American English Pronunciation Podcast

117: Suffixes with /ʧ/ (ch sound)

29 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

The -tion, -tial, -ure, and -al suffix and how they relate to the ch sound. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

116: Using ’ain’t’

15 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

When is--and when isn'--'ain't' appropriate? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

115: Sound combinations: sp-, st-, sk-, sc-

01 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

What happens to unvoiced stops after the s sound? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

114: ’Puff’ (aspiration) details of stop sounds

18 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Stops are /b/, /p/, /k/, /g/, /d/, nd /t/, and the amount of "puff" we give to them matters. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

113: The /h/, like a chameleon

04 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

No sound can become more like surrounding sounds than the h sound. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

112: Dropping the /d/

21 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Here is a little-discussed rule about omitting the d sound in certain consonant clusters. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

111: Linking /v/ and /f/

07 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Practicing a few simple techniques can make it much easier to transition to and from the v sound and f sound. Full episode transcripts at www.pronunc...

110: Troublesome /v/ and /f/

23 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Be careful with the /b/, /p/ and /w/ when working with the /f/ and /v/. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

109: /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/ (s, z, sh, and zh sounds) compare and contrast

09 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Four sounds that are quite similar, but different in a few very important ways. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

108: In the US, it is ’learned’ and ’spelled,’ while the British kept ’learnt’ and ’spelt’

02 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

The English past tense became regular; the British kept the irregular spelling. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

107: ’ck’ after short vowels (as in back), ’k’ after all the others (as in ’bake)

26 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Learning intricate English phonetic patterns can give you confidence in vowel pronunciation. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

106: ’long u’ stressed and reduced; /yu/ or /yə/?

19 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

The long u can be difficult to recognize in multi-syllable words, especially when it's reduced. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcas...

105: Pronouncing ’though,’ ’thought,’ ’through,’ and ’thorough’

12 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

These four o-u-g-h words can be so similar, yet different in very important ways. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

104: Pronouncing ’pronounce’ and ’pronunciation’

05 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Many patterns of pronunciation can be found through a quick study of these two words. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

102: Russian/Ukrainian Special Episode

21 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Learn the most common difficulties Russian and Ukrainian speakers face when speaking English with an American English accent. Full episode transcript...

101: Subtle oddities of the word ’subtle’

14 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A silent /b/, an altered /t/, and a strange history make the word 'subtle' interesting to learn about! Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com...

100: A Hundred/One Hundred

07 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Why is saying 'a hundred' more common than saying 'one hundred' in American English? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

99: Three-word informal contractions

31 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

'How did you' can be reduced to 'howdja;' 'where did you' to 'wheredja;' and 'what did you' to 'whadja,' but those reductions can cost listener compre...

97: The transition from ’used to’ to ’useta’

17 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Informal contractions are born when speakers find easier ways to pronounce words. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

96: How ’women’ could have been ’wimmen’

10 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Noah Webster did his best to make spelling easier, but his ideas weren't always accepted. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

94: /t/+/y/=/ʧ/, /d/+/y/=/ʤ/, surprising ’ch’ and ’j’ sounds.

24 Feb 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Assimilation: two adjacent sounds can cause changes to pronunciation. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

93: Do you accidentally make your /l/ into /w/?

10 Feb 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Don't round those lips! Especially at the end of the word, the l sound can cause some surprising problems. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian...

91: iPad/iPod, the world’s newest /æ,ɑ/ (short a/short o) minimal pair

27 Jan 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Even some native speakers of English are worried about the similar pronunciation of the newest Apple product. Comparing pronunciation of the iPad to t...

90: The j sound, spelled j, dge, ge, and g(i)

20 Jan 2010

Contributed by Lukas

The 'dge' and 'j' spelling are both usually pronounced with the 'j sound.' And don't forget, a 'j sound' is simply a voiced 'ch sound'! Full episode ...

88: Why is ’tch’ (as in ’watch’) easier to pronounce than ’ch’ (as in which)?

06 Jan 2010

Contributed by Lukas

The 'tch' and 'ch' spelling should BOTH be pronounced as /ʧ/ (the ch sound, yet 'tch' often seems easier for non-native English speakers. Full episo...

85: Why is the ’Ch’ in ’Christmas’ pronounced as /k/?

16 Dec 2009

Contributed by Lukas

It's all Greek to me! Knowing a little bit of history behind a word can go a long way when it comes to pronouncing the 'ch' spelling. Full episode tr...

