Accent Modification Manual

Accent Modification
Neutral American Accent
Kate DeVore, M.A., CCC-SLP
©2007 Kate DeVore

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Table of Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………. p. 4
Chapter 1: How to Use this Manual……………………………………. p. 6
Chapter 2: Before You Begin: Key Concepts Decoded……………….. p. 9
Chapter 3: Teeth Meet Tongue: TH and th*…………………………… p. 12
Chapter 4: On the Tip of Your Tongue: T, D, N, L*………………….. p. 15
Chapter 5: Those Lovely Lips: B, P, M*………………………………. p. 21
Chapter 6: Come on Back: K, G, NG*………………………………… p. 25
Chapter 7: EE, IH, EH, A to the Front!*……………………………….. p. 29
Chapter 8: Getting Centered: UH Schwa*……………………………… p. 35
Chapter 9: Keep it Moving: F, V, S, Z*………………………………… p. 38
Chapter 10: All Honest Fathers: AW, OH, AH*……………………….. p. 44
Chapter 11: Two Glides and a Glottal: W, H, Y*………………………. p. 48
Chapter 12: What’s the Difference: OO, oo*…………………………… p. 52
Chapter 13: Smooth or Sharp: SH, ZH, CH, DG*……………………… p. 55
Chapter 14: One Plus One Equals Two: Diphthongs*…………………… p. 60
Chapter 15: R’s Are All Around*……………………………………….. p. 66
Chapter 16: Intonation and Stress*……………………………………… p. 73
Chapter 17: The Articulators……………………………………………… p. 78
Chapter 18: Naturalness and Flow*………………………………………. p. 80
Chapter 19: Nasality*…………………………………………………….. p. 83
Chapter 20: Suffixes, Articles,

and Other Random Pronunciation Guidelines*…………………… p. 85
DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

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Chapter 21: So, Where Are You From? Guidance for

working with specific accents…………………………………….. p. 88
Appendix………………………………………………………………….. p. 89
Practice Tips
Personalized Coaching Options
Speech Assessment form
* Denotes chapters with accompanying audio recordings

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Introduction
This manual is designed for both Accent Modification and speech improvement. If you
have a foreign accent or regional American dialect, this manual is for you. If you are an
English speaker who simply wants to speak with more clarity, precision and presence,
this manual is for you.
The goal of Accent Modification work is not to lose your accent. The goal is to learn a
Neutral American accent that you can use when you choose. For most people, the goal
isn’t to sound 100% American, but rather to speak in such a way that your accent isn’t a
problem. The goal is clear communication.
The accent taught in this manual is Neutral American (also called General American or
Standard American). It is not the dialect of any particular region, but rather is American
English with no recognizable accent. It is valuable for native English speakers and
foreign speakers alike.
In all languages, speech has several levels of formality. Most of us speak differently with
our teacher, best friends, or mother. The target level for this program is for you to sound
the way most American speakers sound when they are speaking fairly well. We are not
aiming for textbook “perfect” speech, but rather for everyday speech. The point is for
your accent to be a non-issue.
Learning an accent well enough to fool native speakers requires a great deal of practice.
Some people are able to get to that point, but most people don’t need to. If you do want
to aim for a “perfect” accent, the material in this manual will certainly be of help. It is
likely, however, that you will need to work with a coach to help you get a flawless
accent. But for most people, there is no need or desire to lose your accent; it is part of
who you are. An accent can even provide a social advantage in many situations. The
ultimate objective is for people to focus on what you say, not how you say it.
Changing your accent requires a lot of practice. As with any physical skill, you need to
repeat and repeat and repeat in order to train your muscles. The good news is that once
you train your body, the new way of speaking will eventually become a habit that you
don’t have to think about. If you practice mindfully and accurately, your speech will
change.
Individuals learn this material at different rates. If you took a dance class, you would
find some people able to master the steps quicker than others. The same is true of speech
work. Be patient with the speed of your process. As in Yoga, trying to rush or force your
speed does not help in the long run. No matter your pace, focused practice is essential.
The first step in using this manual is to read and absorb the information in the upcoming
chapters. The first chapter explains how to use the manual and get the most out of it. It

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might be helpful to re-read this chapter occasionally as you progress through the material.
The second chapter explains many key concepts that appear repeatedly throughout the
manual. Later chapters do not explain the concepts or vocabulary – they assume you
have read the introductory chapters. After you read it through once, you might want to
use Chapter Two as a reference as you work through the manual; if you find a word or
concept you do not understand, look it up in that chapter.
Finally, be patient. While you will be able to hear changes in your speech right away,
major change is gradual. Read the Practice Tips in the Appendix, and review them once
a week to make sure you are optimizing your time. At the beginning of the process, you
are not only learning new ways of speaking, but you are also learning a lot of new
concepts. Once you get the feel for how the manual and process works, progress speeds
up. Most importantly, purposefully apply your new skills to your daily life. Practicing
with the manual is half of the work; remembering to use your new skills (and doing it on
purpose) is the key to your success. Enjoy!

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Chapter 1
How to Use This Manual

There is a lot of material in this manual. You might need all of it, or only part. Unless
you know for sure that there are only a few specific things you need to work on, it would
be wise to go through everything. If you work on a sound and find it is easy and think,
“Oh, I already do this sound this way”, then you do not need to return to that sound. But
many people are surprised when they begin this work to find how many sounds they
produce in a non-Neutral way. So going through the entire manual once is a good idea.
Then you can make notes about the areas you will need to return to for continued work
and practice.
An accent has three main components: sound changes, placement, and intonation. This
manual will address all three components. Sound changes refer to the actual sounds of a
spoken language. Not all languages have the same sounds, and even within the language
of English there are many variations. For instance, someone from India might say “w”
instead of “v” in a word like “very,” and someone from Louisiana might say “pin”
instead of “pen.” Placement refers to where in the mouth the sound lives. It is created by
the way we shape our mouth when we speak, and how we use our mouth muscles. For
example, the Standard English accent is placed very far forward at the front of the face,
while Russian is placed more at the back of the mouth. Intonation includes stress,
musicality, rhythm, and the overall feel of an accent.
The bulk of the manual is focused on teaching you to speak the sounds of English in a
Neutral American way. Every sound of English is included, with different chapters
compiling sounds into related groups. It is recommended that you begin with the speech
sounds (chapters 3-15). By using the recordings for these, you get some ear training and
exposure to intonation and placement.
As you work on the speech sounds, it is important to remember that we are talking about
sounds, not letters. This can be a difficult concept at first. Sounds have to do with
spoken language; letters have to do with writing and spelling. It is difficult to predict
how a word is pronounced based simply on how it is spelled. For example, the sound
“er” occurs in the words turn, bird, mother, early, and word. Five different spellings, but
all the same sound. You might be surprised by some of the pronunciations; remember
that all of the example words listed for a specific sound in these chapters contain that
sound. The recordings will help clarify this if you are confused.
It is also essential that you focus on the physical feelings of speech in addition to the
sound. Most people are not used to feeling speech, so this may also be a new concept for
you. Learning what the physical action of a sound is (e.g., the tongue tip touches the roof

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of the mouth in a particular place to make the L sound) is the key to being able to make
the changes in real life. Your body understands the command to “touch the gum ridge
with the tongue tip to make the L,” but may not understand “Make the L so it sounds
right.” Having specific, clear, physical goals allows you to implement your new skills in
real life. The speech sound chapters refer to the articulators, or body parts we use for
speech. The chapter on Articulators (Chapter 17) describes what they are and how they
work. Read through this, and refer back to it as needed if you forget what they are as
new ones come up.
When using the audio tracks to practice the sounds, make sure to read the manual first.
There is material in the manual that is not present in the recordings; you need both the
written and audio portions to get the full information. The recordings include pauses for
you to repeat after the example. If the pause is too short for you, simply pause the
recording to give yourself enough time to get the sounds accurately.
The work of learning this new accent has two main parts: skill acquisition and
integration. The first part of your work is learning to make sounds differently, using your
muscles in a new way. This might feel awkward at first and requires practice to get the
actions into muscle memory. The second half is applying these new skills to real life by
thinking about the specific sounds and physical actions when you talk to friends, co-
workers, restaurant servers, etc.
Focused practice is vital because it programs your mind and body to create these sounds
in a new way. As with any physical skill, becoming comfortable with an activity requires
that we do it over and over. Piano players practice their scales for years. And in order
for practice to be most effective, it needs your full focus. We are in a society of multi-
tasking, where we typically do more than one thing at a time. If possible, give yourself
the gift of practicing this work in a quite environment with no distractions – you will
speed your learning greatly.
When you work through the sounds, note the hierarchy provided. That means, first you
need to feel how the sound is made in isolation, by itself. That teaches you to be specific
about the physical action required to make the sound. Then we put the sound into a
word. A sound is affected by the other sounds around it, so a T at the end of the word
feels different than a T at the beginning. The manual provides material for practice in
every context. After words, we put the sound in sentences. Then finally in “real”
conversation.
When you begin, it is helpful to elongate the sounds, stretching them out a bit and
exaggerating them to get the feel. You will have to speak slowly at first to be able to
think about all the things you need to think about. If you are changing where your tongue
goes every time you say a “th” sound, for instance, you have to slow way down in order
to notice the “th” sounds and consciously do something different with your tongue. It
might feel unnatural or awkward in the beginning – this is normal. If you learned a
backhand in tennis, you would have to practice a lot with careful attention to form before
you would expect it to show up under the pressure of an actual game. Similarly, your

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speech sounds will get more fluid and fast with practice. But precision comes first, then
speed. Once you get the hang of the physical actions, you can aim to speak a thought at a
time instead of a word at a time. This will give your speech a nice flow.
Each speech sound is described, and also has “compare with” information, suggesting
you compare and contrast the sound with other sounds. The other sounds in that section
are sounds that are commonly confused with the one you are working on. The intention
of this information is to help you narrow down any sounds you might be making in a way
that is close (but not identical) to the Neutral American accent.
After working through the speech sounds, progress through the other chapters. The
chapter on stress (Chapter 16) is a good place to go next. You can then begin to combine
the speech sounds and stress. From there, the final chapters add additional nuance.
Remember that we do best what we do most. You have spoken like you do for a long
time, and have said the sounds thousands of times. You have a lot of practice speaking
the way you do. Be fair to yourself as you learn this new material, and be patient with
the amount of repetition required. With enough accurate practice, it will eventually
become habit, just like your current accent.
If you need guidance about your practice, consider a package involving some telephone
coaching.

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Chapter 2
Before You Begin: Key Concepts Decoded

These concepts are mentioned throughout this manual. The terms are mostly defined in
the text as well, but they are here in one place as a reference to help keep things clear.
Neutral American: This manual describes a Neutral American accent or dialect. Some
native speakers use this accent naturally and others do not. It is an American accent that
does not have any obvious regional sounds. It is understandable by all American
speakers. It is also sometimes referred to as Standard American or General American.
Articulators: The articulators are the body parts we use to make speech. They are
described in detail in chapter 17, and they are referred to throughout the manual. Read
that chapter so you know what each articulator is and where to find it.
Ear training: The more you listen to yourself and the recordings, the better your ears will
get at hearing subtle differences. Some people begin this work with a strong sense of the
sounds and what they need to work on. Others, however, haven’t thought about it much
and do not yet hear some differences. Wherever you are is fine. If you don’t have much
experience with this kind of work, you will be training your ear as you begin. This
makes the beginning of the process a little slower than it would be otherwise. That’s
okay! Be patient and allow yourself the time to learn. The good news is, once your ear
starts to get the hang of things, you can pick up your pace and start moving through the
work faster.
Sounds versus letters: We tend to think of language in terms of letters. In speaking,

however, we need to think of the sounds instead. Sometimes the sounds and letters
match (like the sound B is usually spelled with a letter B). Sometimes they don’t. For
example, the following sentence has 10 words spelled with “ough”, and they are all
pronounced differently: A rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman swam
through the lough at Scarborough; after falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed.
Remember that words do not necessarily sound like they look, and if the manual refers to
“EE”, that is the sound you make when you say “EE”, not the letter “E” (like in meet or
read).
Speech sounds: Speech sounds are the individual sounds of a spoken language, like the
“TH” in “three.” Because all languages do not have the same sounds, and because
different regions of the U.S. produce the same sounds in different ways, this manual leads
you through the Neutral American pronunciation of every speech sound. You may work

