American English Pronunciation Podcast
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
221: Compare โunvoiced thโ to /f/, /s/, and /t/
29 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How to pronounce words like "thin/fin," "mouth/mouse," and "both/boat." Perfect your English fricative sounds by never stopping the air from passing t...
220: The โn-gโ spelling creates /ล/, as in the word โsongโ
12 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
At the end of the word, the /ล/ doesn't need an additional /g/. The /g/ is potentially included mid-word. Transcripts available at pronuncian.com
219: /g+n/ as in โsignalโ and โignoreโ
26 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
"Coarticulating" the /g/ and /n/ is the trick to fluent pronunciation of these two sounds. Don't release the /g/ before starting the /n/. Transcripts...
218: Learn to hear vowels to learn to pronounce them
14 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Test your ability to identify vowel sounds with this special listening quiz episode. Transcripts available on pronuncian.com.
217: Compare long e, short i, and short e /i, ษช, ษ/
29 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The long e, short i, and short e /i, ษช, ษ/, are three front vowel sounds that can be practiced from a high, front tongue position to a mid-front pos...
216: The Cardinal Vowels--long e /i/, oo sound /u/, short o /ษ/, and short a /รฆ/
17 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
All about that vowels diagram that shows the vowel sounds placed over a sort of square-like shape thatโs bigger on the top than it is on the bottom....
215: Adding โbonusโ information by using a low pitch
01 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Use a low pitch to signal a spoken aside (like information that would be written in parentheses or between commas). Transcripts available at pronunci...
214: Yes/No Pitch Patterns
20 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Understand the rising and falling pitch patterns for yes/no questions and learn how to read emotion. Transcripts on pronuncian.com. Classes availabl...
213: Intonation of Wh- Questions
07 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What are you *really* asking? Using a rising or a falling pitch on a wh- question means something different than using a rising pitch. Transcripts av...
212: /r+ษ/ โexploreโ into โexplorerโ
25 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Adding /ษ/ (schwa+r) to an /r/ can be difficult. Make it into two syllables, but don't add a vowel sound between. Learn how here! By Seattle Learning...
211: Compare /รฆ/ and /ษ/ (โshort aโ and โshort oโ)
28 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Words like 'hat' and 'hot' are important to distinguish. Full episode transcripts available at Pronuncian.com
210: โ-ueโ ending (unique, avenue, and rescue)
27 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Is it silent, pronounced as 'long u' or 'oo sound'? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
209: The difference between /ษ/ and /ส/: schwa and short u
25 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
What's up with /ษ/ and /ส/ in words like 'custom' /หkสs tษm/? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
208: Cone/corn, coat/court
11 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Practice the difference between the or sound and the long o sound. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
207: Why is โquarterโ so hard to say?
25 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Rhyming with 'shorter' and 'border,' this is a quirky word. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
206: I like/Iโd like... bacon!
11 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Rhythm and linking from /d/. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
205: Dealing with โo-u-g-hโ
28 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
No English spelling could be more confusing. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
204: How โhave toโ becomes โhaftaโ
14 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Informal contractions for fluency! Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
203: When /t/ sounds like /d/ during linking: alveolar stop
31 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Most recognize the /d/ in the pronunciation of 'little' but how about in 'out_of'? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
202: How similar are /n/ and /l/?
12 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Even small differences in vocal tract profiles can make a big difference. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
201: Why is โsymptomโ pronounced that way?
16 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Learn the many variations of the letter 'o' pronunciation. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
200: A new spelling poem!
01 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Written for you, by Amanda, to help you learn the long vowel spellings. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
199: Would you like some coffee or tea?
25 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Practice intonation patterns of choice questions. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
198: Pronouncing โclothes,โ โcloseโ (verb), and โcloseโ (adjective)
11 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Make these difficult words easier to say! Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
197: Linking vowels to sound fluent!
26 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Some before and after student audio to illustrate linking. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
196: Do you say โpeopleโ as โpeopoโ?
