In my American English Pronunciation Software Program I teach how to pronounce vowels and consonants in their own categories so that each person can experience a great deal of practice for each vowel sound. As a practical shortcut I put together words and word pairs that people frequently ask me: “What is the difference between these two words? Because they sound the same to me!” For example, if you mix up the vowels /I/ and /i/(pronounced “ee”) you will end up saying “sh*t” for “sheet” which, needless to say, will not go over well in a business meeting. Here are a few other /I/ and /i/ pairs that people frequently mix up:
Additionally, nonnative speakers frequently mix up the /eh/ and /ae/ sounds as in “said” pronounced “sehd” – which sounds like they are saying “sad”. The /o/ vowel is another big trouble maker. Even though a word is spelled with an “o”, in American English it is frequently pronounced like an “ah” as in the words: promise; office; process; doctor; money. Other frequently confused words are:
The emphasis on words can also reduce intelligibility when speakers put the stress in the wrong place, such as with “located” (LO-ca-ted) and “contacted” (CON-tac-ted). Learn more contact us for more information! Order our software and individual lessons. Invest in yourself today. Comments are closed.
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