American English Pronunciation Podcast: Recent Episodes
Seattle Learning Academy
The American English Pronunciation podcasts teaches non-native English speakers and ESL/ELL students correct English pronunciation in short lessons. Learn, listen, repeat!
Compare words like "thin/fin," "mouth/mouse," and "both/boat"
Transcripts at pronuncian.com
At the end of the word, the /ŋ/ doesn't need an additional /g/. The /g/ is potentially included mid-word.
Transcripts available at pronuncian.com
"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 available on Pronuncian.com
Test your ability to identify vowel sounds with this special listening quiz episode. Transcripts available on pronuncian.com.
The long e, short i, and short e /i, ɪ, ɛ/, are three front vowel sounds that can be practiced from a high, front tongue position to a mid-front position. Compare and contrast!
Full podcast transcripts available at pronuncian.com.
All about that vowels diagram that shows the vowel sounds placed over a sort of square-like shape that’s bigger on the top than it is on the bottom. Transcripts at pronuncian.com.
Use a low pitch to signal a spoken aside (like information that would be written in parentheses or between commas).
Transcripts available at pronuncian.com.
Understand the rising and falling pitch patterns for yes/no questions and learn how to read emotion.
Transcripts on pronuncian.com. Classes available from seattlelearning.com.
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 available at pronuncian.com
Adding /ɚ/ (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 Academy. Transcripts on pronuncian.com.
Words like 'hat' and 'hot' are important to distinguish.
Full episode transcripts available at Pronuncian.com
Is it silent, pronounced as 'long u' or 'oo sound'?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
What's up with /ə/ and /ʌ/ in words like 'custom' /ˈkʌs təm/?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Practice the difference between the or sound and the long o sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Rhyming with 'shorter' and 'border,' this is a quirky word.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
No English spelling could be more confusing.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Informal contractions for fluency!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Most recognize the /d/ in the pronunciation of 'little' but how about in 'out_of'?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Even small differences in vocal tract profiles can make a big difference.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Learn the many variations of the letter 'o' pronunciation.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Written for you, by Amanda, to help you learn the long vowel spellings.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Practice intonation patterns of choice questions.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Make these difficult words easier to say!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Some before and after student audio to illustrate linking.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Common problems with words that end in '-le.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
YES, you can pronounce it as 'ast'!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Loanwords from French into English.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
In this Christmas special, learn where to find free ebooks and audio books online!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Mistletoe, tree farms, Scrooges, and more...
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Linking different stops is a bit harder than linking same and similar stops.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Linking same and similar stop sounds increases spoken fluency.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
In the US, it's 'fall;' in the UK, it's 'autumn.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Are you uncomfortable speaking really well?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
A natural progression through consonant sounds.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
If you can say sh, you can say zh!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Pairs like 'sock' and 'shock' are obvious; 'sour' and 'shower' might not be.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
The 'cot/caught' merger and short o/aw sound revisited.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Practice words like 'three, through, throw, thread,' and 'threaten.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
How to know which form of this high-frequency word to use.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
A listener request for an explanation of less-common patterns.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Learn the feel the 'long e' /i/, 'short a' /æ/, and 'short o' /ɑ/.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Highly fluent speakers understand this suffix.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
If you're going to swear, you'd better be able to pronounce short vowel sounds!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Practice sets like: pat, pet, pit, pot, putt.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
/skr/ (scratch) /spl/ (splash) /spr/ (spree) and /str/ (streak)
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Is it /k/ as in 'accuse' or /ks/ as in 'succeed'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Even words we don't use often still matter.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Practice this difficult sound in context.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
It takes an advanced lesson to handle a word like 'Seattle.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
And when can 'used to' be substituted by 'would.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
When does (and doesn't) the g sound follow the ng sound?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
From the lips to the throat and the nose down to the vocal cords.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
/br/, /pr/, /gr/, /kr/, and /skr/ at the beginning of a word.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
fragile: /ˈfrædʒ əl/ in the US /ˈfrædʒ aɪl/ in the UK.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Two different, yet similar sounds.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
The importance of tiny syllables!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Less-known patterns for the aw sound, schwa+r, and or sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Words that aren't pronounced like we'd expect.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Vowel sound duration depends on many things.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
The top 10 errors made by native French speakers.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
3 things to keep in mind when making 'wife' into 'wives' and 'leaf' into 'leaves.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