84: ’Who,’ ’what,’ ’when,’ and ’where’: How do you pronouce words that begin with wh-?

09 Dec 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Do you pronounce /h/ in the wh- spelling? Not usually. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

82: Thanksgiving holiday th sounds /ð, θ/ review

18 Nov 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have fun reviewing the 'th sounds' with this extra practice podcast. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podc...

81: ”About a boat,” comparing /oʊ/ and /aʊ/

10 Nov 2009

Contributed by Lukas

These two-sound vowels (the long o and ow--as in 'no' and 'now') both end in the w sound, and both can be spelled 'ow.' Full episode transcripts at w...

79: Comparing /eɪ/, /i/, /ɑɪ/ (long a, long i, and long e)

28 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Understanding how the vowel sounds in 'bake,' 'bike' and 'beak' are related to /y/. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

78: Comparing /æ/, /ɑ/, /ɔ/ (short a, short o, and aw)

20 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Understanding a sequence of low vowel sounds (as in 'stack,' 'stock,' and 'stalk') Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

77: Comparing /i/, /ɪ/, /ɛ/, and /ʌ/ (long e, short i, short e, and short u)

07 Oct 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Understanding a sequence of very similar sounds (as in 'bead,' 'bid,' 'bed,' and 'bud') Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

75: ’can’ and ’can’t,’ how are they different? Not how you expect!

16 Sep 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Change in vowel sounds, sentence stress, and a glottal stop: lots of details make the pronunciation of these words different. Full episode transcript...

74: Are ’for’ and ’four’ pronounced the same or differently?

09 Sep 2009

Contributed by Lukas

for/four: When do the words for and four sound the same, and when are they different? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

73: Reducing the word ’of’ to /ə/

26 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

When the word 'of' links into a consonant, the /v/ is often dropped. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

72: Using /n/ instead of /ŋ/ (the ’ng’ sound) in -ing ending

19 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

-ing: substituting the n sound for the ng sound. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

71: When and why do some words (like ’interesting’) lose a syllable?

12 Aug 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Linguistic concepts of 'syncope' and 'compression' make big words into smaller words. Luckily, there is a pattern. Full episode transcripts at www.pr...

69: Numbers: Teens versus Tens (as in 19 vs. 90)

22 Jul 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Syllable stress and alternative 't sounds' are used to differentiate these sounds more than the /n/ at the end of teens! Full episode transcripts at ...

68: Voiced and Unvoiced ’th’ /ð,θ/ review

15 Jul 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Yes, dear listeners, keep your tongue in your mouth! Don't put it between your teeth. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

66: Syllabic n’s and nasal plosions (as in the words ’sudden’ and ’couldn’t’)

01 Jul 2009

Contributed by Lukas

No vowels allowed! Join /d/ and /n/ to sound more fluent. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

65: Uh-oh! The glottal stop in place of /t/

24 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

What is a glottal stop and when do Americans use it? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

63: When Americans drop the /t/ (with audio from The Incredibles)

03 Jun 2009

Contributed by Lukas

When do Americans omit the /t/? This audio from the movie "The Incredibles" will help you understand. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/...

61: The American /t/ as a quick /d/

21 May 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Why does 'water' sound like 'wadder'? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

#60 Tag questions aren’t really questions, are they?

13 May 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Pitch boundaries are the clue to knowing what someone is really asking when they ask a tag question. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/p...

59: Falling pitch boundaries on yes/no questions

06 May 2009

Contributed by Lukas

When to use a falling pitch instead of a rising pitch on a yes/no question. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

58: Pitch Boundaries, Rising and Falling

22 Apr 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Pitch boundaries organize conversations, and give important emotional clues about the speaker. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast...

57: Comparing extra-high and rising pitch words

15 Apr 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Learn the difference between contrasting and defensively correcting your listener. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

56: Extra-high pitch words for extra intensity

08 Apr 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Add drama, correct someone, and try to not sound angry with these pitch words. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

55: Intonation and high pitch words, an introduction

01 Apr 2009

Contributed by Lukas

An introduction to English intonation and high pitch words in yes/no questions. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

53: Phrasal verb sentence stress

18 Mar 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Typical sentence stress changes when phrasal verbs are involved: stress the preposition, not the verb. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com...

52: Linking from the -ed ending

11 Mar 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Fluently linking from the -ed ending is important for listening comprehension and proper articulation. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com...

