Tag: pronunciation
Podcast – Vowels
Today’s podcast is about how to pronounce vowels. Some people have problems with the difference between long and short vowels.
The podcast is also available in the iTunes Store by searching for Get Great English or clicking here.
Also, you can stream it on Stitcher here or in the sidebar.
Five Things I Always Get Asked That Don’t Matter
I teach at schools, universities, NPOs and companies. I teach beginners all the way up to advanced. Here are five things I always get asked that don’t matter.
Continue reading Five Things I Always Get Asked That Don’t Matter
Say Different City Names in English
Some cities have slightly different names in English to the way their names in other languages. Some of these are different pronunciations of the same spelling, such as Paris; others are wildly different, such as Florence and Prague. This week’s podcast teaches you how to say different city names in English. Download the podcast by right-clicking the link below.
If you are using iOS, you can subscribe to the podcast by clicking this link.
Your New Speaking Coach: Your Phone
These days a lot of people have smartphones. I think maybe only my parents have slim phones that only make calls and receive text messages.
Most people use their smartphones for games or internet surfing or email. Some people use them to time their runs and record how many miles they have run. However, there is a great tool for language learners that doesn’t need you to install an app. It can help coach your pronunciation. Your new speaking coach is the voice input tool. Every smartphone has one and this is how you use it.
First, open your notepad app, make sure your input language is English then click the microphone for voice input.
Next, speak, and wait for your phone to type what you said.
If the words look like what you said, great.
If not, keep practising.
Voice input is rarely perfect but it is often very good, even if I use my hometown accent. Keep practising and you can have more accurate pronunciation.
‘It’ Sounds Like ‘Id’
Today’s podcast is about the way native speakers pronounce words to allow them to flow together more quickly. I look at ‘flap D’, the way written ‘t’ turns to a ‘d’ sound in spoken English, then I look at inserting a ‘w’ sound between two vowels to allow words to run together quickly.
I hope this is useful. Tell your friends if it is. Don’t forget to like this site on Facebook and Twitter.
Thirteen or Thirty?
So many students ask me how to tell the difference between the teens (13-19) and multiples of ten (20, 30, 40, etc.) when they are listening or trying to pronounce or intone them correctly. This podcast will help you listen to and pronounce numbers more easily.
The quick way to remember them is: thirTEEN and THIRty.
Download the podcast here by right-clicking and choosing ‘Save link as’
15 Jan 2014 Numbers