“I can’t hear you!” “Stop mumbling!” We all know it’s important to speak clearly with good diction and enunciation, but do we have to pronounce each and every word perfectly, just like we are reading from the dictionary? No! In fact, some people who pronounce all their words too perfectly can come off sounding affected,…
Idioms for Halloween
“Saved by the bell”. “Dead ringer”. “Like a bat out of Hell”. American English is full of idioms – you can’t escape them… 👻 If you are trying to improve your American English accent and language skills, remember idioms! Americans use them all the time. Idioms add spice to your speech and help you deliver…
Accent Reduction: How to Practice
What is the “foreground” and “background” for learning to improve your accent, or for getting good at any serious skill? Every student knows that practicing and repeating exercises is important, but this is only half of the picture.
The foreground side is what’s engaged when we’re actively doing something: trying out new material, repeating, drilling, reviewing. The background side is the learning that takes place behind the scenes, at the unconscious level…
An authentic American accent
How do you make an American accent sound authentic? Yes, there’s pronunciation work. For the Standard American accent, it’s about getting the TH’s and getting the r-coloring on the vowels in er, or, air. And then there’s the “music”, or prosody: the timing, the ups and downs of the speech melody (intonation), and the interplay…
The one dead giveaway that your first language wasn’t English
The small clue I listen for in a near-perfect American accent After almost 20 years in the accent reduction business, my favorite challenge is meeting a new client who wants accent reduction training but does not sound like a non-native speaker. In these cases, I have to listen for a couple of minutes to get…
How to look good signing off Zoom
Greetings from NYC in this wild and challenging time! With all of us working and participating in Zoom events, we are being seen much more. One of the challenges we’re having is how to look good signing off Zoom. Read on to see what other people see, and what to do about it. I feel…
Accent, Identity, and My American DNA
In search of my American DNA There are many good reasons to hire an accent coach to help with accent correction. If your job description includes communication in any capacity (and really, which job doesn’t?), mastering your accent will definitely make you a better communicator. Accent work will improve your delivery, boost your confidence and…
Are you confused or confusing?
When you speak, are you confused or confusing? If you are a foreign-born English speaker with grammar challenges, read on. This particular issue comes up with some of our accent reduction students. In this picture, who is “boring” and who is “bored”? During a conversation with an American accent client, if I hear “I was so exciting…”,…
The Fake Microphone Strategy
An accent, whether foreign or regional, can be described as a package of substitutions. Non-native speakers who have an accent substitute features of their original language’s accent for features of their secondary language. An accent can be described by variations in pronunciation, intonation and rhythm patterns, resonance, “vibe”, and general vocal tract physicality. Add to…
Tipping in America: A Scientific Study by Tim Urban
Summer is never easy – as the non-stop parties and sunny picnics and fun outdoor events keep us from getting any decent work done. So… in honor of AccentsOff’s 8th year anniversary (yet another reason to throw a party ), we are NOT writing an August blog post. Instead – I want to share an…