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through them all (this is recommended), or go directly to the ones you know you need to
work on.
Consonants: Consonants are sounds that involve two articulators touching each other in
some way. There is some obstruction. For example, the consonant sound “M” as in
“me” involves the lips touching. The sound “T” as in “tree” requires the tip of the tongue
to touch the gum ridge behind the upper teeth.
Vowels: Vowel sounds are open – your articulators do not have to come into contact
with each other. For example, the sound “AH” as in “father” has the tongue placed flat
and down. The mouth gets into a certain shape and stays there while you make a vowel
sound.
Diphthongs: Diphthongs are sounds in which two vowel sounds come together to make a
single sound. The sound “AY” in “rain” is a diphthong. It starts as an “EH” as in “egg”,
and moves to “EE” as in “feet”. This is described in more detail in the chapter on
diphthongs.
Voiced sounds: If your vocal cords vibrate when you make a sound, it is voiced. If you
put your fingers on your voice box and say “AH”, you will feel a little vibration under
your fingers. Now keep your fingers there and say “MMMM.” The vibration is still
there, so that is a voiced sound; you use your voice to make the sound. All vowels and
diphthongs are voiced, and some consonants are as well.
Unvoiced sounds: If you do not use your vocal cords to make a sound, it is unvoiced.
Keep your fingers on your voice box, and now say “SSSS.” No vibration, right? “S” is
not a voiced sound. In some languages the difference between voiced and unvoiced
sounds is not important, but it is in English. Even native speakers of English sometimes
de-voice some sounds (meaning they make it unvoiced when it should be voiced).
Placement: Placement refers to where the sound lives in the mouth. It is caused by the
way we shape and use the muscles of our mouth and throat. The placement for Neutral
American is in the middle-to-front of the mouth, along the palate.
Intonation: This refers to the stress, music, rhythm and flow of speech. It is very
important, because it provides the overall “feel” of the speech.
Feeling speech: Throughout the manual and recordings, you will be reminded to feel
what your tongue (or lips or something else) is doing. We are used to listening to speech,
but not necessarily feeling it. Focusing on the physical actions of speech is the key to
making permanent changes effectively. Think of this work like any other physical skill
you wanted to master (like playing piano or basketball). You focus on your body, and
practice enough to train your muscles. With the guidance of this material, that is how
you will learn the Neutral American accent.

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Learning curve: The hardest part of this work is the beginning. There are so many new
concepts, and you are asked to think about speech in a way that is probably foreign to
you. When you begin, you are not only learning a speech sound, but you are also
learning how to think about sounds instead of letters, training your ear, listening for
subtle differences, learning how to work with the manual and recordings, developing a
practice routine and so on. After a couple weeks of working, however, those things get to
be second nature so you really are just focusing on the sounds (or stress or whatever you
are working on). Again, be patient with the time it takes to get this solidly ingrained.
Practice: Practice is absolutely essential to learning a new way of speaking. Period.

Practice takes two forms. One is working through the manual and recordings. That is
how you teach your body to do things differently. It is also where you figure out what
you need to work on. The second half is transferring your new skills into your life
(discussed below). Regular, daily, focused practice is essential. While you can get some
benefit to practicing in the car, for example, you get much more benefit from practicing
in a quiet space with no interruptions. This work is not difficult, but it does require
concentration and focus.
Application: Application refers to applying what you learn in your real life. It’s one
thing to sit in your living room with your manual and recording and focus on a certain
sound. You will get very good at that quite quickly. It’s something entirely different to
actually use that sound in conversation (or in a presentation or performance). Part of
your job is to consciously apply what you learn in practice to your real life, at work and
with friends. Your new skills are unlikely to show up in your life without you
purposefully putting them there.
Phonetic symbols/IPA: The chapters on speech sounds have the sounds spelled in
English letters, and also have the phonetic symbols for each sound from the International
Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). If you are not familiar with these symbols, that’s fine. The
sounds all have a key word to help you understand what sound is being referred to. The
recordings will also make this perfectly clear. But if you know the symbols, they are
there to help you clarify.
The schwa : The schwa (pronounced “shwah”) is a symbol in the IPA. It is the
only one you are encouraged to learn, because it is important. This is especially true if
English is not your first language. Non-native speakers tend to speak very “properly,”
and native speakers are a little more casual. The schwa is the symbol for the little sound
at the end of the word “sofa.” It is short and weak. This sound is very common in
spoken American English, and has its own chapter.

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Chapter 3
Teeth, Meet Tongue:

Voiced and Voiceless TH
The two variants of the TH sound (voiced and unvoiced) are the
only sounds made with the tongue tip sticking out between the
upper and lower teeth.

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Voiceless “th” (as in think)
The “th” sound is formed by sliding the tongue tip out between the front teeth, and
exhaling through the mouth. The sound can be sustained; it does not pop. The difference
between “th” and TH is that “th” is unvoiced (the vocal cords do not vibrate).
Compare to TH, S, F, T
The first column of words has the “th“ sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the “th” sound at the end. The third column has words with the
“th” sound in the middle of the word.
Beginning End Middle
think month mathematics

thanks fourth without
thin death wrathful
thirty with deathly
three eighth months
thirsty moth bathmat
thud fifth mouthful
third tenth faithfully
thirty-three seventh bathroom
thorough ninth within
thunder wrath birthday
through sixth ether
through mouth Bethany
thirteen bath faithful
Practice sentences
Thirteen months ago, Beth met with Pat.

The ether made my mouth dry.
Sally ran a bath with three drops of oil in it.
The thunder made a loud ‘thud’ sound on the path.
Math was never Thad’s best subject.
Thackery thought he should be thankful for his thumbs.
Is the meeting on the ninth or the tenth of the month?
Between the ages of thirteen and thirty-three, Beth threw a lot of birthday parties.

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Voiced TH (as in the)
The “TH” sound is formed by sliding the tongue tip out between the front teeth, and
exhaling through the mouth while voicing. The sound can be sustained; it does not pop.
The difference between TH and “th” is that TH is voiced (the vocal cords vibrate).
Compare to Z, V, D, th
The first column of words has the TH sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the TH sound at the end. The third column has words with the
TH sound in the middle of the word.
there mouthe whether

that writhe slather
them lathe father
then teethe leather
those sheathe mother
these bathe soothes
thou seethe rather
they tithe weather
the smoothe zither
there lithe mouthed
though breathe feather
they’d soothe teething
their tithes
than bathed
Practice sentences
They mouthed the words to the song.

That’s my leather jacket over there.
My father and mother gave me those flowers.
Slather on the sunblock if the weather keeps getting hotter.
The babies were bathed, and then they slept.
This is my brother, and that’s my father’s mother.
“There, there, that’s all right,” soothed the mother.
I’d rather try on those bathing suits than these.

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Chapter 4
On the Tip of Your Tongue:

T, D, N, L
The sounds T, D, N and L all require your tongue tip to touch the
gum ridge just behind your upper teeth. For each of these sounds,
you can know if you are making them correctly by feeling for this
placement with your tongue. The T and D require your tongue to
press against the gum ridge with quite a bit of pressure. The N and
L don’t require as much pressure, but they do require firm contact.

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T (as in to)
The “T” sound is formed by placing the tongue tip on the gum ridge directly behind the
teeth, building up air pressure, and then releasing it through the mouth. The tongue does
not touch the teeth. It is called a “stop-plosive” because it seems like a little explosion.
When it occurs at the end of the word, it takes an extra beat (moment) to complete the
sound. Many speakers start the T but do not complete it, so it doesn’t make the popping
sound. The difference between T and D is that the T is unvoiced (the vocal cords do not
vibrate).
Compare to D, N. L, th.
The first column of words has the T sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the T sound at the end. The third column has words with the T
sound in the middle of the word.
time light enter

take night contest
told wait articulate
train put sentence
ten state sometimes
today late mister
tip date wanted
taught meet detail
test note after
tile great rotate
total paste wilted
town asked touchtone
two thought retail
top chart anytime
testify missed rented
A note about the T sound:
When the T sound appears between two vowel sounds (such as in the word “water”), it is
not sounded as “crisply” as it is at other times.
In this position, a “flap” is used instead. The flap sound is like a cross between an
T and D sound. It doesn’t involve as much of a build-up of air as the T and D. Please
refer to the audio recording to hear the examples.

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Butter Water Later

Waiting Matter Letter
Rating Meeting Fitting
Practice sentences
Terry had a tough time with the teacher.

Take the time to talk to Trish when you take out the trash.
After the test, let’s take a train into town.
The two toddlers laughed and laughed.
Mr. Bentley went to the winter festival last Tuesday.
The tiny tot slept through the night.
The state meeting to determine taxes is taking place today.
I just wrote a letter to my little sister.

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N (as in no)
The “N” sound is made with the tongue tip pressed lightly but firmly against the gum
ridge. The tongue does not touch the teeth. It is a “nasal” sound, which means that the
soft palate is open and the air goes into the nose. You can feel a vibration in the place
where your tongue tip meets the gum ridge at the very front of the mouth. Notice that
you can sustain the N sound – it is a long sound, not a quick one.
Compare to D, T. L, M, NG
The first column of words has the N sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the N sound at the end. The third column has words with the N
north rain and

now downtown fines
neck mean many
Nile green giant
none ton linesman
noun cane gunman
never person finally
name queen inside
noon June front
nail fortune winter
next mission rinse
Nancy mine ounce
nasty been only
never mind within under
Practice sentences
Nina never knew that Nora was so sensitive.

Never underestimate the intensity of the night.
Sondra and Nick didn’t notice Nancy’s new notebook.
Monica wants green jeans.
Now the fines are higher for not parking within the lines downtown.
No one knew Nancy in New Mexico.
Mine is brown, and yours?
Concentrating on the internal N sounds takes presence.
When did Ben and Brenda find time to dine in Maine?
Winter involves snow and ice in much of the country.
The Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria went on a long journey.

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D (as in dog)
The “D” sound is formed by placing the tongue tip on the gum ridge directly behind the
teeth, building up air pressure, and then releasing it through the mouth while voicing. The
tongue does not touch the teeth. It is called a “stop-plosive” because it seems like a little
explosion. When it occurs at the end of the word, it takes an extra beat (moment) to
complete the sound. Many speakers start the D but do not complete it, so it doesn’t make
the popping sound. The difference between D and T is that the D is voiced (the vocal
cords vibrate).
Compare to T, N. L, TH.
The first column of words has the D sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the D sound at the end. The third column has words with the D
day read faded

door side oddly
don’t word added
dollar said aided
Dave card needed
drive keyboard founded
deal food puddle
drink find noodle
drop did poodle
dust heard address
dark moved meadow
didn’t sorted louder
date covered included
dial pointed radar
Practice sentences
Don’t drop food onto the keyboard.

I didn’t hear a word Deedee said.
I found some delicious candy in the drawer. Do you think it’s edible?
It’s dangerous to drink and drive.
A hundred dollars is a great deal for that DVD player.
Ed created a product that was designed to deliver data.
The dark blue folder faded in the sunlight.
A dial-up modem is different from a sound card.

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L (as in look)
The “L” sound is made with the tongue tip touching the gum ridge. The tongue does not
touch the teeth. It is classified as a “lateral” consonant, which means that the sound
comes out the sides of the tongue. You can feel a subtle vibration at the front of the
mouth/tongue while making the sound. Notice that you can sustain the L sound – it is a
long sound, not a quick one.
Contrast this sound with T, D, N, W and R.
The first column of words has the L sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the L sound at the end. The third column has words with the L
Lester scale elephant

Loser jail else
lost feel willful
lean pull golf
lousy zeal railing
Larry bail wooly
lend gel feelings
look peel cleaner
lounge real sailor
leave meal flag
lanky seagull Florida
lazy table blame
linesman awful slot
learn capable relentless
Practice sentences
Lori lent the locker to Larry.

Will you pull this yellow line out of the wall please?
Feel free to tell me how you feel loud and clear.
Flora stuck like glue to Lloyd.
The family pool looked cool and blue.
The walking trail followed the lake.
The closed folder on the hall table fell to the floor.
Bill fell ill last year after the holiday.
Unless Luke looks like Lesley, let’s let him leave the felt hat.
The special is veal cutlets with yellow squash.
The foal licked the ice until it turned to liquid.

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Chapter 5
Those Lovely Lips:

B, P, M
The sounds B, P, and M all involve your two lips coming together.
They close with more pressure for the B and P sounds, and vibrate
or tickle for the M sound.

