94: /t/+/y/=/ʧ/, /d/+/y/=/ʤ/, surprising ’ch’ and ’j’ sounds.
Assimilation: two adjacent sounds can cause changes to pronunciation. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Feb 24, 2010•8 min
American English Pronunciation Podcast
The American English Pronunciation podcasts teaches non-native English speakers and ESL/ELL students correct English pronunciation in short lessons. Learn, listen, repeat and become fluent.
Episodes
93: Do you accidentally make your /l/ into /w/?
Don't round those lips! Especially at the end of the word, the l sound can cause some surprising problems. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Feb 10, 2010•9 min
91: iPad/iPod, the world’s newest /æ,ɑ/ (short a/short o) minimal pair
Even some native speakers of English are worried about the similar pronunciation of the newest Apple product. Comparing pronunciation of the iPad to the older iPod. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Jan 27, 2010•5 min
90: The j sound, spelled j, dge, ge, and g(i)
The 'dge' and 'j' spelling are both usually pronounced with the 'j sound.' And don't forget, a 'j sound' is simply a voiced 'ch sound'! Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Jan 20, 2010•6 min
88: Why is ’tch’ (as in ’watch’) easier to pronounce than ’ch’ (as in which)?
The 'tch' and 'ch' spelling should BOTH be pronounced as /ʧ/ (the ch sound, yet 'tch' often seems easier for non-native English speakers. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Jan 06, 2010•9 min
85: Why is the ’Ch’ in ’Christmas’ pronounced as /k/?
It's all Greek to me! Knowing a little bit of history behind a word can go a long way when it comes to pronouncing the 'ch' spelling. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Dec 16, 2009•5 min
84: ’Who,’ ’what,’ ’when,’ and ’where’: How do you pronouce words that begin with wh-?
Do you pronounce /h/ in the wh- spelling? Not usually. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Dec 09, 2009•6 min
82: Thanksgiving holiday th sounds /ð, θ/ review
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have fun reviewing the 'th sounds' with this extra practice podcast. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Nov 18, 2009•6 min
81: ”About a boat,” comparing /oʊ/ and /aʊ/
These two-sound vowels (the long o and ow--as in 'no' and 'now') both end in the w sound, and both can be spelled 'ow.' Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Nov 10, 2009•8 min
79: Comparing /eɪ/, /i/, /ɑɪ/ (long a, long i, and long e)
Understanding how the vowel sounds in 'bake,' 'bike' and 'beak' are related to /y/. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Oct 28, 2009•12 min
78: Comparing /æ/, /ɑ/, /ɔ/ (short a, short o, and aw)
Understanding a sequence of low vowel sounds (as in 'stack,' 'stock,' and 'stalk') Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Oct 20, 2009•8 min
77: Comparing /i/, /ɪ/, /ɛ/, and /ʌ/ (long e, short i, short e, and short u)
Understanding a sequence of very similar sounds (as in 'bead,' 'bid,' 'bed,' and 'bud') Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Oct 07, 2009•9 min
75: ’can’ and ’can’t,’ how are they different? Not how you expect!
Change in vowel sounds, sentence stress, and a glottal stop: lots of details make the pronunciation of these words different. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Sep 16, 2009•14 min
74: Are ’for’ and ’four’ pronounced the same or differently?
for/four: When do the words for and four sound the same, and when are they different? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Sep 09, 2009•13 min
73: Reducing the word ’of’ to /ə/
When the word 'of' links into a consonant, the /v/ is often dropped. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Aug 26, 2009•10 min
72: Using /n/ instead of /ŋ/ (the ’ng’ sound) in -ing ending
-ing: substituting the n sound for the ng sound. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Aug 19, 2009•8 min
71: When and why do some words (like ’interesting’) lose a syllable?
Linguistic concepts of 'syncope' and 'compression' make big words into smaller words. Luckily, there is a pattern. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Aug 12, 2009•6 min
69: Numbers: Teens versus Tens (as in 19 vs. 90)
Syllable stress and alternative 't sounds' are used to differentiate these sounds more than the /n/ at the end of teens! Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Jul 22, 2009•11 min
68: Voiced and Unvoiced ’th’ /ð,θ/ review
Yes, dear listeners, keep your tongue in your mouth! Don't put it between your teeth. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Jul 15, 2009•9 min
66: Syllabic n’s and nasal plosions (as in the words ’sudden’ and ’couldn’t’)
No vowels allowed! Join /d/ and /n/ to sound more fluent. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Jul 01, 2009•12 min
65: Uh-oh! The glottal stop in place of /t/
What is a glottal stop and when do Americans use it? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Jun 24, 2009•11 min
63: When Americans drop the /t/ (with audio from The Incredibles)
When do Americans omit the /t/? This audio from the movie "The Incredibles" will help you understand. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Jun 03, 2009•12 min
61: The American /t/ as a quick /d/
Why does 'water' sound like 'wadder'? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
May 21, 2009•12 min
#60 Tag questions aren’t really questions, are they?
Pitch boundaries are the clue to knowing what someone is really asking when they ask a tag question. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
May 13, 2009•8 min
59: Falling pitch boundaries on yes/no questions
When to use a falling pitch instead of a rising pitch on a yes/no question. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
May 06, 2009•8 min
58: Pitch Boundaries, Rising and Falling
Pitch boundaries organize conversations, and give important emotional clues about the speaker. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Apr 22, 2009•9 min
57: Comparing extra-high and rising pitch words
Learn the difference between contrasting and defensively correcting your listener. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Apr 15, 2009•10 min
56: Extra-high pitch words for extra intensity
Add drama, correct someone, and try to not sound angry with these pitch words. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Apr 08, 2009•9 min
55: Intonation and high pitch words, an introduction
An introduction to English intonation and high pitch words in yes/no questions. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Apr 01, 2009•11 min
53: Phrasal verb sentence stress
Typical sentence stress changes when phrasal verbs are involved: stress the preposition, not the verb. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.
Mar 18, 2009•12 min