[fluentu-toc skip=3]<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n The main feature that separates the American accent from a lot of other accents in English is rhotic speech<\/strong>. This means that most Americans pronounce the r<\/em> in words such as “hard” (har-d)<\/em>. You can hear it in Michelle Obama’s speeches:<\/p>\n Non-rhotic speakers don’t pronounce the r,<\/em> and would pronounce the word “hard” like hah-d:\u00a0<\/em>hard<\/p>\n There are some exceptions, of course. Some Americans in the New England area of the US use non-rhotic speech.<\/p>\n Other features<\/em> (properties) of the American accent<\/a> include:<\/p>\n Jim: “Are you going to the store on your way home?” What’s interesting about American English is the relationship between spelling and pronunciation isn’t always direct.<\/strong><\/p>\n The same letter can have different pronunciations based on where it is in a word, and words can sometimes have very unexpected pronunciations.<\/p>\n As we saw before, the General American accent is rhotic<\/strong>, meaning the letter\u00a0r<\/em> is\u00a0always pronounced.<\/p>\n To understand the American R, try listening to these words:\u00a0<\/p>\n cardboard <\/p>\n car\u00a0<\/p>\n enforce <\/p>\n better\u00a0<\/p>\n paper\u00a0<\/p>\n The r<\/em> sound in American English doesn’t use a “trill” like some other languages such as Spanish. Here’s an example:<\/p>\n rural (Spanish) \/ rural (US)<\/p>\n If that seems tricky to pronounce, don’t worry! All you have to do is learn where to put your tongue.<\/strong><\/p>\n When making the American English r<\/em> sound, open your lips slightly and place your tongue right in the middle of your mouth, with the sides of your tongue touching your back teeth. Then, curl the tip of your tongue up toward the top of your mouth.<\/p>\n The trick is to make sure the tip of your tongue doesn’t touch anything, especially not the back of your teeth!<\/p>\n To practice this, try saying the word “ear.” Start with the e<\/em> sound, then curl up the tip of your tongue. The sound should change from an e <\/em>to an r <\/em>like magic!<\/p>\n The letter\u00a0t\u00a0<\/em>is another example of a letter\u00a0that’ll tell you if a person is from the States right away.<\/p>\n The first thing you have to remember about the letter t\u00a0<\/em>is that, in the American accent, it sounds like something between a d<\/em> and an r<\/em><\/strong> when it’s between vowel sounds. Or, between a vowel and the letter l.<\/em> (This is called t-flapping<\/strong>, and the IPA symbol is [\u027e]<\/a>).<\/p>\n This is what happens in the following words:<\/p>\n water\u00a0<\/p>\n computer\u00a0<\/p>\n matter <\/p>\n cut it out <\/p>\n In the last example, notice how this still happens between words if the t\u00a0<\/em>is between vowel sounds!<\/p>\n Another rule you need to remember about the American t\u00a0<\/em>is that if the\u00a0t\u00a0<\/em>is the last letter of a word and it’s not followed by a vowel as we just saw, then the sound gets “cut” or “stopped.”\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n In other words, you get ready to pronounce it but stop the sound. Listen to some examples:<\/p>\n hot dog\u00a0<\/p>\n cat <\/p>\n abstract <\/p>\n Finally, when you get a\u00a0t\u00a0<\/em>sound before an\u00a0n <\/em>sound, you stop or cut the sound as before and change it into a hard n<\/em>:<\/strong><\/p>\n soda fountain\u00a0<\/p>\n button <\/p>\n cotton <\/p>\n This rule can be more difficult to see because\u00a0t\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0n\u00a0<\/em>won’t normally be together (for example, in the word\u00a0fountai<\/strong>n<\/em>, you have\u00a0ai<\/em> between them). If you want to know more about this, listen to this podcast episode<\/a> from the Seattle Learning Academy (the lesson starts at 1:30).<\/p>\n I suggest practicing with the words above until you sound exactly like the person in the audio. Then, you can search for more words with the letter t<\/em> and practice those, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n The letter\u00a0d\u00a0<\/em>can also be flapped<\/a>, like\u00a0t<\/em>.\u00a0The rules are the same, but we call this d-flapping\u00a0<\/strong>instead.<\/p>\n Although d-flapping is less common than t-flapping, we can still find a lot of examples of this happening in American English:<\/p>\n medal\u00a0<\/p>\n ladder (pronounced like letter)<\/p>\n pudding (pronounced like putting)<\/p>\n wedding (pronounced like wetting)<\/p>\n If I had to pinpoint one sound that will massively help you develop an American accent, it would have to be the schwa sound<\/a>. It\u2019s found in nearly every word!