Basic Accent Neutralization Training

American English Vowel Sounds

FRONT HIGH MID LOW

beat / i: / bit / I / bait / ei / bet / e / bat / ¶ e /

CENTER

but /¶ /

BACK / u: / boot / u / put / ou / boat / o / bought

/ a / top

The / i: / sound • Hold the sound for two counts/ beats. •Your lips are spread as if you are smiling. The / I / sound • Lips are relaxed • Tongue is a little lower than it is for / i: / .

/ i: / vs / I / sleep – slip

least- list

leave – live

beat - bit

eat – it

seek - sick

heal – hill

deep – dip

ease – is

peak – pick

feature – package

retailer – referral

Practice reading the sentences below: 1. This is a heel. 2. This is a hill. 3. Is he leaving? 4. Is he living? 5. This is a sheep. 6. This is a ship. 7. He’s still sleepy. 8. They serve the meals at the mills.

The / u: / sound • The mouth should be opened a little • The tongue is pushed to the high back part • The lips are slightly rounded. The / u / sound • The mouth and lip muscles must be relaxed • The tongue is in the high center part of the mouth • Round lips very slightly

/ u: / vs / u / Luke – look

fool - full

wooed – wood

cooed - could

stewed – stood

pool – pull

due – good

too - took

Practice reading the sentences below: 1. Luke could cook. 2. I pulled and pulled. 3. The prince wooed her in the woods . 4. I look like a fool. 5. The pool is full. 6. A fool is full of mischief.

The / ¶e / sound • Push the front of your tongue forward • Jaw should be lowered

The / a / sound • Is pronounced farther back in the mouth

/ ¶ e / vs / a / fax – fox

cash – copy

lack -lock

hat – hot

aunt – top

plan - doctor

cab – cob

balance – product

Practice reading the sentences below: 1. We will send it to you through fax. 2. They caught a fox near the pond. 3. My aunt is fond of ants. 4. The program was cancelled.

/ ¶ e / vs / e / “ Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?” had – head

ran – wren

pan – pen

man – men

sand – send

batter - better

had – head

bad – bed

back – beck

Practice reading the sentences below: 1. Betty’s batter tastes better. 2. Is the pen black? 3. Where’s the pen? 4. Where’s the pan?

The / ¶ / sound • Mouth is open about the width of a pencil • Lips are relaxed • The middle of the tongue is slightly arched • Muscles are relaxed

/ ¶ / vs / a / luck – lock

trainer – sock

history – not

southern – bond

month – pop

Visa – dollar

today – college

problem – prompt

mother – opposite

Practice reading the sentences below: 1. I have peanut butter for lunch. 2. It’s a sub. 3. It’s a sob. 4. He locked the hut.

/ ou / vs / o / sew – saw

boat – bought

low- law

go – sports

hold – more

October – August

note – order

local – born

foe – off

Practice reading the sentences below: 1. Do you kno w how to bowl? 2. They caught him stealing the manager’s coat.

/ ei / paper - pepper 1. I’m in pain. 2. Have you ever eaten a snake before? 3. She’s eighteen years old.

Consonant Sounds P t K f Th S Sh Ch H

VOICELESS part talk computer fix thin spare shut chip hack

b d v g dh z zh j m n ng l r y w hw

VOICED boot dew service God thy zoom vision Jew machine neck bring line right yes warning what

The Th Sound Three blind mice, see how they run! They all ran after the farmer’s wife; She cut off their tails with a carving knife, Did you ever see such a thing in your life, As three blind mice?

The Voiced Th Sound Let’s compare: though –doe

those – doze

they – day

then – den

there – dare

this – dish

The Voiceless Th Sound thin – tin

theme – team

three – tree

thought – taught

thanks – tanks

faith – fate

death – debt

The Various T Sounds ·

T is aspirated at the beginning of a word or in a stressed syllable

take

technical

electronic

tools

tone

tomorrow

·

T is held at the end of the word.

mate

note

what

put

·

T is not aspirated in the consonant combination /st/, /tr/, /lt/, /ct/, and some /nt/ combinations in unstressed position

customer

stop

start

district

state

distant

·

T is produced like a soft d or “d”-like between two vowel sounds in unstressed position.

