Communicate Clearly with Your Voice in American English Archives • Page 8 of 12 • English with Kim

Choosing Falling or Rising Intonation: Show You’re Done Talking or Ask a Question

Are you done talking? Have you finished your thought? Can I answer your question now? If so, please let me know – with your voice. You’re probably really careful with your choice of words, but your intentions might be misunderstood if you use the wrong intonation pattern. Here’s why you need to confidently choose to speak with rising or falling intonation: If your pitch rises when it should fall, you may sound uncertain or … Read the article and watch the video lesson

How to Pronounce Phrasal Verbs in English with Stress and Linking

I can’t believe I’m going to talk about phrasal verbs! While I’m not going to teach you the 10 most common phrasal verbs in English, or anything like that, I am going to explain how to pronounce phrasal verbs clearly. Specifically, we’re going to talk about the stress patterns that you need to get right in order to be understood when using phrasal verbs. We’re also going to discuss how to link them together so … Read the article and watch the video lesson

30 Words That Americans and Brits Stress Differently

Have you noticed that Americans and Brits pronounce words quite differently? You might be able to hear that some vowel sounds are completely different. After all, vowel sounds do vary quite a lot between regional dialects. And you might notice different consonants, especially when we’re talking about the American “r” versus the British pronunciation of “r,” or the American flap “t” versus the British clear pronunciation of the “t” sound. But as far as … Read the article and watch the video lesson

Rising Intonation in American English | Use Rising Tone in Yes/No Questions and More

Ready to learn how to use rising intonation? In this article and video, we’re going to talk about how to use rising intonation in order to ask questions in American English. At the end, you’ll also learn the many other reasons that you may hear native speakers use rising intonation when speaking English. While falling intonation is the most common intonation pattern in American English, rising intonation is the most versatile. In order to … Read the article and watch the video lesson

Falling Intonation in American English | Falling Tone in Statements and Information Questions

If you’ve been hanging around here for even a little while, you’ve probably heard me talk about the importance of intonation in American English. Intonation is like the music of English. It’s how our voices rise and fall in order to communicate certain meaning through our tone. In this video, we’re going to talk about the most common type of intonation: falling intonation. Falling intonation is most commonly used on normal, neutral statements and information … Read the article and watch the video lesson

Pronounce and Stress Informal Contractions & Reductions in American English

Have you noticed that when you use informal contractions like “gonna,” “wanna,” “dunno,” “hafta,” you don’t exactly sound like an American? 🤔 In fact, if you’re not careful, using these informal contractions can actually draw more attention to the fact that you’re a non-native speaker and enhance your accent. In this video, I’ll explain why we use informal contractions and share twenty-two (22!) of the most common ones we regularly use in natural, relaxed speech. I’ll … Read the article and watch the video lesson