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B (as in bless)
The “B” sound is formed by building up air pressure behind closed lips, and then
releasing it through your mouth while voicing. It is called a “stop-plosive” because it
seems like a little explosion. When it occurs at the end of the word, it takes an extra beat
(moment) to complete the sound. Many speakers start the B but do not complete it, so it
doesn’t make the popping sound. The difference between B and P is that the B is voiced
(the vocal cords vibrate).
Compare to P, M, G, V
The first column of words has the B sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the B sound at the end. The third column has words with the B
book lab cobweb

boy crab absorb
blue web rubber
big grab anybody
bring tab about
better sob above
because tube number
before job table
best Bob fabulous
both cab noble
browser rob baby
Bill scrub rabbit
business robe stubborn
benefit knob nimble
believe tub suburb
Practice sentences
Bob went back to the suburbs after seeing Barb.

Baseball is a big business in Boston.
Bill and Brenda went to the bakery before they bought butter.
Both of us brought hot dog buns to the barbecue.
Grab the brown bread and put it on the table.
A number of bands will play at the party.
Curb your basset hound when you take her to the beach.
The best boy won a blue ribbon for his fabulous bunny rabbits.

23
P (as in pop)
The “P” sound is formed by building up air pressure behind closed lips, and then
releasing it through your mouth. It is called a “stop-plosive” because it seems like a little
explosion. When it occurs at the end of the word, it takes an extra beat (moment) to
complete the sound. Many speakers start the P but do not complete it, so it doesn’t make
the popping sound. The difference between P and B is that the B is unvoiced (the vocal
cords do not vibrate).
Compare to B, M, K, F
The first column of words has the P sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the P sound at the end. The third column has words with the P
Peter up upper
peace beep taping
percent keep loopy
poodle cap staple
paint tape stupid
pitch loop people
pliant sharp paper
pen help apple
pop shop typical
push camp report
precious lip shapely
point harp chopper
power hope carpet
pay nap pepper
pie chip surprise
Practice sentences
The principal put Peter up on top of the park bench.

Please place your report in the appropriate receptacle.
People painted purple posters to put up on the wall.
Pull up the pretty picture on your laptop computer.
A popular soap shop opened next to the post office.
Patty typed the paper for her pal, Petra.
I hope the harp player performs pieces for parties.
You’re supposed to put your payroll receipts on the pile of paper.

24
M (as in me)
The “M” sound is made by closing the lips gently, dropping the soft palate, and voicing.
It is a “nasal” sound, which means that the soft palate is open and the air goes into the
nose. You can feel a vibration in your lips, nose and the bone between them. Notice that
you can sustain the M sound – it is a long sound, not a quick one.
Compare to B, P, N, NG
The first column of words has the M sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the M sound at the end. The third column has words with the M
mean come lamely

moon storm seemly
man deem jump
Maine linoleum summer
memory dime fumes
marker merry amber
more plumb something
mine firm roomy
million rum lamp
many time coming
man-made mushroom somber
mainly kingdom stormy
make aluminum calmly
mailbox coliseum dumpster
mime film dumbwaiter
Practice sentences
The man in the moon made me smile.

Millions of men and women marry in Maine.
The plumber came over to fix the bathroom sink.
Martin mixed a martini for Madge.
Sometimes the mayor makes remarks that move me.
My mom moved to the mountains.
After they got married in Minnesota, Mark and Mona went on their honeymoon.
The minister meant to make the sermon less morose.
More and more, Michael mourned for Marie.
Michelle and Marvin are mad at Mona.
Mrs. McFly made mango marmalade.
Murray measured the miles between Minnesota and Michigan.

25
Chapter 6
Come on Back:
K, G, NG
The sounds K, G, and NG are made at the back of the mouth.

Specifically, the back of the tongue rises up to touch the soft
palate. The pressure is harder for the K and G, and the air goes
through the nose for the NG.

26
K (as in keep, cute, quiet, choir, extra)
The “K” sound is formed by raising the back of the tongue to touch the soft palate,
building up air pressure, and then releasing it through the mouth. It is called a “stop-
plosive” because it seems like a little explosion. When it occurs at the end of the word, it
takes an extra beat (moment) to complete the sound. Many speakers start the K but do
not complete it, so it doesn’t make the popping sound. The difference between K and G
is that the K is unvoiced (the vocal cords do not vibrate).
Compare to G, NG, P
The first column of words has the K sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the K sound at the end. The third column has words with the K
Kate kick quickly

chorus ask thinking
cool basic walking
can’t truck thank you
could stick breakfast
cover click second
customer quick o’clock
create take accident
calling took accent
count work because
credit look likely
card make local
collect bank picture
quick think taken
question fork risky
Practice sentences
Chris quit his job at the truck factory.

Customers ask questions because they are concerned.
Thank you for calling.
Can you take a quick look at this screen?
Collect the credit cards by six o’clock.
It looks like there was an accident on Clark street.
Do you think they will take back the second requirement?
She is seeking work at a local collection company.

27
G (as in go)
The “G” sound is formed by raising the back of the tongue to touch the soft palate,
building up air pressure, and then releasing it through the mouth while voicing. It is
called a “stop-plosive” because it seems like a little explosion. When it occurs at the end
of the word, it takes an extra beat (moment) to complete the sound. Many speakers start
the G but do not complete it, so it doesn’t make the popping sound. The difference
between G and K is that the G is voiced (the vocal cords vibrate).
Compare to K, NG, B
The first column of words has the G sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the G sound at the end. The third column has words with the G
good big bigger

go bag bagpipe
gone hotdog legal
great beg magazine
group dog sugar
get leg forget
gallop league finger
guess tag again
game wig ago
gasoline egg began
guide catalogue regard
guy dig hungry
grey snag regal
glad bug flagship
goal vague stagger
Practice sentences
The dog vigorously wagged his tail.

Go get a green garbage bag for the rug.
Greg organized a big legal magazine in Hungary.
Using Google is a good way to gain guidance.
We began a great group a while ago, but it got too big.
Grace is glad she got to go to the game.
Get a grip or you’re going to get angry again!
Guy forgot to begin the August figures.

28
NG (as in sing)
The “NG” sound is formed by raising the back of the tongue to touch the lowered soft
palate, and sending the air out the nose while voicing. It is called a “nasal” consonant
because air goes into the nose through the open soft palate. It is made in the same place
in the mouth as K and G, but instead of exploding, it can be sustained.
Compare to G, K, M. N, EE
The first column of words has the NG sound at the end of the word. The second column
has words with the NG sound in the middle of the word. There are no words in English
that start with this sound.
End Middle
sing pingpong
song finger *
ring think
doing thinking
going angry *
timing ringer
long longing
walking skunk
stung pinky
talking stinks
saying singing
working tank
strong linger *
laughing ratings
* The words marked with an (*) are the only ones that have a G sound in them. There is
no G sound after the NG in most words.
Practice sentences
Are you going to sing us a song?

I am longing to see your new ring.
Are you going to bring that thing to the meeting?
Ming has been gone a long time.
Pointing a finger at someone can be considered impolite.
I'm not as strong as I used to be.
I think you drank the last soda.
Kelly stays in shape by running, jumping and skipping.

29
Chapter 7
EE, IH, EH, A to the front!
The four sounds EE, IH, EH A (as in “he is best at”) are called
“front vowels.” This means that the front of the tongue (though
not necessarily the tip) is raised. It also feels as though the sounds
are placed toward the front of the mouth. As you move through
these four sounds, the tongue gets progressively lower for each
sound. The jaw also opens a bit as we move from the “high” to
“low” vowel sounds. It is easiest to learn these sounds in relation
to each other, so it is recommended that you work through this
section in order.

30
EE (as in “me”)
The “EE” sound is formed by lifting the front of the tongue very high toward the front of
the palate, keeping some tension in the front of the tongue, and voicing. The jaw is fairly
closed and the lips are slightly spread. It is a relatively long sound (longer than “IH.”)
Compare to IH, EH
The first column of words has the “EE“ sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the “EE” sound at the end. The third column has words with the
“EE” sound in the middle of the word.
easy really beehive

eat pretty seeing
evil silly feelings
Edie funny streamlined
eaves easy careening
even comedy street
evening every anyone
eagle he freedom
eel three anyway
east worry everyone
ease she trampoline
Igor very cheese
eaten we anybody
easier any she’d
Practice sentences
Pete squeaked by with ease.

Lisa weaseled out of the deal with Louise.
Steam heat beats forced heat.
Jean leaned against the pinball machine and the mean guard screamed at her.
Greer wore green jeans to the valley.
Geese eat weeds and feed on peaches.
She sees me freezing on the ski slope.
The line at the meet was three feet deep.

31
IH (as in “it”)
The “IH” sound is formed by lowering and relaxing the tongue a bit compared to EE.
The jaw opens a little bit more, and the lips are still slightly spread. It is a relatively short
sound (shorter than “EE.”)
Compare to EE, EH
The first column of words has the “IH“ sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the “IH” sound in the middle of the word. There are no words
that end with “IH.”
Beginning Middle
it will
is simple
in tickle
into wish
inside his
ill sitting
if finish
it’s stringent
isn’t hit
improve thrilling
Id string
important kiss
interesting thing
illness finger
Practice sentences
It was lit with a slim candle.

Sit on the big windowsill in the kitchen.
The biggest fig in the pudding wins the ring.
“If the shoe fits, wear it,” said Kimberly.
I insist that Jill stay home if she is ill.
Ginger is so rich that Bill told her she needs a will.
A pinprick on the finger can be quick.
Finn instilled confidence in his friend, Jim.

32
EH (as in “egg”)
The “EH” sound is formed by lowering and relaxing the tongue a bit compared to IH.
The jaw opens a bit more and the lips are still slightly spread. It is a relatively short
sound.
Compare to IH, A, AY
The first column of words has the “IH“ sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the “IH” sound in the middle of the word. There are no words
that end with “IH.”
Beginning Middle
egg bend
empty legs
ever send
edge went
enter Kelly
ending said
every read
else instead
everyone wedding
effort melted
ebony shell
elbow ready
elegant incredible
end head
Practice sentences
The eggshell fell into the well.

Kelly sent a letter to Melvin to tell him the bell was ringing again.
When she felt well enough, Adele rented a bedroom out.
Jennifer and Jessica said the guest room was swell.
The gentleman bent at the waist when his friend entered the den.
Lenny felt the stress of being the best man at the wedding.
The bread Fred made was as heavy as lead.
Jen went to bed with a headache at ten.

33
A (as in “cat”)
The “A” sound is formed by lowering and relaxing the tongue a bit compared to EH. The
jaw is fairly open, and the lips are relaxed. It is a relatively long sound (longer than
“EH.”)
Compare to EH, AH, EY
The first column of words has the “A“ sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the “A” sound in the middle of the word. There are no words that
end with “A.”
Beginning Middle
apple cat
and Sally
at laughter
as rambling
ask sand
after Patty
attitude had
ashes strand
afterwards haven’t
appetite dance
avenue catamaran
ample chapter
Andy can’t
aggravate have
Practice sentences
Janet ran a plant store in Japan.

Stand on the patch of land near Fran.
Granted, the plan failed because Stan ran out of gas.
Dancing on the flat grass made the man happy.
The last act is magnificent.
She laughed at the grand fan in the Trans Am.
Jack and Pam passed a cask of black jam over the dam.
After she stopped for gas, Ann ran errands in her van.

34
Front vowel comparison chart

Read across from left to right to compare and notice the difference between these four
sounds. Feel your tongue move gradually down and back as you go through the
following vowel sequence. The jaw opens a little more for each one too:
EE IH EH A
meet mitt met mat
feet fit fete fat
keep kip kept cap
heap hip hep happy
lean Lynn Len land
keen kin Ken can
seem simple send Sam
seal sill sell Sally
teak tick tech tack
peel pill Pell pal
feel fill fell falcon
seat sit set sat
wheat wit wet wax
leap lip leapt lap
deep dip depth dapper
bean bin Ben ban
cheek chick check chap

35
Chapter 8
Getting Centered:
UH and schwa
The UH and schwa sounds are central vowels, placed in the middle
of the mouth. They are important sounds in a neutral American
dialect. A lot of words that look like they would contain other
vowels are actually pronounced with the schwa.