<\/p>\n When you listen to advanced learners who speak American English fluently but who don\u2019t exactly sound like native speakers, it\u2019s usually because they\u2019re not pronouncing the schwa sometimes.<\/p>\n The schwa sound<\/strong> is called a lazy sound because you pronounce it in a really relaxed way: try saying \u201cuh\u201d while just keeping your mouth open a little<\/strong>. All of the vowels in English can be read as a schwa instead of their normal sound, usually if they\u2019re in a syllable that\u2019s not stressed or emphasized.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a common word: \u201cproblem.\u201d Just by reading it, you\u2019d expect the pronunciation to be \u201cpro-blem\u201d because that\u2019s how you pronounce e<\/em>, right? In reality, the pronunciation is actually \u201cpro-bluh<\/em>m.\u201d The\u00a0e<\/em> becomes a schwa sound!<\/p>\n Here are some other English words with the schwa sound:<\/p>\n away (pronounced like uh<\/em>-way)<\/p>\n enemy (pronounced like e-nuh<\/em>-my)<\/p>\n animal (pronounced like a-nuh<\/em>-muh<\/em>l)\u00a0<\/p>\n doctor (pronounced like doc-tuh<\/em>r)<\/p>\n lemon (pronounced like le-muh<\/em>n)\u00a0<\/p>\n Even in \u201cAmerica ,\u201d you have two schwa sounds: Uh<\/em>-mer-i-kuh<\/em>.<\/p>\n Since it’s tricky to guess when to use the schwa just by looking at an English word, you can check the pronunciation guide in dictionaries and look out for \/\u0259\/.<\/p>\n The sound \/j\/<\/a> can also give you information about a person’s accent. This is the j, ge <\/em>or dge\u00a0<\/em>sound that you can hear in American English words like “jump ,” “gentle ” and “judge .” (You can hear it twice in “judge”!)<\/p>\n Many American speakers don’t pronounce this sound after the letters d, n\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0t<\/em>.<\/p>\n This is formally called yod-dropping,<\/strong> and it can easily be seen in everyday words such as:<\/p>\n tune <\/p>\n duty <\/p>\n student <\/p>\n You can watch the following short video to learn about the pronunciation of the word “new:”<\/p>\n With the American accent, native speakers don\u2019t pause between every word much because they use a lot of connected speech. \u00a0<\/p>\n These are the two most common ways it can happen:<\/p>\n When a word ends in a consonant and the next word starts with a vowel, they\u2019re pronounced without a gap between them.<\/p>\n To hear this in action, listen to the sentences below and focus on the bolded words. You’ll notice that they flow together, almost as if they’re one word.<\/p>\n I usually get up<\/strong> at 6 AM. (pronounced like getup<\/em>)\u00a0<\/p>\n She’s eating an egg<\/strong>. (pronounced like anegg<\/em>)\u00a0<\/p>\n Don’t\u00a0take it<\/strong> personally. (pronounced like takeit)<\/em><\/p>\n When a word ends in a vowel and the next one starts with another vowel, there\u2019s usually a \u201cbridging\u201d sound between them so the transition doesn\u2019t sound too abrupt.<\/p>\n I’m ready if you are <\/strong> (pronounced like youw<\/strong>are<\/em>)\u00a0<\/p>\n I am<\/strong> driving a car (pronounced like Iy<\/strong><\/span>am<\/em>)<\/p>\n Can you free up<\/strong> some time for me? (pronounced like freey<\/strong>up<\/em>)<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t been practicing connected speech yet, try it out now with one of the sentences and compare how they sound when you apply connected speech and when you don’t. Connected speech might not be talked about as much in lessons, but it’s a major part of the American accent!<\/p>\n When speaking English (or any other language), you want to use the right words not to be misunderstood or to say anything rude or embarrassing.<\/p>\n Even though we’re not talking about pronunciation here, using the wrong word when you’re speaking can make you sound less “American.” On top of this, some words are also usually said with a specific intonation or body language.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The best way to pick this up would be to observe American English speakers closely.\u00a0If you want to sound natural when you speak American English, knowing the right words to use is just as important as saying them correctly.<\/p>\n Below are some more specific examples of which words to use if you’re trying to speak American English.<\/p>\n A lot of English learners have a problem understanding very informal conversations among young people because they’re full of slang words and expressions.