A tongue twister to compare the sh sound and s sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Compare the oo sound and other u sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
An American/British difference and a Greek history.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Practice adding the -ed ending to the j or ch sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
How do we choose which spellings are common and which words are non-phonetic?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
/w/ and /v/ in paragraph practice.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Practice quickly saying the th sounds in paragraphs.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
All of those vowels and two different pronunciations make this a tricky suffix.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
"New" in American and British English.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Some -ed adjectives gain a syllable.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Exaggeration is not authentic speech.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Updates to the alternative t sound patterns.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
The oo sound is more common, but the other u sound is possible.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
It begins with an sh sound, but after that, it gets a little complicated.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
/t/ or no /t/, and what about the 'o'?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Difficult consonant combinations explained.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
The sounds that come out your nose!
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
The letter "y" in the middle of a word.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Puff practice! Stop sounds at the beginning of words.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Which pronunciation is the most common for this spelling?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Syllable stress patterns in open compound nouns.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Troublesome consonant sounds for Portuguese speakers.
Troublesome consonant sounds for Portuguese speakers.
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.
The English vowel sounds that cause problems for Portuguese speakers.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Short i as an unstressed vowel sound for English as a Second Language Learners.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Schwa: the most important weak vowel sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
How the French language affects English pronunciation.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
A tri-sound merger explained for the Holidays.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Which of these two techniques for the r sound works best for you?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
long e, short i, short e, and schwa: all pronunciations of re-
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
The -tion, -tial, -ure, and -al suffix and how they relate to the ch sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
When is--and when isn'--'ain't' appropriate?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
What happens to unvoiced stops after the s sound?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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.
No sound can become more like surrounding sounds than the h sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Here is a little-discussed rule about omitting the d sound in certain consonant clusters.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Be careful with the /b/, /p/ and /w/ when working with the /f/ and /v/.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Four sounds that are quite similar, but different in a few very important ways.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
The English past tense became regular; the British kept the irregular spelling.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Learning intricate English phonetic patterns can give you confidence in vowel pronunciation.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
The long u can be difficult to recognize in multi-syllable words, especially when it's reduced.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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.
Many patterns of pronunciation can be found through a quick study of these two words.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Learn the most common difficulties Russian and Ukrainian speakers face when speaking English with an American English accent.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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/podcast.
Why is saying 'a hundred' more common than saying 'one hundred' in American English?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
'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 comprehension.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Informal contractions are born when speakers find easier ways to pronounce words.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Noah Webster did his best to make spelling easier, but his ideas weren't always accepted.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Assimilation: two adjacent sounds can cause changes to pronunciation.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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.com/podcast.
Even some native speakers of English are worried about the similar pronunciation of the newest Apple product. Comparing pronunciation of the iPad to the older iPod.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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 transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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 episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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 transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Do you pronounce /h/ in the wh- spelling? Not usually.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have fun reviewing the 'th sounds' with this extra practice podcast.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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 www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Understanding how the vowel sounds in 'bake,' 'bike' and 'beak' are related to /y/.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Understanding a sequence of low vowel sounds (as in 'stack,' 'stock,' and 'stalk')
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Understanding a sequence of very similar sounds (as in 'bead,' 'bid,' 'bed,' and 'bud')
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Change in vowel sounds, sentence stress, and a glottal stop: lots of details make the pronunciation of these words different.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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.