36
UH (as in up)
The “UH” sound is formed by keeping the tongue at mid-height and the lips relaxed. The
sound is placed at the middle of the palate. The difference between “UH” and schwa is
that “UH” is always in a stressed syllable and schwa is unstressed.
Compare to OA, AH, OH
The first column of words has the “UH“ sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the “UH” sound in the middle of the word. There are no words
with “UH” at the end, except “duh.”
Beginning Middle
up love
undo runner
under stumble
us come
ugly luck
usher sunny
upside-down rubber
underneath summer
udder wonder
utmost one
underside lovers
upper money
undone gun
oven done
Practice sentences
It’s funny that the monkey can undo the lock.
Let’s snuggle under the covers.
Mr. Unger stumbled after firing the gun.
You are so lucky - my uncle never had a summer house.
Chuck’s thumb was bitten by a bug.
The duck was stuck on a submarine under the sea.
I wonder if the oven comes with a money-back guarantee?
Come up the hill, under the runway, and then you’re done.

37
The Schwa (as in the)
“Schwa” is the name of the phonetic symbol for this sound, and is the easiest way to
describe this particular sound. It is one of the most common sounds in English. The
“schwa” sound is formed by keeping the tongue at mid-height and the lips relaxed. The
sound is placed at the middle of the palate, and it is a “neutral” sound. The difference
between “UH” and schwa is that “UH” is always in a stressed syllable and schwa is
unstressed.
Compare to OA, AH, OH, UH, A
The first column of words has the “schwa“ sound at the beginning of the word. The
second column has words that end with the “schwa” sound. The third column has the
“schwa” sound in the middle of the word. In this column, the sound is underlined for
clarity.

alone sofa station
above the family
aloof loofah remote
ado soda today
upon Minnesota Japanese
address Eva safari
afoot Tina calendar
accuse Laura polite
observe Adriana police
abuse nostalgia tonight
appreciate propaganda surprise
another Toyota unbelievable
ago pasta belong
approve Catalonia grounded
Practice sentences
The sofa in Tina’s kitchen was surprising.

Today Mona accused another woman from Minnesota.
Jerome lives alone in the garage above his family’s home.
We went for pasta in Laura’s Toyota.
Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was an unbelievable kingdom.
Elsa appreciated the nice address at the gala tonight.
Adriana approved of nostalgia for North Carolina.
The police payed a surprise visit to the aloof visitor tonight.

38
Chapter 9
Keep it Moving:
F, V, S and Z
The sounds F, V, Z and S can all be sustained; the air keeps

moving. You can hear the air on the F and S, and feel the vibration
on the V and Z.

39
F (as in “for”)
The “F” sound is made by touching the lower lip to the upper teeth, and blowing air
through the small spaces between the lip and teeth. Notice that you can sustain the F
sound – it is a long sound, not a quick one. The difference between F and V is that the F
is unvoiced (the vocal cords do not vibrate).
Compare to V, P, S
The first column of words has the F sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the F sound at the end. The third column has words with the F
fulfill safe laughter

first laugh coughed
fine cough Stephanie
finger wife after
fantasy enough before
full proof awful
file aloof lawful
faint staff defend
forgive half inform
fan strife effect
fast knife careful
phone waif symphony
fragile belief affiliate
field relief lifetime
Phil giraffe infuse
Practice sentences
Josephine and Phil felt fine after the symphony.

My wife had a cough after the fast.
We have enough proof to find the thief guilty.
To become a lifetime affiliate, phone the fulfillment office.
Watch the effect of artificially flavored food.
Enter the first few facts into the flashing fields.
Stephanie’s fantasy is to find a fortune.
Half of the staff was informed before the first of February.

40
V (as in “very”)
The “V” sound is made by touching the lower lip to the upper teeth, and blowing air
through the small spaces between the lip and teeth while voicing. Notice that you can
sustain the V sound – it is a long sound, not a quick one. The difference between V and F
is that the V is voiced (the vocal cords vibrate).
Compare to W, F, B, Z
The first column of words has the V sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the V sound at the end. The third column has words with the V
very love favor

vast starve lover
vigorous Kiev moving
victim prove savor
veil shove giving
victory cave proved
vigor of pivot
vivid grove travel
vacation have cover
variety live over
variable move ever
vest save savior
vector groove divide
vine five lever
vapor dive never
Practice sentences
Vicky went to Venice with her lover.

The victor won the favor of Victor.
I savor giving advice about travel.
We divided our vacation between Vail and Nevada.
Valerie moved vigorously through the cave.
There are five varieties of vegetables in this grove.
Steve and Vanessa had vivid dreams of Kiev.
Saving money on living expenses is vital.

41
S (as in ”so”)
The “S” sound is formed with minimal space between the top and bottom front teeth, the
sides of the tongue high against the upper back teeth, and no voicing. The air moves
down the groove in the tongue and goes through the narrow space between the teeth and
the tongue. Notice that you can sustain the S sound – it is a long sound, not a quick one.
The difference between S and Z is that the S is unvoiced (the vocal cords do not vibrate).
Compare to Z, T, SH, th
The first column of words has the S sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the S sound at the end. The third column has words with the S
some ace customer

sit rice classy
sell face nicely
sale service waste
sales class process
such press cost
center this lost
cents miss recess
silver types missed
silly thanks crossed
simple twice parcel
single case postal
sentence looks icy
seminar books assert
speech boss peaceful
Practice sentences
Sally’s face looks nice in this light.

Sales have slumped thanks to the boss.
Sit down next to the customer service center.
Steve speaks slowly so people can understand him.
Bess looks like someone’s silly sister.
The parcel was lost by the postal system.
Thanks for using UPS to send the textbooks.
Sixty cents is a lot to spend on a single piece of paper.

42
Z (as in “zoo”)
The “Z” sound is formed with minimal space between the top and bottom front teeth, the
sides of the tongue high against the upper back teeth, and voicing. The air moves down
the groove in the tongue and goes through the narrow space between the teeth and the
tongue. Notice that you can sustain the Z sound – it is a long sound, not a quick one. The
difference between Z and S is that the Z is voiced (the vocal cords vibrate).
Compare to S, TH, ZH
The first column of words has the Z sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the Z sound at the end. The third column has words with the Z
zebra seize closes

zoo sales losing
zeal freeze nosy
zero please busy
zoom loses roses
Xerox phase using
zany prize supposed
zip code amaze disclosed
zap mails easy
xenon noise rising
zodiac times surprised
zig-zag eyes pleasant
zealous suppose lazy
zen clothes downsized
zenith is freezer
Practice sentences
Please don’t freeze the cheese.

Zoe visited the zebra at the zoo.
Peaches are pleasant when perusing a magazine.
Mazy was surprised that the computers they used were so noisy.
Can you please zoom in on the zip code screen?
The Xerox machine has zero copies left.
Do you suppose her eyes are closed?
Zachary is zealous about rising to amazing heights.

43
S and T combinations
-ST
list fist kissed haste

waste against test rest
past widest forecast invest
most best suggest must
encased largest forced lost
The best laid plans often go to waste.

What’s the best time to take the rest of the test?
You must invest time in the most important places.
The nearest station is just past the gate.
Do you suggest the largest is the best?
She faced off against the fastest beast.
-TS
eats puts reports rejects

bets dates boats quits
lots votes seats gets
ferrets Mets writes sits
Lots of votes were misplaced.

How many bets did you put on sports events this year?
She never writes dates on her reports.
The best seats are in the orchestra.
Let’s see if he gets up right after he eats.
-STS
fists wrists analysts allergist’s

resists forecasts lists bastes
publicists realists suggests crests
wastes tastes boasts chests
Her publicist always resists making lists.

He wastes no time when he bastes the chicken and roasts the potatoes.
After hearing the forecasts, she suggests the crests will be too high to surf.
The allergist’s office is next to my analyst’s place.
They pounded their chests with their fists.

44
Chapter 10
All Honest Fathers:

AW, OH, AH
The three back vowels AW, OH and AH are often easiest to learn
(and distinguish) by learning them in relation to each other. The
phrase “all honest fathers” has each of the sounds in it, starting
with the most closed and rounded AW (all), moving to the
intermediate OH (honest), and ending with the wide open AH
(fathers).

45
AW (as in “all”)
The “AW” sound is made with the corners of the mouth moved slightly forward, the
middle of the tongue raised a little, and the jaw fairly open. The lips are more narrow and
rounded than they are for “OH” (as in “honest”).
Compare to OH, A, UH. OW, OA
The first column of words has the “AW“ sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the “AW” sound at the end. The third column has words with the
“AW” sound in the middle of the word.
audience jaw calling

awesome caw ball
awful law dawdle
awkward maw fawn
awning paw water
autistic raw cause
augury chainsaw lawyer
audio flaw maul
ought yaw pause
augment coleslaw caught
also saw fraught
audit thaw shawl
all guffaw falling
auburn macaw daughter
Practice sentences
I dawdled in the hall, pausing to call Paul.

The lawyer’s awfully awkward daughter ought to be taught to talk.
An awkward clause in the law gave us pause.
We ought to drop our jaws at the thought of water.
The awning is causing an awkward shadow.
The mauling he caught from the tiger was awful.
It was galling to get bawled out by the auditor.
The vault holds the audiotape of the bald caller who led the audience in applause.

46
OH (as in “honest”)
The “OH” sound is made with a very slight forward movement of the lips and an open
jaw. The back of the tongue is the highest part of the tongue. The lips are more open and
slightly less rounded than they are for the AW sound, and less open than they are for the
AH sound. The jaw is also more open than it is for the AW.
Compare to AW, A, UH, OA
The first column of words has the “OH“ sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the “OH” sound in the middle of the word. This sound does not
occur at the end of words in this dialect.
Beginning Middle
operate gone
odd policy
office box
object clock
obligation not
honest shocking
obsolete flock
obstacle hockey
occupation gridlock
obstinate mockery
opposite jockey
omelet stocking
opportunity nocturne
ominous borrow
Practice sentences
Your obligation is to operate honorably.

The opportunity to occupy the omnibus was gone.
Wearing odd stockings in the office is shocking.
At Oxford, Don wore long socks on the docks.
A box of clocks is an oblong obstacle.
My observation is that opulence is obsolete.
Oliver is not fond of his obstinate son's occupation.
On-line shopping is shocking to the optician.

47
AH (as in “father”)
The “AH” sound is classified as a low, back vowel. In practical terms, means that the
tongue is low and the sound resonates at the back of the mouth. It is a very open sound,
and it feels tall and vertical. By contrast, the “A” (as in “cat”) feels horizontal. It is more
open and placed farther back than “OH” (as in “honest”).
Compare to OH, A, UH
The first column of words has the “AH“ sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the “AH” sound at the end. (Note that there are few words with
AH in these positions in this dialect.) The third column has words with the “AH” sound
in the middle of the word.
alms spa drama

ah! ta-da corsage
Abadan bah! calmer
a cappella la palm
Adriana la-di-da massage
a la mode Shangrila calm
father
psalm
pajamas
squat
garage
kumquat
salami
entourage
Practice sentences
"Tra-la" sang Abdul in the spa.

The Ayatollah calmly accepted alms.
Tom likes a cup of java after his massage.
The actress in the drama wore a tiara.
My father sang a psalm a cappella.
“Aah!” said Shana, as she put on her pajamas.
The star’s entourage calmly waited in the car.
Mark and the Charlene did decoupage in the garage.

48
Chapter 11
Two Glides and a Glottal

WHY
The sounds W and Y are called glides, which means they involve
slight movement of the articulators. The H sound is a glottal,
meaning it is made by narrowing the vocal cords, as in a whisper.

49
W (as in “wait”)
The “W” sound is formed by tensing and puckering the lips (as in whistling), keeping the
tongue at mid height with the tip pointing down, and voicing while you open the lips to
move into the next vowel.. You can feel vibration on your lips while making the W.
Compare to: OO, oo, V, F
The first column of words has the W sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the W sound in the middle of the word. The W sound does not
occur at the end of a word. (The letter W at the end of a word is usually spoken as the
diphthongs OA or OW, and is pronounced as an OO.)
Beginning Middle*
work slower
want cower
worry dower
way flower
will glower
wobble viewer
witness lower
weapon mower
watchful powerful
water rowdy
wait rowing
walk rowel
wonder slewed
wander trowel
* The W sound in the middle of a word occurs when you transition from a diphthong
ending with the “OO” sound into a vowel. The W sound seems to be attached to the
beginning of the next syllable, not the end of the OO.
Practice sentences
Will Walter work with the rowdy warrior?

I want to wake in a worry-free world.
My wallet is a weapon wielded to win power.
The waitress wonders why the water flows slowly.
I'll wager the powerful warmth will wash the shower well.
Rowdy cowboys will bow down before wandering away.
The warrant charged the viewer with being a witness.
Did the wanderer watch while the wary viewer wept?

