How to Speak American English

Here are four areas you must study to improve your English pronunciation.

In order to improve your American English pronunciation you should follow a comprehensive study program that includes the following four areas:

1. Vowel & Consonant Sounds
You must learn to pronounce unfamiliar vowel and consonant sounds and sound combinations-- this means moving your mouth, tongue, teeth and jaws in ways that may feel uncomfortable.

Your accent is more often the result of the way you use syllable stress, sentence stress and intonation than the way you pronounce individual sounds. Therefore any English pronunciation study program should also focus on the next three areas.

2. Syllable Stress Patterns
You must learn to hear and pronounce the important syllable stress patterns that Americans rely on for comprehension.

3. Sentence Stress Patterns
You must learn to apply sentence stress correctly including content words and function words as well as linking and reductions.

4. Intonation Patterns
You must learn to recognize and apply the English sentence intonation patterns that Americans use to convey meaning.

If you study the four areas I describe here, you will reduce your accent and improve your American English pronunciation!

An idiom is an expression that has a meaning that doesn't reflect the literal definitions of the words. Every language has idioms, and the meanings can be difficult for non-native speakers to understand. Here are examples and explanations of two idioms that Americans use in everyday speech.

1. Like two peas in a pod

Americans use this idiom to describe two things that are nearly identical just as 2 peas from one peapod would be. For example: If my younger sister and her best friend always talk and dress the same way I could say:

"Those two girls are just like two peas in a pod."

2. To spill the beans

Americans use this idiom to describe a situation where someone told a secret or released some confidential information. Here is an example.

James: How did Cathy find our about the surprise party?
Laurie: When Susan was talking to her, she accidentally spilled the beans.

If you are looking for a fun book that explains more American English idioms, check out 101 American English Idioms below. I use this book in my English classes, and the students always love the illustrated descriptions.