Live Q&A: Connected speech, words with 'er, t+l, 'ous' suffix and more | American English | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Hadar shares pronunciation tips and answers common questions about intonation, specific word pronunciation, and practice techniques.

Key Insights

• ❓ Understanding and recognizing the stress patterns and reductions in English can greatly improve pronunciation.
• 🏃 Practice imitation exercises with speakers you admire to improve intonation and melody.
• ❤️‍🩹 Focusing on specific pronunciation difficulties, such as the "ER" endings or flap T sound, can help improve overall pronunciation skills.

Transcript

little too soon so I'm still getting settled okay today I wanted to answer a bunch of questions that you guys have been asking me and as you've seen I posted a question or a post on Facebook and on YouTube what questions do have for me and I've gotten a bunch of really really great great questions so I wanted to take the most common ones the ones t... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How do I pronounce words with the "ER" ending?

The "ER" ending is pronounced as a schwa sound, with the emphasis on the R. For example, "teacher" is pronounced "teach-er."

Q: What is the difference between the flap T sound and the regular T sound?

The flap T sound is used when the T appears between two vowels, such as in the word "letter." It sounds like a D sound. The regular T sound is used in words like "faster" and is pronounced as a normal T.

Q: How do I transition from the R sound to the L sound in words like "nearly" and "barely"?

When transitioning from the R to the L sound, you need to push the tongue forward to touch the upper palate. For example, in "nearly," the tongue goes from the R position to touching the upper palate to create the L sound.

Q: How can I practice intonation?

One way to practice intonation is through imitation exercises. Choose a speaker you admire and imitate their intonation, focusing on the melody of their speech. You can also slow down videos or audio to better analyze stress words and practice repeating them.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Hadar discusses topics such as intonation, general pronunciation patterns, and specific word pronunciation.

• She provides tips on how to pronounce words with the "ER" ending, the flap T sound, and the "D" and "R" sounds.

• Hadar also addresses questions about the "IMG" suffix, the difference between similar words like "heard" and "hurt," and the pronunciation of words like "ranch" and "range."