50: The silent /t/ in ’-sten’ and ’-stle’ (as in ’listen’ and ’whistle’)

25 Feb 2009

Contributed by Lukas

There is no /t/ in the pronunciation of words like 'listen' and 'whistle'. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

48: ’talk’ and ’walk’ and other ’-alk’ /ɔk/ words

11 Feb 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Another silent /l/, plus the 'aw' vowel sound /ɔ/ in this English spelling pattern. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

47: ’should,’ ’could,’ and ’would’: /ʃʊd/, /kʊd/, /wʊd/

03 Feb 2009

Contributed by Lukas

There /l/ is silent, and the vowel /ʊ/ is the same as the 'u' in the word 'put'. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

46: ’Three,’ ’through,’ ’throw’ and other /θr/ combination words

27 Jan 2009

Contributed by Lukas

The pronouncing 'unvoiced th' /θ/ in English is difficult; the r sound also is difficult. Together they are VERY difficult. Full episode transcripts...

45: Chinese speakers special episode

21 Jan 2009

Contributed by Lukas

Learn the specific problems that native speakers of Chinese have when pronouncing English. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

44: Letter ’x’ pronunciations: /ks/ or /gz/

14 Jan 2009

Contributed by Lukas

While /ks/ is more common (as in 'box'), "gz" ( as in 'exact') is also a pronunciation for the letter 'x'. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian...

43: About the words ’world’ and ’word’: /wɚld/ and /wɚd/

07 Jan 2009

Contributed by Lukas

The /w/, r-controlled vowels, and /l/: lots of opportunity for pronunciation trouble. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

42: Spanish speakers special episode

30 Dec 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Special episode covering the issues that native Spanish speakers have when speaking English. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

41: The silent b in the -mb spelling (as in ’climb’ and ’thumb’)

27 Dec 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn this rule to sound more fluent!

40: ’been,’ not ’bean’: /bɪn/, not /bin/

17 Dec 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Americans usually pronounce 'been' with a 'short i,' not a 'long e.' Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

39: ’quit, quite,’ and ’quiet’

10 Dec 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn to correctly say these three similar-sounding words. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

38: ’idea’--a troublesome little 4-letter word

06 Dec 2008

Contributed by Lukas

A few tips about adjacent vowel sounds for this 3-syllable word that help for even more words. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast...

37: ’says’ and ’said’--two words NOT pronounced with ’long a’ /eɪ/

26 Nov 2008

Contributed by Lukas

/sɛz/ and /sɛd/: be careful about mispronouncing these two high-frequency words. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

36: Japanese speaker special

16 Nov 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Native Japanese speakers of English face special difficulties when speaking English. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

35: there, their, they’re: they’re all said the same!

15 Nov 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn the correct way to pronounce these three homophones. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

34: consonant+y suffix (-cy, -ity, -graphy, -fy) word syllable stress

08 Nov 2008

Contributed by Lukas

The consonant+y covers a wide number of suffix-based syllable stress patterns. Learn one and you learn many. Full episode transcripts at www.pronunci...

33: -ate suffix word syllable stress and heteronyms

01 Nov 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Words ending in the -ate suffix are stressed on the 3rd-from-last syllable, but the suffix itself can sound differently depending if the word is a nou...

32: -ize suffix (as in ’recognize’ and ’prioritize’) word syllable stress

21 Oct 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Words ending in the -ize suffix are usually stressed on the 3rd-from-last syllable. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

31: -ic suffix word syllable stress

15 Oct 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn about -ic word stress (as in 'classic' and 'economic') and review the 2-syllable word stress rule and -tion/-sion syllable stress. Full episod...

30: 2-syllable word stress and -tion/-sion syllable stress

08 Oct 2008

Contributed by Lukas

English syllable stress follows some very common patterns that can be learned. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

29: Compare /i/ and /ɪ/ (’long e’ & ’short i’--as in ’sheep’ and ’ship’)

30 Sep 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn about the often mispronounced short i sound, and compare it with the long e sound. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

28: The /h/ (as in ’hello’ and ’happy’)

24 Sep 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn to correctly pronounce /h/ in English, not too hard, not too soft. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

27: The /g/ and /k/, stops in American English

17 Sep 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Voicing and aspiration are characteristics of /g/ and /k/ in English pronunciation. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

26: English /m/ and /n/ pronunciation

10 Sep 2008

Contributed by Lukas

The /m/ and /n/ are two of the three nasal sounds in English. Learn about them here. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

25: The ’ng’ sound /ŋ/ (as in ’song’) pronunciation

03 Sep 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn about the ng sound (as in 'song'), the first of three nasal sounds in English pronunciation. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/pod...