26 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Common problems with words that end in '-le.' Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
195: Dropping the /k/ in โaskedโ (HIMYM)
05 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
YES, you can pronounce it as 'ast'! Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
194: โfaux pas, chauffeur, fiance,โ and more
22 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Loanwords from French into English. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
193: โTwas the Night Before Christmas
19 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this Christmas special, learn where to find free ebooks and audio books online! Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
192: Special holiday words
05 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Mistletoe, tree farms, Scrooges, and more... Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
191: The difference between โmy carโ and โMike areโ
27 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Aspiration, of course. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
190: From โwait timeโ to โsnack timeโ
13 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Linking different stops is a bit harder than linking same and similar stops. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
189: Linking magic!
30 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Linking same and similar stop sounds increases spoken fluency. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
188: Heteronyms: โLeadโ rhymes with โreadโ
16 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
AND 'lead' rhymes with 'read'! Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
187: โFallโ and โautumnโ
02 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In the US, it's 'fall;' in the UK, it's 'autumn.' Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
186: Fake it โtil you make it!
11 Sep 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Are you uncomfortable speaking really well? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
185: From /ส/ to /สค/ (โzhโ to โjโ)
28 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
A natural progression through consonant sounds. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
184: Pronouncing /ส/ the โzh soundโ
14 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
If you can say sh, you can say zh! Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
183: expected and unexpected /s/ and /ส/ minimal pairs
31 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Pairs like 'sock' and 'shock' are obvious; 'sour' and 'shower' might not be. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
182: โonโ and โoffโ: /ษn/ and /ษf/
17 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
The 'cot/caught' merger and short o/aw sound revisited. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
181: The troublesome โthrโ /ฮธr/ combination
03 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Practice words like 'three, through, throw, thread,' and 'threaten.' Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
180: โbecauseโโโcuzโ: stressed, unstressed, informal
19 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
How to know which form of this high-frequency word to use. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
179: The silent /p/ in โpneumaticโ and โpsychologyโ
05 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
A listener request for an explanation of less-common patterns. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
178: โFeelingโ the vibration of vowel sounds
15 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Learn the feel the 'long e' /i/, 'short a' /รฆ/, and 'short o' /ษ/. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
177: -ate suffix revisited--advanced lesson
01 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Highly fluent speakers understand this suffix. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
176: Swearing!
17 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
If you're going to swear, you'd better be able to pronounce short vowel sounds! Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
175: Short Vowels Minimal Sets
03 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Practice sets like: pat, pet, pit, pot, putt. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
174: 3-sound clusters beginning with โsโ
20 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
/skr/ (scratch) /spl/ (splash) /spr/ (spree) and /str/ (streak) Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
173: Digraphs and trigraphs, complicated spelling patterns
06 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
sh, th, tch, dge, gn, mb, and more!
172: The โccโ spelling pronunciations (as in โaccuseโ and โsucceed)
20 Feb 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Is it /k/ as in 'accuse' or /ks/ as in 'succeed' Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
171: The silent /l/ in the word โsalmonโ
06 Feb 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Even words we don't use often still matter. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
170: โschwa+rโ /ษ/ paragraph practice
23 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Practice this difficult sound in context. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
169: Pronouncing โSeattleโ
09 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
It takes an advanced lesson to handle a word like 'Seattle.' Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
168: Stress pronunciation patterns in 3-syllable words
19 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Main stress, secondary stress, and schwa, all in one word
167: When to use the informal contraction โusetaโ
05 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
And when can 'used to' be substituted by 'would.' Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
166: Understanding /ล/, the โngโ sound
07 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
When does (and doesn't) the g sound follow the ng sound? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
165: What is the vocal tract?
24 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
From the lips to the throat and the nose down to the vocal cords. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
164: Consonant clusters in English
10 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
/br/, /pr/, /gr/, /kr/, and /skr/ at the beginning of a word. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
163: -ile and the differences in American and British English
26 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
fragile: /หfrรฆdส ษl/ in the US /หfrรฆdส aษชl/ in the UK. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
162: The differences between /b/ and /v/
12 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Two different, yet similar sounds. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
161: Schwa in 2-syllable words
29 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The importance of tiny syllables! Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
160: w+a (want), w+a-r (warm), w+o-r (work)
08 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Less-known patterns for the aw sound, schwa+r, and or sound. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
159: What are non-phonetic words?