<\/p>\n We can’t include all the slang words that exist in the US, but you can start your own list with these words:<\/p>\n to bail\/to ditch <\/strong> \u2014 to cancel plans with someone<\/p>\n to slay \u2014 to do very well<\/p>\n tea<\/strong> \u2014 gossip<\/p>\n wack<\/strong> \u2014 boring<\/p>\n juiced<\/strong> \u2014 very excited (to do something)<\/p>\n swag<\/strong> \u2014 coolness<\/p>\n zonked<\/strong> \u2014 very tired<\/p>\n hyped<\/strong> \u2014 very excited<\/p>\n hit someone up \u2014 contact someone<\/p>\n vanilla<\/strong> \u2014 ordinary\/boring<\/p>\n American speakers often use “have” when they’re talking about possessions. Here’s how it works with negative sentences and questions:<\/p>\n I don’t have a car.\u00a0<\/p>\n Do you have a car?\u00a0<\/p>\n In addition, the past participle<\/a> (third form of the verb, used in perfect tenses) of the verb “get” is “gotten” in American English. Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n He’s gotten himself a new car.\u00a0<\/p>\n He’s gotten taller.\u00a0<\/p>\n American English also uses “have got” for emphasis:<\/p>\n You’ve got to see this!<\/p>\n You’ve just got to read this book, it’s so good.\u00a0<\/p>\n These informal contractions have become very popular lately thanks to music, movies and TV programs.<\/p>\n There are a lot of teachers who will tell you not to use these types of words during class or when you’re writing in general. But you’d use them when you’re speaking to friends, texting, writing on social media or in other informal interactions.<\/p>\n Here are some common examples:<\/p>\n gonna \u2014 going to<\/p>\n I’m gonna go now. \u2014 I’m going to go now.<\/p>\n wanna \u2014 want to<\/p>\n We don’t wanna go. \u2014 We don’t want to go.<\/p>\n gotta<\/strong> \u2014 got to\/have to<\/p>\n I gotta go. \u2014 I have to go.<\/p>\n kinda \u2014 kind of<\/p>\n That’s kinda funny. \u2014 That’s kind of<\/em> (a little) funny.<\/p>\n sorta \u2014 sort of<\/p>\n I sorta like it here. \u2014 I sort of like it here. (I like it here but not too much)<\/p>\n American accent training is available from many different sources on the internet to help you learn the American English accent.<\/p>\n Below, I’ve listed some sources where you can start.<\/p>\n Recommended for:<\/strong> Improving your American English accent based on your native language\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Speaking Your Best is a free online course run by a licensed speech pathologist<\/a>.<\/p>\n There are specific accent guides for native speakers of different languages, including French, Spanish, Chinese, Indian, Japanese and Russian.<\/p>\n You’ll learn general advice, like why it’s important for American English learners to speak slowly, as well as how to say very specific sounds like an American.<\/p>\n Recommended for:<\/strong> Daily videos about speaking English to keep you on track\u00a0<\/p>\n This YouTube channel uploads new videos every other day.<\/p>\n They focus on helping English learners speak with a neutral accent. Their videos include helpful tips and fun facts to make accent mastery<\/em> (control of a skill) fun.<\/p>\n Along with accent help, you’ll also get vocabulary and grammar English tips.<\/p>\n Recommended for:<\/strong> Fun pronunciation and speaking lessons that are based on acting\u00a0<\/p>\n While Amy Walker isn’t an English language teacher, her series is fun and useful for English learners.<\/p>\n Amy Walker is an actress, so the methods she teaches are the same that actors use to create the convincing<\/em> (easy to believe) accents you see on TV and in movies.<\/p>\n You can hear different American accents in American shows, though you’ll typically hear something close to the Midwestern or General American accent.<\/p>\n The suggestions listed below are useful for English learners because they’re popular and use everyday language. You can find these shows on DVD or online. You may even be able to access some episodes on YouTube.<\/p>\n You can find even more suggestions here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Summary:<\/strong> A classic show from the ’90s, “Friends” features the funny, everyday lives of six close friends.<\/p>\n Where to watch:<\/strong> Amazon Prime<\/a> | HBO Max<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n “Friends” was (and still is) one of the most popular sitcoms<\/em> (situational comedies) in the US. It takes place in New York City, and many of the themes in the program are\u00a0relatable<\/em>, from trying to find a job to going through all of the stages of a relationship and starting a family.