The essentials of a successful accent reduction plan Are you practicing English regularly yet not seeing the results you hoped for? You’re not alone. Many motivated learners work hard but still feel stuck. And it’s rarely because they aren’t trying. Most people are trying. What’s usually missing...

Why You Need to Sing Have you ever heard a song you haven’t listened to in twenty years—but somehow, you still know every word? Or maybe there’s a song in a foreign language you learned as a child. You can sing along perfectly… even though you don’t actually know what the words mean. That’s...

When people talk about “having an accent,” they usually mean that their speech sounds different from the local variety. But the reality is much more complex. We can break down accents into dimensions that directly affect how listeners perceive and understand you. If you’re working on your English...

What are Plosives? Plosive is a fancy name for a sound that pops. There are three plosives in English that you’ll want to focus on to make sure your speech is clear. They are T, P and K sounds, like you’ll find in the following words: tie pill Kate coal As the name implies, a plosive...

If you’ve been working on improving your English accent, you’ve probably heard of word stress—and for good reason. To be clearly understood in English, it’s essential to emphasize the correct syllable in a word. But here’s the tricky part: different types of words follow different stress...

Chances are, you likely have to spell your name for people, especially when talking on the phone. And this doesn’t just happen to non-native English speakers. I always have to spell my last name for everyone.  Have you ever tried spelling your name over the phone, only to be misunderstood...

Some of my clients tell me they often feel they are rambling on without a clear direction and that their words come out jumbled and unclear. Others have been told by their supervisors that they need to organize their communication better. The ability to speak briefly and to the point isn’t...

The Mystery of Silent Letters Silent letters are one of several frustrating aspects of English pronunciation for many non-native speakers. Why is there a “k” in know?  Why is there a “b” in doubt?  Why do we write island with an “s”?  If you’ve asked...