50
Y (as in “yellow”)
The “Y” sound is formed by raising the middle of the tongue up to the hard palate and
moving it into the next vowel while voicing.
Compare to: EE, DJ
The first column of words has the Y sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the Y sound in the middle of the word. Y does not occur at the
end of a word. (The letter Y at the end of a word is usually pronounced as an EE.)
Beginning Middle*
yellow mayor
yearn payee
yes boyish
yesterday foyer
yacht yakety-yak
yammer player
Yankee braying
yard flyer
yap plying
yarn crying
yoga being
yawn yo-yo
year mayo
yeast lawyer
* The Y sound in the middle of a word occurs when you transition from a diphthong
ending with the “EE” sound into a vowel. The Y sound seems to be attached to the
beginning of the next syllable, not the end of the EE.
Practice sentences
Your yard looks yellow this year.

Yesterday the mayor yielded to the young player.
You will yearn for mayo on your sandwich.
Yogurt, yeast and yoga keep you young!
The boyish lawyer was yawning in the foyer.
The Yankee was yammering on the yacht.
The payee said a prayer under the yew tree.
Your yen for yo-yos is annoying!

51
H (as in “how”)
The “H” sound is essentially a whisper. It is made be exhaling through the mouth in a
slightly audible manner. There is no roughness to the “H” sound
Compare to: DJ, glottal stop
The first column of words has the H sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the H sound in the middle of the word. The H sound does not
occur at the end of a word. (The letter H at the end of a word is usually silent.)
Beginning Middle
holding behave
hair cohort
habit jihad
hide keyhole
who unharmed
hedge rehearse
hill behold
hear ahead
hunk behest
hex behind
hey! behoove
haze dehydrate
hobby inhale
hibernate inhabit
Practice sentences
Harry had a habit of hiding the hedge fund.

I was unharmed by the hunk who inhabited my habitat.
His hobby horrified me and held me behind the hill.
We rehearsed without his cohort, who behaved badly.
My hairstyle, a mohawk, was prohibited by her.
It's Heaven to have a happy hankering for ham!
He holds an unhealthy heap of mohair.
It is prohibited to holler at the hibernating bears while they are hiding.

52
Chapter 12
What’s the Difference?

OO and oo
The sounds OO and oo are paired in this chapter because they are
easy to confuse with one another. There is not only a difference in
length, but also in placement.

53
OO (as in “you”)
The “oo” sound is made with the back of the tongue fairly high, tongue tip down, and the
sides of the mouth slightly forward. The difference between “OO” and “oo” (as in
“should”) is that “OO” has more lip rounding/protrusion, is slightly more forward, and is
longer.
Compare to oo, UH schwa
The first column of words has the OO sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the OO sound at the end. The third column has words with the
OO sound in the middle of the word.
ooh who lose

ooze bugaboo boot
oolong lulu unicorn
oompah pooh roof
oomph shoe shoot
oops clue union
oodles through room
uber do roost
oozed zoo unique
uzi caribou shoes
Uma flew stool
threw fool
you troupe
ado Tuesday
Practice sentences
Uma's shoes ooze oolong tea.

The troupe had oodles of room.
The fool threw the tools through the roof.
Ooh! The ghoul's uniform is unique!
The gloom in the zoo fools the unicorn.
Oops! the broom roosts on the stool.
It's Lulu who looses her boot in the to-do.
Who's bugaboo are you?!
Note: The “liquid U” (Y + OO, as in “cube”) occurs in words such as cube, cute, cue,
cupid, view, pew, mewling, future, dew. Some people use it in words like news,
Tuesday, student, stupid.

54
oo (as in “should”)
The “oo” sound is made with the back of the tongue fairly high, tongue tip down, and the
sides of the mouth slightly forward. The difference between “oo” and “OO” (as in
“you”) is that “oo” has less lip rounding/protrusion, is slightly less forward, and is
shorter.
Compare to OO, UH schwa
The “oo” sound only occurs in the middle of words.
Middle
pull
should
book
looking
hook
putting
push
crook
foot
nook
could
wooden
forsook
sugar
Practice sentences
The crook pulled the cook into the nook.

The courier took the bull by the foot.
By hook or by crook, I'll keep looking.
She was hooked on the cook book.
You shouldn’t push the wooden door – it says “pull.”
She was looking for her book by the brook.
The pulley was hooked over the crooked nook.
I could look over the edge, but I shook.

55
Chapter 13
Smooth or Sharp
SH ZH CH and DJ
The sounds SH and ZH can be sustained, like the F, V, S and Z

sounds. But when you combine them with a plosive, you get CH
and DJ, which are quick.

56
SH (as in shy)
The “SH” sound is formed by moving the corners of the mouth forward, pressing the
sides of your tongue against the upper teeth and roof of mouth, and bringing the front
teeth almost closed. Turbulence occurs at the teeth as you send the air through them.
The difference between SH and ZH is that SH is unvoiced (the vocal cords do not
vibrate).
Compare to S, ZH, CH
The first column of words has the SH sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the SH sound at the end. The third column has words with the
SH sound in the middle of the word.
she wish ratio

should fish ocean
sure lush fashion
sugar brush wishful
shrink flush function
shine thrush cashed
Shelly mush passion
shiny push potion
shouldn’t wash patient
share cash washing
surely bash pushed
shave slash flashy
shrimp splash flushed
shiver rash usher
shall dish Russia
Practice sentences
She shouldn’t shirk her responsibilities at Shelly’s office.

Shirley ushered the Russian shoe salesman into the shade.
The ship sailed the ocean and washed ashore.
She shoved Sheila into a dish of shellfish.
Ashton cashed the check for washing the dishes.
Misha went back to Russia for the cash.
Should I wish for a fish, or a dish of fish?
She pushed the potion and blushed.

57
ZH (as in measure)
The “ZH” sound is formed by moving the corners of the mouth forward, pressing the
sides of your tongue against the upper teeth and roof of mouth, and bringing the front
teeth almost closed. Turbulence occurs at the teeth as you send the air through them
while voicing. The difference between ZH and SH is that ZH is voiced (the vocal cords
vibrate).
Compare to Z, S, SH
The first column of words has the SH sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the SH sound at the end. The third column has words with the
SH sound in the middle of the word. Note that this sound rarely appears at the beginning
of words.
Jacques beige pleasure

garage measure
collage casual
mirage treasure
prestige Persian
rouge seizure
luge leisure
badinage mah-jongg
sabotage decision
concierge division
décolletage illusion
decoupage visual
manege camouflage
mélange usual
azure
Practice sentences
He spent his leisure time in a beige suit.

The measurements of the garage gave him pleasure.
Jacques won the treasure by playing mah-jongg.
The decision was made casually.
Camouflage is usually a visual illusion.
The luge race was a division three event.
The concierge sabotaged my decision about where to go.
Let’s do some collage and decoupage in my garage.

58
CH (as in chair)
The “CH” sound is formed by beginning with a T and immediately moving into a SH.
Unlike an SH, it explodes (like the T). The difference between CH and DJ is that CH is
unvoiced (the vocal cords do not vibrate).
Compare to SH, S, T
The first column of words has the CH sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the CH sound at the end. The third column has words with the
church watch butcher

chip rich catcher
Chang ditch latched
chicken stitch watched
choose which watching
chose crutch patched
cheese latch roaches
chin batch hitched
chuckle snatch ditched
check birch punched
change patch enriched
chill roach matching
charge leech matched
champion broach watchful
challenge lunch marching
Practice sentences
The champion challenged the rich butcher to a match.

Charlie chuckled as he chose to cheer.
Rachel had cheese and chicken for lunch.
Watch the witch to see if she changes.
Change was a challenge that cheered Charlie.
Charge the matching watches to my card.
I chewed the cheese and reached for the peach.
Make a chart to show the change in the charges.

59
DJ (as in Joe)
The “DJ” sound is formed by beginning with a D and immediately moving into a ZH.
Unlike an SH, it explodes (like the T). The difference between DJ and CH is that DJ is
voiced (the vocal cords vibrate).
Compare to ZH, Z, D, Y
The first column of words has the CH sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the CH sound at the end. The third column has words with the
joke George ledger

just fudge pages
Joe rage raging
jury budge usages
Japan cage engaged
germ Madge Georgette
Germany page paginate
jump usage pageant
January marriage largely
jealous ledge judges
justify wedge sagely
junk nudge trudging
John engage wages
Jack large smudgy
Jane carriage ridges
Practice sentences
George jumped off the ledge into the hedge

“Judge Judy” is a TV show Joe saw in January.
June and July are nice months for pageants.
There are just twenty pages left in the book about Germany and Japan.
Jack’s jacket is large and fudge-colored.
Joe stood on the stage to justify his junk.
John and Midge were engaged for years before the marriage.
The judge and jury joked during the trial.

60
Chapter 14
1 + 1 = 2: Diphthongs
Diphthongs are two vowel sounds put together to make one sound.
Make sure you have worked through the vowel sounds before you
move to the diphthongs, because the diphthongs are described by
referring to the vowel sounds. This chapter covers the five
diphthongs in the Neutral American dialect.

61
OW (as in out)
The “OW” sound is formed by saying “a” (like “AH” but placed farther forward) and
moving smoothly into an “OO” (as in you). Like all diphthongs, the first half of the
sound has more emphasis than the second.
Compare to AH, AW, OH, OA
The first column of words has the “OW“ sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the “OW” sound at the end. The third column has words with the
“OW” sound in the middle of the word.
outcome allow around

ouch brow shower
owl kow-tow house
hour endow drown
ounce bough cloud
outrage know-how flowers
ours cow compound
outline sow mounds
Audi wow impound
ourselves prow hound
outcast plow noun
outbreak pow-wow sound
outsource how proud
outfit bow scowl
Practice sentences
The clouds showered rain on the bower of flowers.

The owl on the bough weighs ten ounces.
An outbreak of shouting roused the hounds.
We impounded the cow, the sow, and the fowl.
We ourselves were astounded by the rout in the compound.
I am proud of the mound of trout on the ground.
He prowled through the crowd every hour.
Wow! I'm astounded how loud the pow-wow sounds.

62
EY (as in say)
The “EY” sound is formed by saying “EH” (as in egg) and moving smoothly into an
“EE” (as in he). Like all diphthongs, the first half of the sound has more emphasis than
the second.
Compare to EH, EE, AYE
The first column of words has the “EY“ sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the “EY” sound at the end. The third column has words with the
“EY” sound in the middle of the word.
ace today brain

aid bouquet cranium
ache delay baseball
able yesterday drape
eight gay ordain
angel dee-jay claim
aping okay domain
ate decay frame
aim Saturday bakery
agency anyway humane
acre pray capable
aviary entrée complaint
acorn stay page
amoral sway remain
Practice sentences
Say! May I pay for Ray's vacation?

The train waits patiently in the station.
Don't complain when you are waiting for Dave's plane.
I aim to sustain today’s claim.
Be an angel and stay away from the alehouse.
The brainy page was in a rage at the delay.
It's inhumane to strain the brain.
Pray, stay away from my bouquet.

63
OA (as in so)
The “OA” sound is formed by saying “O” (like an “UH” [as in “up”] with rounded lips)
and moving smoothly into an “OO” (as in boot). Like all diphthongs, the first half of the
sound has more emphasis than the second.
Compare to AW, OH, UH, OO
The first column of words has the “OA“ sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the “OA” sound at the end. The third column has words with the
“OA” sound in the middle of the word.
obey cargo boat

oboe also cloak
ocean elbow drone
odor show unknown
oatmeal Soho flown
obituary sew ghost
okra banjo home
owner below joker
only yo-yo cocaine
okay domino lower
oasis zero most
over know notion
owing pillow poster
ozone bungalow quoted
Practice sentences
The wind blows through Joan's old overcoat.

The boat floats below the flowing stream.
Joe knows that the sliced loaf is toasted.
Oh, yes! The ogre is unknown in this zone.
Go home to the bungalow that you own.
In Soho, roasted goat with okra is almost unknown.
Okay, let me show you how most of the cargo fits below deck.
I loathe the notion of goading the owner of a home.

64
AYE (as in I)
The “AYE” sound is formed by saying “AH” (as in “father”) and moving smoothly into
an “EE” (as in he). Like all diphthongs, the first half of the sound has more emphasis
than the second.
Compare to AH
The first column of words has the “AYE“ sound at the beginning of the word. The
second column has words with the “AYE” sound at the end. The third column has words
with the “AYE” sound in the middle of the word.
aisle apply blind

eyebrow why criteria
icing cry drying
island deny rice
Einstein fly fries
icecap lanai gripe
idea pry grind
icon reply behind
I.Q. sky trying
I’d try kindness
irate wry lime
isolate supply minding
ivy defy night
ironic comply whine
Practice sentences
Tonight I will apply my criteria to your ideas.