25 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Words that aren't pronounced like we'd expect. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
158: Vowels plus voiced and unvoiced consonants
11 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Vowel sound duration depends on many things. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
157: Native French speakers special!
27 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The top 10 errors made by native French speakers. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
156: Silent letters in high-frequency words
30 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Which high-frequency words have a silent consonant?
155: The f sound and semi-irregular plurals
16 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
3 things to keep in mind when making 'wife' into 'wives' and 'leaf' into 'leaves.' Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
154: โShe sells seashellsโ
02 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A tongue twister to compare the sh sound and s sound. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
153: โLook at Luke!โ
18 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Compare the oo sound and other u sound. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
152: โs-c-hโ and the word โscheduleโ
04 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
An American/British difference and a Greek history. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
151: j/ch sounds plus -ed ending
14 Mar 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Practice adding the -ed ending to the j or ch sound. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
150: Common spellings and non-phonetic words
29 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
How do we choose which spellings are common and which words are non-phonetic? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
149: Practicing the /w/ and /v/
15 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
/w/ and /v/ in paragraph practice. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
148: More โthโ sounds practice
01 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Practice quickly saying the th sounds in paragraphs. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
147: The -ious suffix
11 Jan 2012
Contributed by Lukas
All of those vowels and two different pronunciations make this a tricky suffix. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
146: Happy โNewโ Year!
28 Dec 2011
Contributed by Lukas
"New" in American and British English. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
145: a, e,i, o, u and sometimes y
14 Dec 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Why is 'y' sometimes a vowel. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
144: -ed ending exceptions
30 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Some -ed adjectives gain a syllable. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
143: Donโt over-pronounce sounds
02 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Exaggeration is not authentic speech. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
142: The syllabic /l/
12 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Don't add a vowel sound! Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
141: We โrecentlyโ changed our t sound lesson
28 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Updates to the alternative t sound patterns. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
140: The โooโ spelling of the words โfootโ and โsoonโ
14 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The oo sound is more common, but the other u sound is possible. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
139: Pronunciation of โsureโ
31 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
It begins with an sh sound, but after that, it gets a little complicated. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
138: Pronunciation of โoftenโ
10 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
/t/ or no /t/, and what about the 'o'? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
137: โctโ spelling plus -ed and -s ending
27 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Difficult consonant combinations explained. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
135: m sound/n sound/ng sound
29 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The sounds that come out your nose! Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
134: consonant-y-consonant
15 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The letter "y" in the middle of a word. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
133: t/d, p/b, and k/g at the beginning of a word
01 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Puff practice! Stop sounds at the beginning of words. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
132: ea spelling: long e or short e
18 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Which pronunciation is the most common for this spelling? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
131: The word โnewโ in place names
28 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Syllable stress patterns in open compound nouns. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
130: 2-syllable word stress
30 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
How accurate are the 2-syllable word stress patterns?
129: Portuguese speakers special, part 2
16 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Troublesome consonant sounds for Portuguese speakers. Troublesome consonant sounds for Portuguese speakers.
128: The pronunciations of i-consonant-e
02 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
i-consonant-e in 1-, 2-, and 3-syllable words for English as a Second Language Learners. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
127: Portuguese speakers special, part 1
17 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The English vowel sounds that cause problems for Portuguese speakers. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
126: Unstressed syllables, part 2
02 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Short i as an unstressed vowel sound for English as a Second Language Learners. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
125: Unstressed syllables, part 1
19 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Schwa: the most important weak vowel sound. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
124: French words in English
04 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
How the French language affects English pronunciation. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
123: A Merry, Marry, Mary Christmas
22 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
A tri-sound merger explained for the Holidays. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
119: The bunched /r/
27 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Which of these two techniques for the r sound works best for you? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
118: The prefix re-
13 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
long e, short i, short e, and schwa: all pronunciations of re- Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.