http://www.englishforums.com/search/pro.htm?q=tag%3aAmerican+AccentsSearch results for 'tag:American Accents' matching tag 'American Accents'en-USXMOD (Build: 3616.28671)http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceThoseWordsAmerican-Accent/glbhr/post.htm#953996Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:40:10 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:953996raindoctorInteresting question. Whenever you see a couple of r's in any word in AmE, check whether you can dissimilate one of them; and this dissimilation depends upon whether it is a start of a word or whether it is unstressed, etc. Order: you dont hear first r; same with quarter. For more, check herehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceThoseWordsAmerican-Accent/glbhr/post.htm#952949Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:58:48 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:952949califjimHow do you pronounce those words in American English? There are basically six "R-colored vowels" in American English, represented by the sequence: Sharp thorns tear poor deer's fur. ( tear in the sense of rip ) You can look up these six words and listen at www.m-w.com if you want to hear them. (Use thorn, deer , not thorns, deer's , of course.) You may want to memorize the sequence (or another of your own invention) as your personal reference and guide to those six sounds. The sound in murder matches the one in fur . The one in order matches the one in thorns . The ones in regularly and particularly both match tear or fur , depending how fast you're talking. CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AllophoneShortWords/lgcgc/post.htm#948898Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:56:43 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:948898kooyeenWhat do you mean? There are allophones of /t/, yes... At the end of a word (if nothing follows), /t/ can be pronounced in three different ways, as far as I know: 1) Released: you can hear the /t/, which is sometimes aspirated to some extent 2) Not released: you can't hear the /t/, but the tongue touches the roof of the mouth anyway. 3) Glottal stop: you can't hear the /t/, which becomes pretty much of a glottal stop (and so the tip of your tongue doesn't even move) I get the impression #2 is the usual one in American English, #1 is only used occasionally, or when speaking carefully (or frequently in posh RP), and #3 is common in several British accents and some American accents (maybe African American Vernacular...http://www.englishforums.com/English/Contraction/2/cqrgr/Post.htm#931888Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:02:37 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:931888kooyeenI don't fully understand what a contraction is. So if I put an 's, 'll, 'd, 've, etc after any word does it make it a contraction? Only in spoken English. But in written English, some contractions are not usually written that way, even if they are likely to be read as contracted. I would have seen it (can be read as I'd've seen it , but it's never written that way) However, I don't think you can contract whatever you want as long as it makes sense. Some contractions might sound odd in some dialects. Ann Cook, in American Accent Training gives examples like The dogs'll've eaten the bones = The dogs will have eaten the bones ...but for some reason I don't like to contract...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WelshAccentPreciseJoness/lrjhh/post.htm#925000Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:10:21 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:925000kooyeenThe only way to hear a difference is listening to contrasting pairs, in my opinion. Minimal pairs, you know. Beat - bit fool - full etc. If you have such major problems, then maybe you could start with an accent reduction course. For American English, there's American Accent Training by Ann Cook, and it's so popular that it's very easy to find it online (warning: downloading it for free might be illegal in your country). There's a good one on British English too, but I don't remember the name.http://www.englishforums.com/English/GeneralPronunciationTalkCaught-Bought/2/kpjrl/Post.htm#923318Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:45:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:923318freekarolI thank you all for your effort to help me and of course for your time... I think my questions were answered. Especially a reply by Marvin A. completely answered my questions. What pronunciation to choose depends on what American accent you want to have. If you don't want to have a certain American accent then the best way to be understood by most Americans is to use pronunciation what most Americans use: the Open back unrounded vowel for all of those words.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WantSpeakAmericanAccent/cjjjr/post.htm#917440Sat, 26 Sep 2009 09:07:23 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:917440anonymousoh! Sundar , how are u doing , THIS is ravi dev , when i read ur message soi just got fashinated , now i wanna join u , and wanna speak to you .http://www.englishforums.com/English/HasAnyoneTriedHogeCourseEffortless-English/6/zgkjw/Post.htm#915964Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:03:17 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:915964elena_osullivanAJ Hoge's "effortless english" is a waste of money. I made the mistake of buying it for a friend who doesn't speak much English and she doesn't even use it. I don't blame her because it takes a lot of effort to learn with it, and there are much, much better materials available on the internet for free. My friend watched some of his videos wherein he sells his MP3's and she thought she found the magic answer thanks to AJ. He's a good salesman but a very mediocre teacher.http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowCatchAmericanAccent/2/cvpwr/Post.htm#901962Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:06:18 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:901962anonymous(S)he is probably speaking with Americans in a call center. The more American sounding, the better. The three biggest problems with Indian call centers are 1. there is too much background noise 