents can be reduced. Students that had failed
the TOEFL
speaking test or the USMLE interview (for medical students) were able
to pass after taking private classes.
People with light accents usually need to practice the American accent, the vowels (which are the most complex) as well as studying syllable stress and word stress.
How
long does it
take to reduce an accent?
Most
students need at least 3 months. Because we speak every day, an accent
can return if a person does not practice regularly for enough time. The
good news is that this website has videos and word lists
so that you can practice by yourself. Many people benefit by taking
classes because the teacher helps the person become sure of the sounds
and positions of the mouth. However, you can take classes and
practice by yourself or use this site when your classes are finished to
review whenever you need. Continue learning about accents and
pronunciation with all the pages below.
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