I like to skate on dry ice.
I don’t like key lime pie because it doesn’t have icing.
I'm behind in replying to Ira's idea.
I tried to fly, but could only climb to the icecap.
Isolate the nighttime gripes, and try to apply kindness.
Why buy ivy: to plant in the skybox, or on an island?
The daily grind makes Ida cry.

65
OY (as in boy)
The “OY” sound is formed by saying “AW” (as in “all”), and moving smoothly into an
“EE” (as in feet). Like all diphthongs, the first half of the sound has more emphasis than
the second.
Compare to AW, OH, OA
The first column of words has the “OY“ sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the “OY” sound at the end. The third column has words with the
“OY” sound in the middle of the word.
oil decoy boil

oyster ploy recoil
oink employ coin
ointment enjoy foil
oily soy joint
oilstone annoy loin
oilskin deploy embroil
oilfield overjoy hoist
oilcan cloy void
oilcloth destroy voice
oiler joy point
oystering tannoy joyful
oysterman boy broil
oystered Leroy choice
Practice sentences
The oily boy annoyed his uncle Leroy.

The oysterman employed a hoist to foist the load.
"Oink", said the pig, in a choice voice.
The androids recoil from the boiling void.
My choice is the ointment with soy and rose oil.
Coil foil around the broiled pork loin.
Serve the boiled joint on a doily.
The boys are joyful to be employed at a job they enjoy.

66
Chapter 15
“R”s are All Around
The “R” sounds are one of the most noticeable features of any
accent. Most people who work with accent modification make
adjustments in at least one of the R sounds.
There are six different R sounds. The first is the R sound acting as
a consonant and beginning a word. The other five are called “R-
diphthongs,” and they are combinations of the R with different
vowel sounds. This chapter covers all six R sounds of English.

67
R (Consonantal R, as in red)
The “R” sound is formed by pressing the sides of the tongue against the upper back teeth,
pointing the tongue tip straight ahead, and protruding the lips while voicing. There are
many variations on tongue position for the R sound, so if your tongue does something
else but it still sounds okay, don’t bother changing your tongue position. The sound is
placed very far forward.
Compare with L, W, UR
The consonantal R only occurs at the beginning of a word:
red real restaurant really

ranch range rake wrong
write rich rain rupture
wrap rainbow register wring
Practice sentences
Randy raked the red carpet in the rain.

Reach up the right side to reveal the ruby.
The river runs right through Red Ridge.
Rainbows regularly appeared in Rio.
A rented room in Roanoke revealed Richard’s roots.
Rural railroad engineers require receipts.
It would be really wrong to write a bad review of that restaurant.
Roger let his roosters roam around the ranch.
If you have trouble with this sound, move on to the UR sound and use that to help.

68
UR (as in earn, work, bird, turn, perfect)

[ and
The “UR” sound is similar to the consonantal R, but with a little more space in the
mouth. The sides of the tongue still touch the upper teeth, and the sound feels as though
it moves down the groove in the middle of the tongue to the lips. The sound is made at
the front of the mouth.
Compare with UH, schwa, EAR, OAR, AIR
The first column of words has the UR sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the UR sound at the end. The third column has words with the
UR sound in the middle of the word.
earth murder learn

early over church
urgent mother lottery
earthworm under curve
earl feather perfect
earthly wonder alert
urban reporter earthworm
earning odor kernel
Irving armor turn
ermine razor girl
ergonomic father work
urbane elevator bird
urn lather burn
Ursula lover word
Practice sentences
Burn the furnace oil all winter.

Turn around and secure the birdcage.
Shirley heard her first church sermon.
Did you hear the alert? A person was murdered earlier in the leather factory.
The skirt and shirt were perfect with her purse.
Earl’s mother won the lottery last Thursday.
Roger’s father wondered if the call was urgent.
Vernon gets to work so early that he is the first one there.

69
ARE (as in heart)
The “ARE” sound is an R-diphthong, meaning it is two sounds put together. Like all
diphthongs, there is more emphasis on the first sound. The ARE starts as an “AH” sound
(as in father), very open, then moves to the R.
Compare to AH, OH, AW
The first column of words has the AR sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the AR sound at the end. The third column has words with the
AR sound in the middle of the word.

Arthur car start
aardvark jar party
art afar large
Arnold Zadar dark
archery radar barnyard
architect tar marble
arsenal bizarre tarnish
arbitrary shofar varsity
army are sergeant
ark lumbar harpoon
Arlington sitar mark
ardent bar sharp
argue bazaar carton
artery star parked
Practice sentences
Most farmers start working when it’s still dark.

Garth carved the large turkey with a sharp knife.
The tarnish mark on the silver jar marred Marge’s party.
How far are the stars from this park?
Barney parked on a barstool and ordered a martini.
Carl’s dog Martha barked at the jar of dog food.
Arthur told me at the party that Mark is a sergeant in the army.
The dark brown car parked in the yard made them argue.

70
AIR (as in care)
The “AIR” sound is an R-diphthong, meaning it is two sounds put together. Like all
diphthongs, there is more emphasis on the first sound. The AIR starts as an “EH” sound
(as in egg), then moves smoothly to the UR.
Compare with EH, EI, EAR
The first column of words has the AIR sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the AIR sound at the end. The third column has words with the
AIR sound in the middle of the word.

air care Karen
airplane rare daring
airfare stare fairly
airborne glare very
airtight hair careful
airbase anywhere stared
airs fair upstairs
Erte somewhere garish
airless lair Sarah
airflow nowhere Mary
airwaves bear charity
airmail beware chairs
airy flare sharing
aircraft where unbearable
Practice sentences
Mary was fair-haired with a daring air.
Jerry likes to wear the bare minimum to any formal affair.
The rare bear was fairly well hidden in his lair.
Beware of the pear tart - it is very sweet.
Sarah had to be careful because of the glare.
Harry stared at the garish display with care.
There is nowhere for the chairs on the airplane.
Karen didn’t care where the charity event took place.

71
EAR (as in dear)
The “EAR” sound is an R-diphthong, meaning it is two sounds put together. Like all
diphthongs, there is more emphasis on the first sound. The EAR starts as an “EE” sound
(as in me), then moves to the UR.
Compare with EE, AIR
The first column of words has the EAR sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the EAR sound at the end. The third column has words with the
EAR sound in the middle of the word.

ear steer pierce
earpiece pioneer merely
earphone here peers
irrelevant* unclear cheery
earring brigadier clearly
eardrum near weird
irresistible* peer tearful
earmark endear shearing
earful cheer veered
ears career jeering
irregular* fear appears
earache appear beard
eardrop dear fierce
earwig souvenir weary
*The words starting with “irr- ” are not “supposed” to be pronounced with the EAR
sound, but most people use the EAR sound when saying those words.
Practice sentences
Here is the clear stream you always hear about.
We’re here to cheer for the weird brigadier.
Steer clear of the irresistible guy who lives nearby.
Orville is cheerful this time of year.
The weary O’Leary has not pierced his ear.
Sheer fear kept Vera in here.
As a skier, Peter heard cheers and jeers.
He appears to have a beard, but it’s unclear from here.

72
OAR (as in more)

and
The “OAR” sound is an R-diphthong, meaning it is two sounds put together. Like all
diphthongs, there is more emphasis on the first sound. The OAR starts as a narrow
“AW” sound (as in all), then moves to the UR. Some OAR words start with an “OO” (as
in who) and then move to the UR.
Compare with AW, OA, OH
The first column of words has the OAR sound at the beginning of the word. The second
column has words with the OAR sound at the end. The third column has words with the
OAR sound in the middle of the word.

orphan snore George
ornery sure lord
oracle adore doorknob
oar four fork
order tore outdoors
orb floor deportment
or before forty
organize lore shorter
Orlando war cord
ore carnivore roaring
oars store sports
origin matador boring
ornament anymore pork
ordinary restore corn
Practice sentences
Georgia wore a floor-length formal.
The core of the corncob was bored with holes.
I’m sure I’ll be outdoors on the fourth of July.
More than before, Nora wore cork shoes.
The dorm room is warm in the mornings.
The door to the store was nailed to the floor.
Let’s order the cord on page forty-four.
Lorna’s sports store isn’t organized anymore.

73
Chapter 16
Intonation and Stress

There are two main types of stress. The first is within-word stress, which refers to which
syllable is stressed in a single word. For example, in the word “today,” the stress is on
the second syllable so it sounds like to-DAY. The second type of stress is sentence
stress, which has to do with which word is stressed (or emphasized) in a sentence. For
instance, we’d usually say, “What TIME is it?” (with the main stress on the word “time”).
Good speakers of English usually stress the words that carry the most meaning.
Within-word stress: The 7/3split
Let’s begin by talking about within-word stress. The difference between the strong and
weak syllables in the Neutral American accent is quite dramatic. Non-native speakers of
English are often surprised by how weak the unstressed syllables are. In other words,
many people over-stress.
Imagine we can put stress on a 10 point scale, where 1 = almost no stress, and 10 = a lot
of stress. In a word like “because,” the first syllable (be) is very weak – maybe a 3 out of
10. The second syllable (cause) is relatively quite strong - maybe a 7 out of 10. The
point is that there is a big difference between the two syllables. Many people,
particularly non-native speakers of English, tend to make the stress more like 4/6 instead
of 3/7. Meaning that they make the stressed syllable a little bit stronger than the
unstressed one, but not enough. The difference is really quite extreme.
How do we stress a syllable?
We add stress or emphasis to a syllable or word in several ways:
1. Get louder. Say the stressed syllable louder than the unstressed.
EL-bow, TA-ble, a-GO, SA-tur-day, to-MO-rrow
2. Go up in pitch. Make the pitch of your voice higher on the stressed syllable.
be-CAUSE, UN-der, ev-id-ENT-ly, HAP-pi-er,
3. Slow it down. Take longer to say the stressed syllable than the unstressed.
To-MO-rrow, re-CEIVE, PA-per, com-PU-ter

74
How do we stress a word in a sentence?
For a stressing a word, we use the same techniques as we do to stress a syllable, plus an
extra.
1. Get louder. Say the stressed word louder than the unstressed.
What did you DO on your vacation?
2. Go up in pitch. Make the pitch of your voice higher on the stressed syllable.
3. Slow it down. Take longer to say the stressed syllable than the unstressed.
4. Set it apart. Put teeny little pauses before and/or after the stressed word.
Generally speaking, we want the inflection to go up and then down for declarative
sentences in English. The word you stress (usually one word per thought group) should
be the word that carries the most meaning.
“Mountain Stress” for sentences
Stress the underlined word by going way up in pitch, then coming back down:
---
--- ---
One two three.
The cat is outside.
Please water the plant.
Painters like museums.
Jessica and Eve are friends.
The keys are inside her house.
Kindness makes the world go round.
Everybody liked that movie.
Rainy days make me sad.
Sunshine makes the garden grow.
The trees in the woods are beautiful.

75
Duane believes in angels.
Sunday I went to the zoo with Carol.
There are lots of moose in Maine.
Are you ready to go out?
Notice the subtle difference in meaning between the following stresses:
I asked him to put the camera down.

Question stress
There re two types of questions, and two basic forms of stress for them:
Yes/No questions (inflection rises at end):
---
--- --- ---
Are you thirsty?
Is Jennifer coming to the play?

Do you want some of this?
Will you please help me?
May I have the salt?
Won’t Harvey be mad at me if I leave?
Do you know how to swim?
Would you like to see a movie with me this week?
Did you hear that?
Open-ended questions (up-down-up or mountain stress)

---
-- ---
--- -- --- --- --- -- -- --
What time is it? Where does she go to school?
Where are you going?

When did you get back?