Saturday

category

total

tutor

·

T is silent after “n” in unstressed position.

twenty

international

entertainment

Atlanta

·

T is held before “n” at the end of a word and in –tain and –ten endings.

mountain

certain

frequent

button

/p/

/f/

/b/

/v/

pace

face / phase

bolts

volts

cheap

chief

berry / bury

very

pile

file

best

vest

copy

coffee

cupboard

covered

/ s / or / z / ·

/s/ - After the voiceless consonant sounds /t/, /k/, /p/, /f/, and /th/

sports

works

offs

paths

·

caps

/z/ - After the voiced consonant and vowel sounds

/d/

pads

/l/

stalls

/v/

leaves

/m/

homes

/ng/

cravings

/b/

subscribes

/g/

tags

/r/

dollars

/th/

clothes

/n/

reasons

vowels ·

ideas, trees, toes

/Iz/ - after the consonant sounds /z/, /s/, /zh/, /sh/, /ch/ and /j/

/z/

closes

/zh/

Asia

/s/

services

/sh/

dishes

/j/

badges

/ch/

launches

Tongue Twister Challenge

·

A tooter who tooted a flute tried to tutor two tutors to toot. Said the two to their tutor “is it harder to toot or to tutor two tutors to toot?”

·

Mrs. Peck Pigeon Is picking for bread Bob-bob-bob Goes her little round head Tame as a pussy cat In the street Step-step-step Go her little red feet And her little round head Mrs. Peck Pigeon Goes picking for bread

If one doctor doctors another doctor, does the doctor who doctors the doctor doctor the doctor the way the doctor he is doctoring doctors? Or does he doctor the doctor the way the doctor who doctors doctors?

He who knows , and knows he knows, He is wise --- follow him. He who knows, and knows not he knows, He is asleep --- wake him. He who knows not, and knows he knows not, He is a child --- teach him. --- Anonymous

Major Decisions How do you like your coffee? Black! Black! How do you like your tea? With lemon, please. How do you like your steak? Medium rare. How do you like your eggs? I don’t care! Sunny side up? I don’t care! Poached on toast? I don’t care! Scrambled, with bacon? I don’t care! Over easy? I don’t care! Come on, tell me! This isn’t fair. I told you the truth. I really don’t care.

Stress Placement

Two-syllable Nouns ‘distance ‘damsel

‘menu ‘digest

z*** Some nouns are stressed on the root and not on the prefix. ex’cuse mis’take de’sign dis’pute

Compound Nouns

‘firetruck ‘software ‘classmate

Reflexive Pronouns your’self her’self them’selves

Two-syllable Verbs and Adjectives (Stress the root) Adjectives

Verbs

‘useful

‘soften

a’live

em’ploy

Two-syllable Adverbs and Prepositions (Stress the root.) be’side a’bove ‘quickly

Two-word Verbs turn ‘on put ‘up shut ‘down

Suffixes z Stress the syllable before these suffixes: Suffix Word z -ity pub’licity z -ic ener’getic z -ical eco’logical z -ify so’lidify z -ion ex’tinction z -logy psy’chology z -cient su’fficient z -graphy pho’tography z -ious mys’terious

Stress the suffixes Suffix z-esce z-ee z-eer z-esque z-ese z-ette

Word acquiESCE referEE mountainEER ArabESQUE ChinESE cigarETTE

Stress the second syllable before the suffixes Suffix z-ize z-ate z-ary

Word ‘standardize ‘fortunate ‘secretary

zStress does not change but remains on the same syllable Suffix Word z-ful ‘bountiful (bounty) z-al pro’fessional (profession) z-able be’lievable (believe) z-ly ‘mentally (mental) z-ment em’ployment (employ) z-ness ‘happiness (happy)

***Some exceptions: Suffix z-ic z-ee z-ion z-ize z-tary

Word ‘Arabic com‘mittee ‘intersection ‘personalize supple’mentary

Nouns, verbs, and adjectives ending in -ate zAdjectives and nouns - /It/ zVerbs – /eIt/ Practice reading the words as verbs then as nouns/adjectives: estimate duplicate separate alternate

Two-syllable Nouns and Verbs Nouns ‘permit ‘progress ‘object ‘subject ‘present

Verbs per’mit prog’ress ob’ject sub’ject pre’sent

*** Some Exceptions: zStress is on the second syllable for both forms report review zStress is on the first syllable for both forms comfort accent zOne can stress either syllable detail research

Stress Placement and Spelling Game

Intonation

duh duh duh

mee mee mee

duh duh duh

mee mee mee

duh duh duh

mee mee mee

duh duh duh

mee mee mee

la la la

so so so

la la la

so so so

la la la

so so so

la la la

so so so

ho ho ho

Dawn likes dogs.

ho ho ho

It tastes like rain.

ho ho ho

I can’t draw.

ho ho ho

Ann took it.

