Lisa’s Blog
Tips, insights, and updates
“CAN” or “CAN’T”?
A reader named Alex asked the following question:"Hello Lisa, I find one of the biggest differences between the British and the American accents is how "can't" is pronounced which I also find the trickest for us trying to learn the American accent. I just can't really...
Asking Americans to help you with your accent?
Native speakers of English will usually gladly help you to pronounce words that you are struggling with or answer questions you have about the American accent. This is great and you should use this opportunity. But here are some things you consider first:1. Most...
The American T
Here is my response to a reader who asked the following question: "Hello Lisa, its me Alex again. I have one more question about the American accent - I have ordered your book on amazon.com but it has not come yet so I am not sure if it is already mentioned in your...
Using idiomatic expressions
As I have posted earlier, most people who are working on reducing their accents should also constantly be trying to improve their vocabulary. It's particularly important to focus on improving your understanding of and ability to use idioms, expressions and slang (when...
The American R sound
One of the biggest differences between the British and the American accents is that Americans always pronounce the letter R. In England the words "load" and "lord" would sound very similar since the R tends to be silent before another consonant. It's also silent at...
Becoming truly fluent in English
People who are working on reducing their accents and who want to sound more like native speakers must also continually work on improving their overall language fluency.Never neglect other important skill areas of English. Make sure that you are constantly learning new...
Pronunciation of English Vowels – Avoiding Embarrassing Mistakes
Here's a YouTube video I just posted regarding a very common mistake that almost all of my students make when they first come for lessons.
more details about the American “fast D” sound
As I stated in a comment below, I didn't have time to cover all of the details of the American T in the YouTube video. Here are some more facts: This fast "d" sound occurs when a T is between two vowels but it also sometimes occurs when the letter T is before an R, as...
my new YouTube video for the American T sound
I have just posted this video on YouTube to help you sound more American. The letter "T" is pronounced like a fast "D" sound when it's between two vowels. Here are some examples of words: "better," "city," "Italy," "matter." The "T" in those words changes and becomes...