76
Why did you say that?

Is that your second bowl of cereal?
Did that elephant just step on your foot?
Where did you get the postcard you sent me from Hawaii?
What did you do with Jane’s phone number?
Vocal punctuation
When we read, we have punctuation marks to help us understand the language. When we
speak, it helps listeners if we use “vocal punctuation.” Vocal punctuation means using
your voice to help the listener understand the structure of what you are saying. At a
period at the end of a declarative sentence, make sure your voice drops at the end of the
sentence and you pause a little before moving on to the next thought. If there is a
question mark, make sure your voice goes up and/or down so we know it is a question.
Periods and question marks are fairly obvious, but what about subtler punctuation marks,
like commas? We don’t usually think of commas while we speak, but it helps the listener
if you pause slightly between thoughts. Listen to the recording to hear the way the voice
can help you understand the meaning.
(When I went to the store I went straight to the produce section and found what I was
looking for.)
Parenthetical phrases are phrases that could be lifted out of a sentence without changing
the basic meaning. The statement might be in parentheses (like this), or commas can be
used instead. In the following sentence, “her husband” is a parenthetical statement. “Ellie
and Jack, her husband, went to a play.” It is helpful for your listener if you make the
parenthetical statement sound different than the rest of the sentence. Listen to the
recording and practice:
Jay’s swimming lessons, which he has on Tuesdays, are his favorite thing.
Ella, Rick’s beagle, is a great dog.
Everybody thinks that Trish, who is about to turn 30, is older than I am!
Lists and commas
When we have a list of words separated by commas, we raise the inflection of the voice
up while we are listing things to tell the listener “I’m not finished yet.” Listen to the
audio track to hear the inflection:
We went to the store, the gym, the dry cleaner’s, and the coffee shop.

77
One thought at a time
Perhaps the most important aspect of vocal punctuation is to speak in thoughts instead of
one word at a time. When we place so much emphasis on the speech sounds and
precision of articulation, it is easy to get so focused on the words that we lose the overall
meaning of the sentence. While it is important to get the words as clear as possible, it is
even more important to speak in thought groups or phrases. Listen to the audio track to
hear the difference.
Read the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln aloud. Instead of talking one word at
a time, see if you can flow through the whole thought. It will be tempting to pause more
often, but see if you can only pause where the / marks are. You do not have to breathe at
every pause mark if you do not need to. But do not pause (even to breathe) if there is not
a / mark.
"Fourscore and seven years ago / our fathers brought forth on this
continent a new nation, / conceived in liberty / and dedicated to the
proposition that all men are created equal. / Now we are engaged in
a great civil war, / testing whether that nation / or any nation so
conceived and so dedicated / can long endure. We are met on a
great battlefield of that war. / We have come to dedicate a portion
of that field as a final resting-place / for those who here gave their
lives that that nation might live. / It is altogether fitting and proper
that we should do this. / But in a larger sense, / we cannot
dedicate, / we cannot consecrate, / we cannot hallow this ground. /
The brave men, / living and dead / who struggled here have
consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. / The
world will little note nor long remember what we say here, / but it
can never forget what they did here. / It is for us the living, / rather,
/ to be dedicated here to the unfinished work / which they who
fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. / It is rather for us to
be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us /--that
from these honored dead / we take increased devotion to that
cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion /--that
we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, /
that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, / and
that government of the people, / by the people, / for the people
shall not perish from the earth."
For more techniques to help you stress your speech well, continue to Chapter 18:
Naturalness and Flow.

78
Chapter 17
The Articulators
The “articulators” are the body parts we use for speech. Most of us don’t think much
about the physical actions of speech. Focusing on the physical feelings and actions of
speech, however, is a key component of this training program. Because the speech sound
training chapters in this manual refer to the articulators, this chapter offers a summary
explanation of each of them.
Suggested use of this chapter: Read once, and refer back as needed. Re-read after 4
weeks, as you might gain another layer of understanding.
Lips
The lips come together for the sounds B, P and M. The lower lip touches the
upper teeth for the F and V sounds. The lips also open, close, round, and move forward
and back for vowels and diphthongs.
Teeth
We bring the front teeth together and send air through them for several sounds,
such as S, Z, SH and ZH. The upper teeth touch the lower lip for the sounds F and V.
The only sounds that involve the tongue touching the teeth are the TH sounds.
Lower jaw
The lower jaw moves a lot in the Neutral American dialect compared to most
others. The hinge for the jaw is higher up on the face than we usually think – it is in front
of your ears. (Put your fingers on your face in front of your ears and open and close your
mouth. You will feel the joint.) Most people who learn the Neutral American accent find
that they have to move their jaws more than they feel comfortable with at first, and
probably more than they do in their own dialect.

79
Tongue
The tongue is made up of eight different muscles, which accounts for its strength,
speed and flexibility. The tongue moves around a tremendous amount during speech, and
different parts of the tongue are responsible for different sounds.
The very front of the tongue works with the gum ridge and teeth to make many
consonant sounds. The back of the tongue touches the soft palate for the sounds K, G
and NG. And the shape and position of the tongue in the mouth creates the different
vowel sounds.
Palate
The palate is the roof of the mouth. It separates the mouth from the nasal
passages above. If you run your tongue along the roof of your mouth from front to back,
you will feel that the front part (about 2/3) is hard, and the back part (1/3) is softer. The
front part is called the “hard palate” and is made of bone; the back part is the “soft
palate,” made of muscle.
The soft palate is made of muscle because it moves around. When it is lifted, it
seals off the opening between the mouth and the nose. When the soft palate is closed
(lifted), air comes out the mouth when we speak. When the soft palate is open (dropped),
there is a passageway from the mouth to the nose (like a back door). When we speak
with the soft palate open (lowered), air goes into the nose. In a neutral American accent,
the sounds M, N, and NG are the only ones that require air to go through the nose. We
sometimes allow a little nasality on vowels next to those sounds. Many speakers use too
much nasality, so for these people learning to control the soft palate is the key to creating
the Neutral American sound. The tongue touches the hard palate for the sounds S, Z, SH,
ZH and Y. The very front of the hard palate is called the alveolar ridge, or gum ridge.
Gum ridge
The gum ridge is at the very front of the palate, just behind the upper teeth. If you
feel this area with your finger or tongue tip, you will notice it is bumpy. The tongue tip
presses up against the gum ridge when we make the sounds T, D, N, and L. Many other
accents do not use this tongue/gum ridge connection, so learning this feeling is important
for many speakers.

80
Chapter 18
Naturalness and Flow

This chapter is a continuation of material in Chapter 16: Intonation and Stress. Make
sure you work through that chapter before this one.
Flow
When we learn a new language, we tend to speak one word at a time. Native speakers of
most languages tend to flow their words together. Please note that this is not the same as
cutting off final consonant sounds! Flowing your words together does not mean turning
your speech into mush. It means that you connect the words so that the overarching
meaning of your thought or sentence is clear. You still want to speak clearly, producing
all the sounds accurately, but you don’t need to pause between each word. See if you can
apply this as you work with the practice materials for the speech sounds.
Listen and repeat with the audio:
Everybody else ate at the all night diner on Eighth Avenue.

Matt went to the beach and arrived home after Ann.
The amazing article in the Atlanta paper was about outreach.
Saying the final consonants of each word is very important to this. Many non-native
speakers of English do not finish the words and cut off the consonants. This means there
are little pauses between each word where the consonants would be. It is better to put the
sounds in the words instead of pausing.
Rhythm
The rhythm of speech is vital to a listener’s ability to easily understand it. Many of the
points made repeatedly in this manual (saying all the sounds completely, for example) are
so important because of how they impact the rhythm of speech. In addition to saying all
the consonants and making sure the vowels and diphthongs have their full length, there is
another subtle rhythmic component to consider.
Native speakers of any language tend to be lazy in certain ways. In English, there are
times when native speakers do not complete final consonants. HOWEVER, when they
do this, they allow a small pause where the consonant would be. The audio track will
make this clear.

81
Let’s use the sentence “He went there” as an example. It is perfectly acceptable to put
the T on “went” and pronounce it clearly. In fact, if you are speaking formally or giving
a presentation, you should absolutely do this. In casual speech, however, if you want to
sound a little more like a native speaker, there is another option. You don’t want to take
the T off completely (so it isn’t “He wen there”). That makes it hard to understand
because we don’t get the word and we also don’t get the right rhythm. What native
speakers do in that situation is suspend the speech for a split second. There is a tiny
moment that feels like a dancer hanging in the air before they return to the ground, a
suspension. It is as if you are about to make the T, but do not completely finish it.
This is especially relevant when a word ends with a plosive and the next word starts with
the same sound.
look calm leap pond eat today Steak cut big girl good dog
It can occur at other times as well. Listen to the audio tracks and to other native speakers
(TV is a good source of native speakers) to identify this little suspension.
Weak forms
Many words in English have both strong and weak forms, depending on the context. For
example, the word “that” is pronounced fully in a sentence like, “I want that one.”
However, in a context like, “I think that I need to leave now,” the word becomes almost
non-existent. The “A” sound is almost dropped, making it sound more like “I think th’t I
need to leave now.” Listen to the recordings to clarify this important point. As you can
hear, the effect on the rhythm is large.
Here are some sentences to practice weak forms. The word with the weak form is
italicized. Be careful that you do not make the word strong because it is in italics!
I went to the store today.

This one and that one are my favorites.
Two of them will be enough.
Look at the size of that!
He came from Iowa.
It’s two for the price of one.
Carol was a good friend.
I’d like an apple.
Do you like this one or that one?
Rowan thinks he can fix it.

82
Do you need to slow down?
Many people believe they need to speak more slowly to be understood. That may be true.
It is helpful to consider there is more than one way of slowing down. You can slow
down by pausing after every word. By putting little pauses in between words, you
give the listener’s brain enough time to fill in the gaps and figure out what you are
saying. While this might make you easier to understand, it is not very expressive.
A more effective method is to simply make sure you are saying all the sounds in the
words. Many people are asked to slow down because they are skipping some of the
sounds. Slowing down doesn’t necessarily make you more accurate – just slower! If you
say all the sounds in the words, it will take you longer to say them than if you skip some.
So it does end up slowing you down a bit if you focus on saying every sound.
(Remember this does not mean saying every letter! Revisit the difference between
sounds and letters in Chapter 1 if you are unsure.)
Also, many people “clip” the vowels of English. Many of the vowels (and the
diphthongs) are quite long. By giving them their full value, it will slow many speakers
down automatically. In fact, many people feel that they are talking incredibly slowly
when they say the vowels with the appropriate length.
Therefore, for most people it is more useful to think of saying every sound than to think
of slowing down. While you will slow down a bit by saying all the sounds, the more
important part is that you are speaking more clearly and further helping your listener
understand you.
Watch what you stress
If you are working on particular sound, it is easy to focus on that sound when you speak.
For instance, if you are practicing the TH sound, you will focus on words like “that, the,
these” because they contain the sound you are thinking about. You will probably stress
these words simply because you are aware of them. This is natural. In the beginning, it
is also necessary. You must focus on the sounds and speak slowly enough to think about
what you are doing. Eventually, though, it is time to flow. It is tempting to stress the
word you are thinking about, but this might not make the most sense to your listener. So
in a sentence like, “I think that I am late,” be careful not to stress the word “that” simply
because it contains the TH sound you are focusing on.
While there are many sentences to practice with in this manual, you can read aloud from
a newspaper, book, etc. to practice your intonation and flow techniques as well.

83
Chapter 19
Nasality
Nasality refers to the sound of air coming through the nose. In English there are three
sounds that require the air to come out the nose: M, N, and NG. Those three consonant
sounds require air to come out the nose; no other sounds are nasals.
For many speakers, especially of Latin languages, the nasal sound is part of the language
and it creeps into the pronunciation of English. Nasality is also very common in the
Midwestern US. In order to avoid nasality, practice working with your soft palate.
If you run your tongue along the roof of your mouth, you’ll notice it is hard (bone) at the
front and soft (muscle) at the back. The soft palate is the muscle that controls nasality. It
functions like an attic door. When it is open, it is hanging down into the mouth,. When it
is closed, it is lifted.
When the soft palate opens (hangs down in the mouth), air goes into the nose. When it is
lifted, no air can go into the nose. If it stayed lifted all the time, it would sound like you
had a stuffy nose (which is called denasality – when there is not enough nasality).
Take a deep breath, then say “AH” for several seconds. While you are saying the “AH,”
hold your nose. Notice if the sound changes. If the sound is different when you hold
your nose than when you don’t, that means there is air going into the nose (nasality). If
you hear no change, there is no nasality.
If you need to work on having less nasality in your speech, work on lifting the soft palate.
It lifts naturally when we yawn, so explore the feeling of a yawn to help you lift the
palate. Try looking in a mirror as well. Open your mouth wide to see the soft palate’s
actions.
Practice these sentences with no nasal sounds holding your nose – there should be no air
going into your nose:
Kelly likes the picture of her father at the top of the stairs.
If you wait here, Lisa will show up at three o’clock.
Yesterday the café was so full that we had to wait for two hours.
Bill left his red wallet by the blue vase above the table.