Statement Intonation with Nouns z Intonation is used to introduce new information. Angela wants a book. Bryce plays pool. Pat teaches French.

Josh sells some boxes. Ben paints the fence. The girls like the food. The kids need some help.

Noun and Pronoun Intonation Rob likes Anne.

He likes her.

Terry eats crackers.

She eats them.

The plumber fixed the pipe.

He fixed it.

The boys need some money. They need something.

Alice knows Angel and me.

She knows us.

The kids have a show.

They have one.

Pete sells cars.

He sells them.

1. The R ising Intonation – for ques tions ans werable b y YES or NO 1. Are yo u okay? 2. Is Reggie i n his office? Ask questio ns beginni ng with: Have… ? W ill… ? Am… ? W as… ?

Were… ? Has… ?

1. used to ask so meone to repeat w hat he /s he said 1. Say tha t again? 2. Exc use me?

q

The Falling Intonation – for open-ended questions

1. What is the latest news on outsourcing? 2. What are the advantages of your new product? Ask questions beginning with: Whose…? Which…? Who…? Whom…? -

used when giving choices

1. Do you want an apple or a banana?

R e a s o n s fo r In to n a t io n 1 . C o ntra st I lik e d o g s, b u t I h a te ca ts . 2 . N e w In fo rm a tio n It lo o k s like w a te r .

3 . O p inio n It lo o k s like w a te r , b ut it co u ld b e p o iso n . 4 . C a n’t c a n’t – stre s se d

ca n – w ith a sc hw a

Yo u c a n ’t d o tha t.

H e re ’s w ha t w e ca n d o fo r yo u .

Variable Stress What would you have? What would you have? What would you have? What would you have?

Hello, my name is Angel.

Hello, my name is Angel.

Hello, my name is Angel.

Points to Remember: v When you’re making a statement for the first time, you stress the nouns. v When you replace the nouns with pronouns, stress the verbs.

v A question rises a little higher than a statement with the same pattern. v Heightened emotions are best expressed with a rising intonation pattern.

Linking

zWhen a word ends in a consonant sound and the next starts with a vowel sound, the words are connected. Can I have your name? Have a nice day!

Ke nigh havyour name? Ha vuhnice day

My name is

my naymiz

LA

eh lay

American accent

america naccent

zWhen a word ending in a vowel sound is placed before a word that begins with a vowel sound, they are connected with a Y or W sound. vowel + /Y/ + vowel vowel + /w/ +vowel

He isn’t here.

He yisn’t here.

You are kind

you ware kind

May I ask how you’re related?

Too often

May yie ask…

too woften

Exercise: z Y or W? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

So honest ____ To open ____ Do I? ____ Who is ____ To understand ____

Y or W? 6. He is ____ 7. To access ____ 8. He always ____ 9. Through any ____ 10. Just do it. ____

Linking two consonants

zWhen the sound of D,T, Z, or S is followed by a word that begins with a Y, or its sound, the words are connected.

T + Y = CH What’s your

watcher

Don’t you

dontcha

Let you

letcha

Can’t you do it

cantchew

D+Y=J Could you

couldja

Did you

didja

Find your

fine jer

Education

ejucation

S + Y = SH Bless you

blesshue

Pass your

pasher

Guess your

guesshur

Yes, you are

yeshuwar

Z + Y = ZH Who’s your

whozier

Where’s your

wherezhur

How was your

howwazhier

He says you’re

he sezhur

Common American Expressions: Let’s go!

Sko.

What are you doing?

Whatcha doin?

I have got a caller.

I’ve gotta caller.

I’ll let you know.

I’ll letcha know.

How is it going?

Howzit going?

How did you like it?

Howja like it?

What do you think?

Whaddyu think?

Tell her that I miss her.

TellerImisser.

What are you waiting for?

Whaddya waiting for?

I’ll meet you later

Meechu later.

Don’t you get it?

Doancha geddit?

I don’t know, it’s too hard.

I dunno, stoo hard.

Could we go?

Kwee gou?

How to Speak Better English zListen to audio books. zWatch American TV shows and movies. zRecord yourself. zThink, feel, and speak the English language.