Working on your pronunciation skills is definitely worth the effort. Here are 8 effective strategies to help you sound like a local.
Many people discovering how to learn English as a second language come up against a very frustrating problem! They study hard to speak with correct grammar, accurate vocabulary, and relevant expressions. Yet when they speak, they still sometimes hear responses like:
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Could you repeat that, please?”
It’s extremely annoying! If your English pronunciation isn’t good, then your level of fluency will be consistently underestimated. A strong accent can be a barrier to making connections. Research even shows that employers in the US often favor candidates who speak with standard versions of British and American accents for more prestigious roles.
One thing is for sure: Working on your pronunciation skills is definitely worth the effort. Read on for ten effective strategies to help you sound like a local and a few expert tips from our friend, the YouTube teaching star Bob the Canadian.
Here’s a quick overview:
How to improve English pronunciation
- Focus on phonemes
- Use phonetic transcriptions
- Listen to English language podcasts
- Speak slowly
- Narrate your life
- Engage in life conversation practice regularly
- Record yourself speaking and compare it to a native speaker
- Research mouth and tongue positioning
- Try some tongue twisters
- Talk to native English speakers
How to improve English pronunciation, according to an expert teacher
Bob the Canadian, a language teacher from Ontario who makes excellent YouTube videos for those learning English (his channel has over 460,000 subscribers!), told us that perfect English pronunciation is (quite unfairly!) much simpler for some people than for others.
“For some people, English pronunciation comes really easy. Some people are natural mimics. That means it’s easy for them to make the same sounds as someone else they hear speaking.”
That’s true – we all have one friend who is great at doing impressions of other people.
Worried that you’re not a natural mimic? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with ten tips on how to practice your English pronunciation below.
1. Focus on phonemes
It can be helpful to go back to basics and examine the sounds used in English words. This doesn’t mean singing the alphabet again – you probably learned that a long time ago! It means learning the English phonemes.
What are phonemes? Well, you may have noticed that many letters are pronounced differently on their own than when they are used in words. Many letters contain more than one sound – “F” for instance is pronounced “e fff”. Phonemes are the smallest unit of sound in the English language – the sounds that letters contain when broken down. This video is a great introduction to what these sound like.
It can be really hard to tell which phonemes are in a word just by reading it. In the 19th century, language teachers developed a new alphabet to allow students to read the pronunciation of words, called the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). You might have already seen words written in IPA in English dictionaries or on Wikipedia pages.
If you like learning things in a systematic way, you might find it helpful to study IPA with YouTube videos like this one. However, if it doesn’t work for you, don’t stress! You can improve your pronunciation without ever touching this new alphabet.
2. Use phonetic transcriptions
You might have noticed that similar groupings of letters of words in English can sound completely different even though they’re written the same. For instance, take though [thoh], thought [thawt], and through [throo].
To avoid pronouncing words incorrectly, look at phonetic transcriptions to see exactly how words are supposed to sound.
If you’re practicing vocabulary and come across a word that you have no idea how to pronounce, don’t try to guess. Remember, learning the correct pronunciation from the beginning is far easier than fixing a bad habit later on. Look words up for free on a site such as:
- Dictionary.com if you are learning an American English accent
- Dictionary.cambridge.org if you are learning a British English accent
3. Listen to English language podcasts
Listening skills are also critical for learning the pronunciation of a new language. You need to listen to native speakers and pick up on their speech patterns. Podcasts are great for getting familiar with English as it is really spoken.
They are so often recorded by people in bedrooms and studies, speaking to their friends in a completely natural way. Some applications and websites, like YouTube, enable you to listen at half-speed, which is a great way to really focus on the sounds you are hearing and understand the accents in detail.
Check out our in-depth guide on how to learn English with podcasts for more detailed advice on this.
4. Speak slowly
When you have pinpointed which sounds you need to work on, it comes down to learning to make the new sounds automatically – and replacing your old speaking habits with new ones.
This phase will be easier if you slow down your usual pace of conversation, giving yourself extra time to think about the new rules you have learned. Whilst speaking slower will probably be a bit frustrating, giving yourself time to consciously choose the more accurate pronunciations you have studied makes them more likely to stick in the long term.
According to some researchers, it takes around about two months for a new habit to become automatic – which is not a long time to wait to see serious results!
5. Narrate your life
It might feel a bit silly, but Bob the Canadian believes that describing what you’re doing out loud can work wonders for your pronunciation.