2. the phone rep is speaking way too quickly 3. Indians hate any pause in conversation so they talk too much. Try to listen more. Also try lengthening your vowels, it wll slow your tempo down and make you much much easier to understand. I really love it when the rep takes the time to make the call as comfortable for me as possible. Keep up the good work! American English is your language as much as it is mine. Master it and make it your own. :)http://www.englishforums.com/English/AmericanAccent/vrdcg/post.htm#892904Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:32:29 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:892904raindoctorgot suck at learning american accent cuz some vowel are difficult to pronounce.. What are those vowels that you find difficult? Just keep a set of words (as they are called lexical sets) which are representative of those dificult vowels. Then focus on how to produce such a vowel, or what L1 vowel you end up substituting. Here, you can seek help from any speech therapist. One more question,Do americans speak a little bit faster? Yes, when you see a series of unstressed syllables (in more technical jargon, the syllables in anacrusis are uttered at a faster pace). Whenever you see a stressed syllble, you can observe clarity, slowness, etc. This is not the case with syllable-timed languages. When people with L1 syllable-timed lingos...http://www.englishforums.com/English/AmericanAccent/vrdcg/post.htm#882956Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:00:16 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:882956dokterjokkebrokGet an electronic pronouncing dictionary and practise your pronunciation every day for 10-20 minutes, without exceptions. Use books with English idioms, and practise with your computer/laptop and a piece of paper. Pick out a word. Try to predict the pronunciation of this word the best you can by saying it out loud, and after you've done that, enter the word into the dictionary and listen to the correct pronunciation. These dictionaries are also availabe online. You will see that after you've been corrected many and many times, your ability to predict english sounds will improve markedly, as will your accent and pronunciation. Give it a try. Regards Dokterjokkebrokhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WhileVsWhilst/4/vrpm/Post.htm#882802Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:26:37 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:882802anonymousAs a native English speaker, born and living in England, I'd like to confirm that both 'while' and 'whilst' are in common usage in the UK and the previous replies more than adequately describe how to use them. However, as some of you seem to be quite curious about the differences between American and British English as a language, don't forget that even within a single country there can be regional differences. Curiously, there is another meaning of 'while'; the local form used in parts of the North (commonly Yorkshire and surrounds) which has a completely different meaning. This replaces the word 'until', for example "I'll sit here while sun goes down" (I'll sit here until...http://www.englishforums.com/English/AmericanAccentTrainingBooks/kwxkd/post.htm#879013Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:14:19 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:879013freekarolOf course both those books have CD's. Without CD's those books would be worthless... Both books are especially about intonation, linking words, reduced sounds and something about pronunciation you can hardly find in books on American pronunciation like for example the final L sound, the held T... I use a software called XMPlayer for listening and recording American radio stations so I can listen to my favorite radio stations on my mp3 player. By the way, I found only one book that really teaches you (and not just tests you)how to improve your listening comprehension, how to hear English sounds. The book is: Listening, Resource Books for Teachers by Alan Maley. I know there is not one American Accent but the same is with...http://www.englishforums.com/English/AmericanAccentTrainingBooks/kwxkd/post.htm#878825Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:07:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:878825anonymousYes, the accent (and even vocabulary) of American English differs from region to region of the country. Some people respectfully and humbly suggest that foreign students try to speak like native speakers who live on the West Coast (Washington, Oregon, and California).http://www.englishforums.com/English/AmericanAccentTrainingBooks/kwxkd/post.htm#878766Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:12:51 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:878766yankeeHi Freekarol, I'm not familiar with either of those books, but I'd say the most helpful part of any "accent training" book will be the CDs that come with the book. There are many different ways of learning about the sound of American English. You can listen to radio broadcasts ( NPR , for example), or you can watch movies and TV programs, or you can even get audio books. Have you tried any of those? Also, you should keep in mind that there isn't one single "American accent". The sound of American English varies somewhat from region to region. Listen to this: /fs/1251555594090.mp3.at.ashxhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AmericanAccentTrainingBooks/kwxkd/post.htmSat, 29 Aug 2009 13:45:54 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:878733freekarolI have a book called American Accent Training. And now I consider buying Mastering the American Accent. Do you think the second book can something important to teach me that is not in American Accent Training book? Thanks all for your effort to help me...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WheresThisAeAccentFrom/kwmvm/post.htm#878497Sat, 29 Aug 2009 07:15:45 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:878497califjimMy guess is that one of the following is true. 1) He's not from the U.S., but he learned English very, very early in life. 2) He's from the U.S., but has picked up a tiny bit of the accent of his immigrant parents. 