When the word 'of' links into a consonant, the /v/ is often dropped.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
-ing: substituting the n sound for the ng sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Linguistic concepts of 'syncope' and 'compression' make big words into smaller words. Luckily, there is a pattern.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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 www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Yes, dear listeners, keep your tongue in your mouth! Don't put it between your teeth.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
No vowels allowed! Join /d/ and /n/ to sound more fluent.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
What is a glottal stop and when do Americans use it?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
When do Americans omit the /t/? This audio from the movie "The Incredibles" will help you understand.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Why does 'water' sound like 'wadder'?
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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/podcast.
When to use a falling pitch instead of a rising pitch on a yes/no question.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Pitch boundaries organize conversations, and give important emotional clues about the speaker.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Learn the difference between contrasting and defensively correcting your listener.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Add drama, correct someone, and try to not sound angry with these pitch words.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
An introduction to English intonation and high pitch words in yes/no questions.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Typical sentence stress changes when phrasal verbs are involved: stress the preposition, not the verb.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Fluently linking from the -ed ending is important for listening comprehension and proper articulation.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
There is no /t/ in the pronunciation of words like 'listen' and 'whistle'.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Another silent /l/, plus the 'aw' vowel sound /ɔ/ in this English spelling pattern.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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.
The pronouncing 'unvoiced th' /θ/ in English is difficult; the r sound also is difficult. Together they are VERY difficult.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Learn the specific problems that native speakers of Chinese have when pronouncing English.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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.com/podcast.
The /w/, r-controlled vowels, and /l/: lots of opportunity for pronunciation trouble.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Special episode covering the issues that native Spanish speakers have when speaking English.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Americans usually pronounce 'been' with a 'short i,' not a 'long e.'
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Learn to correctly say these three similar-sounding words.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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.
/sɛz/ and /sɛd/: be careful about mispronouncing these two high-frequency words.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Native Japanese speakers of English face special difficulties when speaking English.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Learn the correct way to pronounce these three homophones.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
The consonant+y covers a wide number of suffix-based syllable stress patterns. Learn one and you learn many.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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 noun, adjective, or verb. Advanced level ESL lesson.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Words ending in the -ize suffix are usually stressed on the 3rd-from-last syllable.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Learn about -ic word stress (as in 'classic' and 'economic') and review the 2-syllable word stress rule and -tion/-sion syllable stress.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
English syllable stress follows some very common patterns that can be learned.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Learn about the often mispronounced short i sound, and compare it with the long e sound.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Learn to correctly pronounce /h/ in English, not too hard, not too soft.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Voicing and aspiration are characteristics of /g/ and /k/ in English pronunciation.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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.
Learn about the ng sound (as in 'song'), the first of three nasal sounds in English pronunciation.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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/podcast.
Pronounce /p/ and /b/ correctly and compare them with the consonants /f/ and /v/.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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 transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
How is the rhythm of spoken English created? Continuing learning the basics behind sentence stress and the Rhythm Rule.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Spoken English rhythm follows patterns of stressed and unstressed words and syllables.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
/d/, /t/, and /ɪd/: become fluent with the three pronunciations for regular past tense verbs in English.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Compare pronunciation of /f/ and /v/ and learn why they're difficult to say fluently.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Practice comparing the 'sh' (as in 'she') and lesser known 'zh' (as in 'vision').
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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/podcast.
wanna, gonna, hafta, whadja, howdja: Learn how to understand and why to use informal contractions in English.
don't, can't, won't, hasn't, didn't, weren't: Learn how to say and why to use common contractions in English.
Practice comparing the 'aw' with other similar vowels, and practice the diphthongs 'oi' and 'ow.'
Learn about the tricky /ʊ/ 'other u' (as in 'put') and/u/, the oo sound (as in 'soon').
Learn which sounds are long vowels and how to correctly pronounce them.
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
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.
Practice saying and hearing the difference between r-controlled vowels: /ɚ, ɑr, ɔr,/ and /ɛr/
Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
The tricky /r/ can cause even more problems when it is near the /l/.
Full transcripts available at www.pronuncian.com/podcasts.