\u00a0<\/p>\n Because there\u2019s a lot of slang and fast speech, there might be times when you don\u2019t understand a scene completely, or you\u2019re pausing a lot to look up words. Use subtitles to help you along. You can also find scene breakdowns on our YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n Summary:<\/strong> A widowed dad gets his comedian best friend and rock musician brother-in-law\u00a0to help him take care of his three daughters.\u00a0<\/p>\n Where to watch:<\/strong> Amazon Prime<\/a> | Apple TV<\/a><\/p>\n “Full House” is another sitcom that’s seen all over the world.<\/p>\n The characters range from children to adults, so many of the stories are interesting to the entire family. “Full House” is so popular that some have learned English by watching it<\/a>!<\/p>\n Sitcoms like “Friends” and “Full House” are good for English learners because they’re short and incorporate everyday problems into storylines. They also use a lot of physical humor that’ll help you understand what’s going on even if you can’t follow the dialogue at first.<\/p>\n Summary:<\/strong> “The Simpsons” portrays typical American life from a funny perspective, through a family with all sorts of misadventures.\u00a0<\/p>\n Where to watch:<\/strong> Amazon Prime<\/a> | Disney Plus<\/a><\/p>\n Episodes are shown all over the world and the characters are so popular that they’ve introduced new expressions into American culture.<\/p>\n Any American you meet will be familiar with “The Simpsons.” Some English learning programs even incorporate “The Simpsons” into their lessons<\/a>.<\/p>\n Note that “The Simpsons” generally uses a lot of topical<\/em> (related to current events) and cultural references, so it may be better for advanced learners.<\/p>\n News programs from the US are a great source of American accent audio. For the best experience, try national news programs such as the ones listed below. National news anchors<\/em> (presenters, reporters) tend to have the General American accent.<\/p>\n If you know you\u2019ll be traveling to a region with a strong local accent, such as the South or West, look for videos from local news stations in those areas. You may hear some localized accents.<\/p>\n Tutors are always the best resource because they can help you with your own specific pronunciation needs. The following tutors or language services specialize in helping people learn the American English accent.<\/p>\n Recommended for:<\/strong> Structured learning\u00a0<\/p>\n This American accent audio course is an online program that you can access whenever it’s best for you.<\/p>\n You’ll receive listening exercises and lessons in rhythm and pronunciation. You’ll also get quizzes on your progress. Live tutors are also there to help you with difficulties and to offer more help.<\/p>\n Recommended for:<\/strong> Feedback from tutors\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Cambly is a course you can use online or on your mobile device. It offers a free trial option to see if it’s the right course for you.<\/p>\n Cambly allows you to practice English conversation with a tutor so you can get immediate feedback on your accent.<\/p>\n1. Learn the Unique Features of American English<\/h2>\n
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\nJan: “I could. What you need?” (I could go to the store. What do you need?)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n2. Learn to Pronounce the Letter R<\/em><\/h2>\n
3. Learn to Pronounce Your Ts<\/em> and Ds<\/em> Right<\/h2>\n
The Letter\u00a0T<\/em><\/h3>\n
The Letter\u00a0D<\/em><\/h3>\n
4. Don’t Forget the Schwa Sound \/\u0259\/<\/h2>\n
5. Be Careful of the Sound \/j\/<\/h2>\n
6. Practice Connected Speech<\/h2>\n
Catenation<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Intrusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n
7. Learn Which Words to Use to Sound Natural<\/h2>\n
American Slang<\/h3>\n
“Have” and “Get”<\/h3>\n
American Informal Contractions<\/h3>\n
8. Use American Accent Training Videos<\/h2>\n
Speaking Your Best, Inc.<\/a><\/h3>\n
Learn English with Let\u2019s Talk<\/a><\/h3>\n
Amy Walker’s “How to Do an American Accent” Series<\/a><\/h3>\n
9. Watch American TV Shows<\/h2>\n
“Friends”<\/a><\/h3>\n
“Full House”<\/a><\/h3>\n
“The Simpsons”<\/a><\/h3>\n
10. Watch American News Programs<\/h2>\n
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11. Get Help from an Accent Tutor<\/h2>\n
American Accent Course<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"learn-american-english-accent\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/learn-american-english-accent-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCambly<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"learn-american-english-accent\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/learn-american-english-accent-1.png\")
<\/p>\nRachel\u2019s English<\/a><\/h3>\n