3) He's from the U.S., but has a distinctive, idiosyncratic way of pronouncing certain sounds and of phrasing his words. He doesn't have any of the major American accents (Southern, Bostonian, etc.). If the slight deviations from standard American pronunciation are from an ethnic group, that group is not Hispanic, but it just may be Asian. Or is that a Scandinavian sort of pattern that I hear? (The lengthening of the m in time is an example.) Hmm. Don't know. CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WhenPronouncedAmericanAccent/kwwqp/post.htm#877659Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:34:53 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:877659nackyThank you so much That means a lot to me.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhenPronouncedAmericanAccent/kwwqp/post.htm#877128Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:07:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:877128rayhThis thread contains a video that you may find helpful: http://www.englishforums.com/English/CloserGeneralAmericanAccent/jxbwm/post.htm#822832http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhenPronouncedAmericanAccent/kwwqp/post.htm#877119Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:06:24 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:877119dokterjokkebrokThis is taken from CalifJim - a member of Englishforums.com a) between vowel and vowel (intervocalic t ), b) between r and vowel, c) between vowel and syllabic l d) between r and syllabic l . a) bi tt er, me t er, pho t ograph, erra t ic, la t er b) bar t er, for t ify, ar t ifice c) li tt le, na t al, ca tt le, sub t le ( b is silent) d) hur t le, myr t le, fer t ile http://www.englishforums.com/English/PronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm Dokterjokkebrokhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WhenPronouncedAmericanAccent/kwwqp/post.htmThu, 27 Aug 2009 14:55:12 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:877113nackyHi guys, I'm serious about American accent. When the Americans talk, "fighting" is pronounced "fiding", "writer" - "rider".. Would you show me the rule ? Thanhs a lot.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Accent/kvdnz/post.htm#862991Sat, 15 Aug 2009 09:41:16 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:862991katejsIf you do it yourself you will need to speak more slowly - I found some words were not clear, eg the end of 'currency' kind of disappeared. The problem with an accent in an instructional video is that it's a distraction, and if the topic is challenging the viewer really needs all their concentration for that. That doesn't just apply to 'non-native' accents - as an English person, I would find an American drawl or a strong Scottish accent an irritating distraction if it meant that I had to listen extra carefully. This effect is even more pronounced if I can't actually see the speaker to get visual clues to support what I'm hearing. You also need to consider to what extent conscious or...http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceWordTomorrow/kdqpd/post.htmMon, 10 Aug 2009 00:32:06 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:854831anonymousI am trying to improve my American enlgish and working on accent reduction. I am a bit confused about the pronounciation of the word tomorrow. I notice that the first letter t is not exactly prnounce as a T letter in english. I live in NY where people have an East Coast American accent. I wonder what is it that sound that native speakers produce when they said the word? Is it a reduced t or is it d or is it something else? Thanks, Areenhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichCloserGeneralAmericanAccent/2/jxbwm/Post.htm#840862Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:12:30 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:840862califjimif you don't pronounce them as slight D's you are not speaking American English. Very true. CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichCloserGeneralAmericanAccent/jxbwm/post.htm#840357Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:08:14 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:840357yankeeNo, it has nothing to do with slang. Pronouncing those T's ad slight D's is standard and expected in American English. I might go as far as to say that if you don't pronounce them as slight D's you are not speaking American English. I agree.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichCloserGeneralAmericanAccent/jxbwm/post.htm#840197Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:57:34 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:840197kooyeenHello brother .It's amatter of slang accent .of course the original one is wa-ter .But in slang the Americans tend to say wa-der or wa-rer No, it has nothing to do with slang. Pronouncing those T's ad slight D's is standard and expected in American English. I might go as far as to say that if you don't pronounce them as slight D's you are not speaking American English.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichCloserGeneralAmericanAccent/jxbwm/post.htm#836835Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:42:51 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:836835anonymousHello brother .It's amatter of slang accent .of course the original one is wa-ter .But in slang the Americans tend to say wa-der or wa-rerhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichCloserGeneralAmericanAccent/jxbwm/post.htm#831835Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:04:00 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:831835anonymousIt is called General American spoken mostly in the midwest from eastern Nebraska to eastern Ohio. It is what you hear on American News Programs by the news people. Probably midwest or in Ohio, Pennsylvania areas. I don't know how to exactly define it but it is pretty much neutral. Ref: http://www.neutralaccent.comhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/That/jpvqj/post.htm#826838Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:12:33 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:826838kooyeenI was going to say NO! (dictionaries for learners say that the weak form is only a conjunction, and American Accent Training says so too) but I just checked on Merriam Webster, and a weak form is listed for the pronoun too... so, if it's listed there, someone must say it, sometimes, somewhere. I never paid attention to that though... but maybe I heard it, because when I tried to pronounce "that's mine" as "thut's mine" it didn't sound totally impossible to me... so I checked and that pronunciation is actually in Merriam Webster.