AAAmerican Accent US
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Course · 6 modules · 19 lessons

American Consonants

The consonants that define an American accent: the bunched R, its blends and r-colored vowels, and the light vs. dark L.

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  1. 1

    Module 1 · 3 lessons

    The American R

    1. 1The American RRetract your tongue, pulling it back into the middle of your mouth.Practice: run · rain · road · car · for · water→
    2. 2Consonant-R BlendsPractice: proud · bright · cream · green · fresh · shrink→
    3. 3T + RPractice: train · try · control · entry · natural · interest→
  2. 2

    Module 2 · 5 lessons

    R-Colored Vowels

    1. 1Schwa + RPractice: teacher · dinner · computer · mother · paper · better→
    2. 2Syllabic RIt helps connect sounds seamlessly, making your speech flow effortlessly.Practice: doctor · teacher · butter · computer · flower · murder→
    3. 3E + RStart with your mouth relaxed and your tongue slightly arched in the middle, similar to a short 'e' sound.Practice: airplane · dare · fairy · glare · pairing · scared→
    4. 4EE + RStart with your tongue arched high in the middle of your mouth, with relaxed lips, like the "ee" in "see".Practice: early · pioneer · sincere · veneer · cashier · beerd→
    5. 5O + RThis lesson will help you produce it clearly and consistently.Practice: for · storm · short · corner · portion · border→
  3. 3

    Module 3 · 3 lessons

    The L Sound

    1. 1Light LLift the very tip of your tongue to touch the ridge right behind your upper front teeth (the alveolar ridge).Practice: lamp · laugh · lemon · live · luck · lunch→
    2. 2Dark LPull the back of your tongue down and back, expanding your throat slightly.Practice: call · feel · cool · milk · table · world→
    3. 3Light L vs. Dark LPractice: Lamp, listen, clear, play · Ball, fill, cool, milk, people→
  4. 4

    Module 4 · 3 lessons

    Stops & Flaps

    1. 1T vs. Flap TUsing a true /t/ when a Flap T is needed — This can make your speech sound choppy or overly emphasized.Practice: top · water · table · city · time · better→
    2. 2Final StopsPractice: cap · hit · bad · dog · look · job→
    3. 3Final T in Common WordsPractice: what · got · but · it · that · at→
  5. 5

    Module 5 · 4 lessons

    Silent Letters

    1. 1Silent LPractice: calm · talk · walk · should · would · could→
    2. 2Silent TSometimes, the letter 'T' disappears completely from a word, making your speech smoother and more native-like.Practice: whistle · fasten · castle · soften · Christmas · mortgage→
    3. 3Silent HIt helps you pronounce words like 'hour' and 'honest' correctly, avoiding a stiff or overly formal sound.Practice: honor · hour · ghost · what · rhyme · choir→
    4. 4Silent GEver notice how some letters just disappear when you speak English?Practice: gnome · design · foreign · gnaw · campaign · align→
  6. 6

    Module 6 · 1 lesson

    Letter Sounds

    1. 1The American XThe letter 'X' can be a bit tricky in English because it doesn't always make the same sound!→
American Consonants — American Accent US