24: The ’ch’ /ʧ/ and ’j’ /ʤ/ pronunciation in English

27 Aug 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn about the 'ch' (as in 'church') and 'j' (as in 'judge'), English's only two affricate sounds. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/po...

23: The /p/ and /b/ in English

20 Aug 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Pronounce /p/ and /b/ correctly and compare them with the consonants /f/ and /v/. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

22: Review all the sounds covered so far

13 Aug 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Wow, you've been busy learning! Don't lose the important knowledge of English pronunciation that you've gained. It's review day! Full episode transcr...

21: The Rhythm Rule and sentence stress, continued

06 Aug 2008

Contributed by Lukas

How is the rhythm of spoken English created? Continuing learning the basics behind sentence stress and the Rhythm Rule. Full episode transcripts at w...

20: The Rhythm Rule and Sentence Stress

30 Jul 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Spoken English rhythm follows patterns of stressed and unstressed words and syllables. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

19: -ed ending pronunciation

23 Jul 2008

Contributed by Lukas

/d/, /t/, and /ɪd/: become fluent with the three pronunciations for regular past tense verbs in English. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian....

18: The /f/ and /v/ in English

16 Jul 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Compare pronunciation of /f/ and /v/ and learn why they're difficult to say fluently. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

17: The ’sh’ /ʃ/ and ’zh’ /ʒ/ in English

09 Jul 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Practice comparing the 'sh' (as in 'she') and lesser known 'zh' (as in 'vision'). Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

16: Reduced Pronouns: ’he, him, her,’ and ’them’

02 Jul 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn how and why to NOT say the first sound of the words 'he, him, her,' and 'them.'

15: Linking vowel sounds

24 Jun 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Become fluent by linking a word that ends with a vowel sound to a word that begins with a vowel sound. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com...

14: Linking consonant sounds

18 Jun 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn how linking from word to word increases spoken English fluency

13: Informal contractions in American English

11 Jun 2008

Contributed by Lukas

wanna, gonna, hafta, whadja, howdja: Learn how to understand and why to use informal contractions in English.

12: Common contractions in American English

04 Jun 2008

Contributed by Lukas

don't, can't, won't, hasn't, didn't, weren't: Learn how to say and why to use common contractions in English.

11: ’aw’ /ɔ/, ’oi’ /ɔɪ/, and ’ow’ /aʊ/ in American English

28 May 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Practice comparing the 'aw' with other similar vowels, and practice the diphthongs 'oi' and 'ow.'

10: The American English ’oo sound’ /u/ and ’other u’ /ʊ/

20 May 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn about the tricky /ʊ/ 'other u' (as in 'put') and/u/, the oo sound (as in 'soon').

9: The short vowel sounds /æ, ɛ, ɪ, ɑ, ʌ/ in American English

14 May 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn which sounds are short vowels and how to correctly pronounce them.

8: The long vowel sounds: /eɪ, i, ɑɪ, oʊ, yu/ in American English

07 May 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn which sounds are long vowels and how to correctly pronounce them. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

7: Pronouncing /w/ and /y/

30 Apr 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn how to create semi-vowels (glides), the /w/ and /y/ and how they exist in words. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

6: American English r-controlled vowels /ɚ, ɑr, ɔr, ɛr/

23 Apr 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Practice saying and hearing the difference between r-controlled vowels: /ɚ, ɑr, ɔr,/ and /ɛr/ Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podc...

5: The American English /r/ and /l/

15 Apr 2008

Contributed by Lukas

The tricky /r/ can cause even more problems when it is near the /l/. Full transcripts available at www.pronuncian.com/podcasts.

4: The American English /r/

07 Apr 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Learn how the American /r/ is different from the British /r/.

3: The English /s/ and /z/

01 Apr 2008

Contributed by Lukas

When does the -s ending sound like /s/, and when does it sound like /z/?

2: The English /t/ and /d/

24 Mar 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Begin learning about "stops", the /t/ and /d/.

1: The English ’th sounds’ /θ, ð/

19 Mar 2008

Contributed by Lukas

Yes, we have two 'th sounds,' /θ,/ and /ð/and they are both very important.