84
The nose-holding trick only works when there are no nasal sounds in the sentence. The
nasal sounds (M, N, NG) require air to go through the nose, so the soft palate has to open
and close very quickly.
Practice saying these sentences in three ways: First, say them very nasally. Second, say
them de-nasally (use the audio recording to help with this). Third, say them so the nasal
sounds are nasal but the rest of the sounds are not.
Sometimes the mayor makes remarks that move me.

My mom moved to the mountains.
After they got married in Minnesota, Mark and Mona went on their honeymoon.
The minister meant to make the sermon less morose.
More and more, Michael mourned for Marie.
For the most part, keeping the feeling of a slight yawn to lift the palate is the most
effective way to reduce nasality in your speech.

85
Chapter 20
Suffixes, Articles, and Other Random

Pronunciation Guidelines
Suffixes
-ed
The –ed ending is sometimes pronounced as a D (as in loved), and sometimes as a T (as
in looked). The pronunciation depends on the sound that comes before it. If the sound
before the –ed suffix is voiceless, the –ed is pronounced as a T (also voiceless). If the
sound before the –ed suffix is voiced, it is pronounced as a D (also voiced).
Pronounced as T:
walked laughed looked based jumped
pushed stuffed picked iced cupped
Pronounced as D:
glazed loved subbed begged faded
waged logged failed fired mowed
-s
The –s ending can be pronounced as a Z (as in loves), or as an S (as in walks). The rule
is the same as for the –ed suffix. ). The pronunciation depends on the sound that comes
before it. If the sound before the –s suffix is voiceless, the –s is pronounced as a S (also
voiceless). If the sound before the –s suffix is voiced, it is pronounced as a Z (also
voiced).
Pronounced as S:
talks laughs looks eats jumps
rakes puffs tips rates books
Pronounced as Z:
raises loves clubs wheels begs
rivers tables elbows keys closes

86
-tion
The –tion suffix is pronounced as the single syllable “shun”
motivation exploration potion ration
-sion
The suffix -sion is pronounced as the single syllabe “zhun”
explosion derision television vision
Articles
A
The word “a” is pronounced using the schwa (uh). It is not pronounced as a long A
unless you are emphasizing it for some reason.
The
The pronunciation of the word “the” depends on the sound that comes after it. If the next
sound is a consonant sound, it is pronounced with a schwa (uh). If the next word starts
with a vowel sound, it is pronounced as “thee.” (It’s actually easier to say the word
combinations this way!)
the book the teacher the lab the mayor

the apple the obstacle the icicle the egg
Note: Many non-native speakers of English skip articles because they do not exist in their
native language. While the meaning is not greatly affected if you forget an article, the
rhythm of the phrase is greatly affected. The rhythm is very important, so it is worth the
effort to include the articles. The same is true for suffixes. They can add a beat in the
rhythm, which helps your listeners to understand you.

87
Other pronunciation guidelines
• Nouns of more than one syllable are usually stressed on the first syllable: contract,
object, present
• Verbs of more than one syllable are usually stressed on the second syllable:
contract, object, present
• The speech sound chapters in this manual include some common and uncommon
words. In addition to working on the speech sound, observe the pronunciations of
these words and sentences.
• Use the dictionary to figure out stress. Dictionaries use various methods of
marking which syllables in a word are stressed. Look up long words to see which
syllable is stressed, and practice speaking them aloud with the stress on the
correct syllable. This not only helps you learn to pronounce those words, but also
teaches you general pronunciation rules.
• Move your mouth more than you think is right. The tongue, jaw and mouth move
around a LOT in a Neutral American accent. You might feel like you are
exaggerating at first, even if you are not even moving your articulators enough.
Think of opening the mouth enough to let the sound out as you speak.
• Finish your words. Many people do not complete the final sounds (especially
consonants). Simply saying every sound makes a huge difference to your listener.

88
Chapter 21
So, Where Are You From?

Guidance for Working with Specific Accents
This chapter offers suggestions for places to begin based on your accent. While there is
obviously much variation, there are some common themes that tend to appear in speakers
from certain places. While this may not apply to you, it is likely that it might.
Obviously not every location is listed – apologies if yours is absent or generalized in a

big group! The chapters listed are starting points – you most likely will need to work on
materials in other chapters as well. These are simply suggestions for areas probably
requiring special attention. Depending on how solid you want your Neutral American
accent to be, you can work on more or less sounds.
If you are from… You probably want to look at chapters…
India 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20

China 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 16, 16, 18, 20
Japan 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 16, 16, 18, 20
United Kingdom 7, 10, 14, 15, 16
France 3, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20
Italy 3, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20
Latin speaking countries 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20
Russia 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20
Germany 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20
Middle Eastern countries 3, 4, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20
African countries 3, 5, 7, 9, 13, 14, 16
American South 6, 7, 10, 14, 15
New York 4, 7, 10, 14, 15
American Midwest 4, 7, 10, 14, 19

89
Appendix
Contains:
Practice Tips
Personalized Coaching Services
Speech Analysis Form

90
Practice Tips
• Record yourself practicing if you can. If possible, record yourself repeating after
the models on the audio tracks. You can then listen to see how closely you are
matching the examples. It is sometimes easier to hear your own speech on a
recording than when you are actually speaking.
• Have a mirror handy. For many of the speech sounds, it is helpful to see where
your tongue and mouth is. While the goal is to eventually be able to feel your
mouth movements, it can be helpful at first to see as well.
• Be able to focus. Your practice sessions will be more productive if you are able
to focus completely on your work. If you are distracted or multitasking, you will
not learn as well as if you pay full attention.
• Remember to apply your new skills. This material teaches you to speak in a
different way. That different speech does not automatically appear in your daily
life. You have to consciously think about it and remember to use your new skills
at work and with friends. When you order in a restaurant or make a phone call,
remember to practice your new speech. When you are at work, choose specific
times to practice every day, then give yourself breaks. The hardest part is
remembering to do it – put a note on your computer screen!
• Make sure you read (and probably re-read) the first several chapters. The
Introduction and first two chapters, as well as the chapter on articulators, provide
information that is referenced throughout the manual. If you read or hear
something you don’t understand, check these chapters for the explanation.
• Make use of the “Compare with” notes for speech sounds. If there are sounds
you find challenging, notice the sounds that are listed as comparisons. Many
sounds are commonly confused with other sounds, so it can be helpful to see
which those sounds are and make sure that you are making those sounds
accurately.
• Remember the rhythm. Even though the majority of the manual focuses on speech
sounds, the rhythm is probably the most important aspect of a dialect. As long as
you get the sounds close enough that people can understand you, the rhythm is
what makes it easy for people to follow you. Many of the sounds are important
because of the rhythm they impart to a phrase. Use the hundreds of words and
sentences in the audio tracks to practice this as well.
• Identify your targets. If you know specifically what sounds and issues you need
to work on, you can obviously skip directly to those areas. If, however, you are
not totally sure, it is best to work through the whole manual. As you go through
all the sounds, make notes about which ones are difficult for you, or that you

91
think you do not make in a Neutral American way. After you have been through
everything once, you can return to the areas you need to focus on for continued
work.
• Be patient. You have spoken the way you do for a long time. It will take time
and practice to change that. Speech is not something we usually think much
about, so the first step is becoming aware. If you do not make changes as fast as
you would like, remain patient and continue to practice. There can be a learning
curve that requires patience (and a little faith!) while your body learns these new
skills.
• Don’t give up! As you are able to apply your new skills by simply thinking about
it, you can begin to fade your practice time. Do this gradually, and maintain daily
practice for several months. When you feel you do not need to practice any more,
it can still be helpful to occasionally re-visit the material occasionally to make
sure you haven’t accidentally slipped (this is common!).

92
Personalized Coaching Services
Analysis
The Analysis is designed to help you focus your work. You complete a questionnaire,
make an MP3 recording, and email the form and sound file to Kate DeVore. She sends
you an analysis via email, telling you which sounds and chapters you would benefit from
focusing on.
While you can do an analysis at the beginning of the process to target your training, you
can also do one after you have been working for awhile. In this case it would assess your
progress and help you target where to continue working.
Individual Coaching
Telephone/Skype coaching with Kate DeVore provides personalized training and
direction. As a speech-language pathologist, speech coach, and the author of this manual,
Kate can help you identify the specific areas you need to work on. She can also teach
you how to produce sounds and intonation patterns that you are not able to master on
your own.
Pricing
Analysis $50
Short coaching session (25 min – to work on one or two specific areas) $80
Full coaching session (50 minutes) $125
Packages
Manual $60
Manual plus one analysis $100 (save $10)
Manual plus 2 analyses and 2 full coaching sessions $385 (save $25)
Analyses are done at the beginning of coaching to assess your needs, then at the end to
clarify how you need to continue working on your own.
If you have already purchased the manual and would like to upgrade to a package,
contact Kate DeVore at Kate@TotalVoice.net.

93
Speech Analysis Form

I. Please complete the following questionnaire:
Name:
Address:
Phone number:
E-mail:
Native language:
Other languages spoken other than English and your first languages:
Age:
Age you learned English:
What brings you to this work at this time?
What are your professional goals?
What are your personal goals for your life?
What do you want to get out of this work?
Anything else you’d like me to know:
II. Make your recording. Say your first and last name, the date, and read the Rainbow
Passage. Then record 15-30 seconds of conversational speech. You can talk about
anything you like - your work, your home, your family, your speech, your pets, your last
vacation, your ambitions, etc.

94
The Rainbow Passage
When the sunlight strikes raindrops in the air, they act as a prism and form a rainbow.
The rainbow is a division of white light into many beautiful colors. These take the shape
of a long round arch, with its path high above, and its two ends apparently beyond the
horizon. There is, according to legend, a boiling pot of gold at one end. People look, but
no one ever finds it. When a man looks for something beyond his reach, his friends say
he is looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

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Neutral American Accent

Kate DeVore, M.A., CCC-SLP

©2007 Kate DeVore

Chapter 1: How to Use this Manual……………………………………. p. 6

Chapter 2: Before You Begin: Key Concepts Decoded……………….. p. 9

Chapter 3: Teeth Meet Tongue: TH and th*…………………………… p. 12

Chapter 4: On the Tip of Your Tongue: T, D, N, L*………………….. p. 15

Chapter 5: Those Lovely Lips: B, P, M*………………………………. p. 21

Chapter 6: Come on Back: K, G, NG*………………………………… p. 25

Chapter 7: EE, IH, EH, A to the Front!*……………………………….. p. 29

Chapter 8: Getting Centered: UH Schwa*……………………………… p. 35

Chapter 9: Keep it Moving: F, V, S, Z*………………………………… p. 38

Chapter 10: All Honest Fathers: AW, OH, AH*……………………….. p. 44

Chapter 11: Two Glides and a Glottal: W, H, Y*………………………. p. 48

Chapter 12: What’s the Difference: OO, oo*…………………………… p. 52

Chapter 13: Smooth or Sharp: SH, ZH, CH, DG*……………………… p. 55

Chapter 14: One Plus One Equals Two: Diphthongs*…………………… p. 60

Chapter 15: R’s Are All Around*……………………………………….. p. 66

Chapter 16: Intonation and Stress*……………………………………… p. 73

Chapter 17: The Articulators……………………………………………… p. 78

Chapter 18: Naturalness and Flow*………………………………………. p. 80

Chapter 19: Nasality*…………………………………………………….. p. 83

Chapter 20: Suffixes, Articles,

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

Chapter 21: So, Where Are You From? Guidance for

* Denotes chapters with accompanying audio recordings

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

How to Use This Manual

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

Before You Begin: Key Concepts Decoded

Sounds versus letters: We tend to think of language in terms of letters. In speaking,

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

Practice: Practice is absolutely essential to learning a new way of speaking. Period.

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

Teeth, Meet Tongue:

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

Voiceless “th” (as in think)

Beginning End Middle

think month mathematics

Thirteen months ago, Beth met with Pat.

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

Voiced TH (as in the)

Beginning End Middle

there mouthe whether

They mouthed the words to the song.

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

On the Tip of Your Tongue:

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

Beginning End Middle

time light enter

A note about the T sound:

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

Butter Water Later

Terry had a tough time with the teacher.

DeVore, GeneralAmericanAccent.com Accent Modification Manual

Beginning End Middle

north rain and