“I encourage people to narrate their lives. To just say what they’re doing out loud in English, all day long. So for example, ‘I am picking up my phone, I am going to make a phone call, I am going to dial the number.’ Even if your pronunciation isn’t perfect, it forces you to start forming your mouth properly and using your tongue a little bit more as English speakers do.”
This is a great tip – after all, every language requires the tongue to move in different ways, and the tongue is a muscle that can be exercised! You should definitely warn your roommates if you’re going to try “narrating your life,” though, in case they start to worry…
6. Engage in live conversation practice regularly
According to Bob the Canadian, to improve your English accent, “The best thing to do would be talking to a native speaker.”
Regular practice with native speakers or through language exchange apps is one of the most effective ways to enhance pronunciation because they are natural authorities of the language.
Bob suggests engaging in daily conversations, even if they’re brief (about 5 to 10 minutes), to test and adjust your pronunciation in real-time. This consistent practice boosts your confidence and helps iron out any pronunciation errors through practical application.
However, chatting with a tutor is the best way to supercharge your progress. This is because their job is to correct your mistakes, and unlike some native speakers, they won’t feel bad for doing so. Also, they will be able to give you tips on how to pronounce certain tricky words and let you know when you’ve mastered them.
Bob also agrees that chatting with someone who points out your errors is super effective: “…having a native speaker who can correct you after you make mistakes is usually the best way.”
7. Record yourself speaking and compare it to a native speaker
As Bob the Canadian mentioned, recording yourself on your phone can be very helpful when practicing pronunciation. Identify a word you usually struggle with and find a TV show, movie, or YouTube video in which a native speaker uses it in a sentence.
Listen to the pronunciation a few times, and then record yourself speaking it. Some people also find it helpful to practice in front of a mirror, where you can check to make sure the shape of your mouth and lips are correct.
Play both back, listen carefully for what needs correcting, and try again. Repeat the exercise until you are happy with how the phrase sounds. It’s hard work, but thoroughly working through difficult words is a step toward perfect pronunciation!
8. Research mouth and tongue positioning
Understanding where to put your mouth and tongue is very important for saying English sounds correctly. Every sound in English needs you to hold your mouth and tongue in a certain way, which might be different from what you’re used to.
Don’t know where to start? Then check out videos like the one below to discover how to shape your mouth and where to place your tongue to become a pro at pronouncing tricky sounds.
Practice these movements in front of a mirror while you watch the videos. This way, you can see what you’re doing and make sure you’re doing it right.
Remember, the more you do it, the easier it will become to make these sounds naturally, which will make your English pronunciation better.
9. Try some tongue twisters
If you can’t make the sounds you need to pronounce English words, then you might need to give your mouth and tongue muscles a workout.
One great way to improve your English skills is with pronunciation exercises like “tongue twisters” – silly sentences that are extremely hard to pronounce on the first try. YouTube has plenty of videos demonstrating these. We love this one from Rachel’s English:
Remember to start slower than you usually talk. Native English speakers also find it difficult to read tongue twisters on their first try! For more on this, check out our article on pronunciation practice with English tongue twisters.
10. Spend more time talking to native speakers
By far, the most effective way to minimize your accent in a foreign language is to talk to native speakers. Think about it: how often have you found yourself picking up a friend’s speech patterns or slang without trying?
It can really help to ask your English-speaking friend directly about your accent. They can pinpoint which words you pronounce differently and help you identify mistakes that you can’t hear yourself. In particular, word stress within sentences tends to differ between languages. Work with your partner to establish some key sounds to improve, and ask them to correct you if you slip up.
If you find it embarrassing to ask your English speaker friend for pronunciation help, then try 1-on-1 tutoring with native English speakers on Preply. They will have coached other students through the same errors before and can produce a program of exercises customized to your own needs.
Learn how to improve English pronunciation with native English tutors
Good English pronunciation is key to conversing confidently, sounding more fluent, and appearing more professional in meetings or when giving presentations in the workplace.
Luckily for you, there are many ways to practice your accent at home such as using videos, podcasts, and music. However, the most effective method is interacting with someone who speaks English fluently. That’s why we recommend trying out sessions with a Preply tutor or exploring Preply’s English language training for employees.
These options offer personalized 1-on-1 lessons where you can focus on exactly what you need to improve. After just a few minutes, a professional tutor can quickly identify common words you need more practice with and recommend specific exercises tailored for you.
Want to get in some extra practice before speaking with your new tutor? Then check out these English pronunciation practice exercises to start honing your skills today.
