Have you ever been binge-watching your favorite American show on Netflix and felt you wanted to sound like your favorite character? We’ve got you covered! Here are four ways to sound more American.
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What is an American accent?
Given that America is a big country with over 300 million inhabitants, accents can vary. Different regions have different accent variations due to many factors like their historical and cultural background.
Think about your own country and all the little variations in the language you may find. It is no different for the United States!
However, you are able to recognize a standard American accent from the moment you hear it. It is the accent you hear in the news, movies, series, and any other globalized content you may consume.
With this article, you will focus on the standard American accent and how you can come closer to sounding more American. Here we go!
Change the /T/ sounds for /D/ sounds
In contrast to British English, where the /T/ is pronounced more prominently, the American accent tends to soften the sound. The most common case is when you find the T between two vowels.
Whenever you find a T or even a double T between two vowels, you can substitute the sound for a soft /D/ sound. This will automatically help you sound more American!
This is one of the main differences between British and American accents.
Let’s see some examples. Try to read the sentences out loud!
- Water
- City
- Later
- Butter
- Hotter
- Bottle
- A bottle of water
- We should go to the city later today to buy water because it’s getting hotter.
Some books or pages will refer to this sound by its phonetical name: a flap T. You can simplify it by pronouncing a soft /D/. You will sound as American as Colonel Sanders!
Bonus
In some cases, this change can occur between words. When Americans speak fast, they tend to link words. The linking makes it possible to change the /T/ sound at the end of words as well.
For example:
- That is my bottle of water.
The colored R
The pronunciation of the R sound is tricky for most English learners. It is such a particular sound that you need to accustom your muscles to produce it correctly. It is a soft sound compared to the /R/ in other languages.
The colored R is a way to pronounce the /R/ sound in the middle of the sentences followed by a consonant. In many cases, the /R/ sound is going to sound like the growl of an angry dog.
Regardless of the vowel that precedes the syllable, the colored R will be pronounced like “errrr.”
Let’s practice it!
- Learn
- First
- Burn
- World
- First world war
Bonus
Exaggerate the sounds! When you are practicing your pronunciation, try to exaggerate all the sounds. Then, it will be easier for you to tone it down when you are having a real conversation. It will help you come closer to the correct pronunciation.
Besides, chances are, you will forget the exaggeration without much effort, and only the correct sound will remain. Give it a try!
Pronounce the -ER at the end of the words
In other variants of English, the termination -ER is often not pronounced as such. The sounds can vary a lot. In British English, for example, the -ER ending tends to become an /A/, and the /R/ is not even pronounced.
Try pronouncing the -ER in every word with this ending, and you will sound more American! Focus on nailing the R at the end and making it heard!
This small change will directly impact how your English sounds to others around you.
Let’s take a look at some examples.
- Water
- Remember
- December
- Prefer
- Remember I told you I prefer December?
- Drink water after the game.
Pronounce the -ARY at the end of words
Once again, we find a relevant difference between American and British English. In English, there are many words ending in -ARY. The way you pronounce them will determine whether you sound American or British.
In American English, the ending of the word is pronounced in full. The sounds of all three letters are pronounced. In British English, the /a/ sound virtually disappears. It is as if the ending of the word would be just -RY.
Did someone ask for examples? Here you go!
- Anniversary
- Ordinary
- Library
- Military
- Vocabulary
- Summary
- I need to do a summary of the vocabulary I learned.
- The anniversary was not ordinary.
If you follow these four tips, you will start sounding more and more American! Remember that improving your pronunciation is not an overnight success.
Yet, you can continue improving every day, and before you know it, you will sound like a native American speaker!
Extra tip: Shadowing
Ever heard of shadowing? Let us break it down for you!
Shadowing consists of listening to an audio or a video and repeating what you hear. But pay attention to every aspect of the speech. You are not going to simply repeat the same words.
The idea is to repeat the intonation, rhythm, and, of course, pronunciation. You can use shadowing to emulate the speech of someone you would like to sound like and improve your pronunciation.
Your brain can adapt to this new way of speaking and make it sound more natural over time. If you concentrate on repeating the speech as perfectly as possible, you will start seeing progress in your accent in no time.
Try shadowing a YouTube video or a podcast for some minutes on a daily basis, and you will see how this technique will incrementally improve your pronunciation!
Wrapping up
Having an accent means you have the courage to speak more than one language. There’s nothing wrong with having an accent when you speak English.
Yet, if you want to take your English learning to the next level, speaking fluently with a native accent is the jewel in the crown! Use these tips and skyrocket your English proficiency!