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichCloserGeneralAmericanAccent/jxbwm/post.htm#824815Sat, 18 Jul 2009 07:15:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:824815califjimIt came to me as a shock when I first found out that Americans use "d" in leu of "t" in certain cases. I hope you've recovered from your shock! The advice in that clip is very good. Nevertheless, the t between vowels has to be after a relatively stressed syllable. If it is before a relatively stressed syllable ( as in a t omic , pho t ography , and fra t ernity ), it is not pronounced like a d in spite of being between vowels. Combinations of vowels with r also count as vowels for the purposes of these rules. (artist > ardist, mortify > mordify, etc.) See How to pronounce a 't' in American English . CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichCloserGeneralAmericanAccent/jxbwm/post.htm#822832Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:08:56 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:822832mrpernicketyIf you're trying to get a handle on the American T, then this video is the ticket: That teacher lays it out pretty clear. It came to me as a shock when I first found out that Americans use "d" in leu of "t" in certain cases.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichCloserGeneralAmericanAccent/jxbwm/post.htm#821692Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:51:16 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:821692yankeeAmericans from the greater Philadelphia area say "wooder". http://www.englishforums.com/fs/1247712655041.mp3.at.ashxhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichCloserGeneralAmericanAccent/jxbwm/post.htm#821256Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:43:05 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:821256kooyeenHi, it's WAH-dur. I don't think Americans ever pronounce that T as /t/, as far as I know.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichCloserGeneralAmericanAccent/jxbwm/post.htmWed, 15 Jul 2009 13:26:16 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:820908guyperHi, I heard that "Water" has two different pronounciations in America, "Wa-ter" and "Wa-der", but which one actually belongs to the standard american accent? Thank youhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/JodieFosterFilmsGibsonHand-Beaver/lcrmd/post.htm#928808Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:04:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:928808alan brooksIt's refined and has bad teeth? In all seriousness, where does this ridiculous stereotype come from? Which stereotype are you talking about? In general, to the average American, the English accent stands in for either "foreign" (German, Indian, Finnish, Swahili... sometimes even English...) or "refined" (Royalty or The Beckhams) or "evil" (anything played by Alan Rickman). It's sort of the way French and English movies use the American accent to mean "lout", "loutish and rich" or "loutish, rich, violent, jingoistic and horrifyingly immature". It's just one of those beautiful things that keeps the world spinning. A friend of mine from Texas asked why, when somebody...http://www.englishforums.com/English/Tenses/jlkxz/post.htm#808936Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:11:25 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:808936lucus ongThere is other thing that I need to confirm. Could anybody tell me that wheter the two sentences are totally grammatically correct? She speaks with an American accent because she has been living there. She speaks with an American accent because she had been living there. Many Thanks in Advance Victory Onghttp://www.englishforums.com/English/Tenses/jlkxz/post.htm#808919Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:06:14 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:808919mister micawberShe speaks with an American accent because she has been living there. He used present perfect continuous tense here. Does it mean that he must still live there now.-- Yes She speaks with an American accent because she had been living there. He used past perfect continuous tense here. Does it mean that he mustn't(100%) live there now- - Yeshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/Tenses/jlkxz/post.htmMon, 06 Jul 2009 13:28:02 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:808865lucus ongCould anybody correct my ideas of present perfect tense and past perfect tense? She speaks with an American accent because she has been living there. He used present perfect continuous tense here. Does it mean that he must still live there now. She speaks with an American accent because she had been living there. He used past perfect continuous tense here. Does it mean that he mustn't(100%) live there now Many Thanks in Advance Victory Onghttp://www.englishforums.com/English/HowCatchAmericanAccent/2/cvpwr/Post.htm#798784Sun, 28 Jun 2009 04:41:02 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:798784candy-girlhey, the best and effective way is to talk to americans or you can sign in 2 some on-line audio lessons , u can downlode ur mp3 lesson and listen to it repeatedly on ur ipod , believe me u ll love it , ive tried it :) tell if u wanna sign in good luckhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/HowCatchAmericanAccent/2/cvpwr/Post.htm#796008Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:27:37 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:796008anonymousThe best thing is to record yourself and compare to the original. I personally use this Iphone app - Molotsoft American Accent Practice. It does exactly this. <link deleted by mod>http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceThoseWordsAmerican-Accent/glbhr/post.htm#776524Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:39:30 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:776524anonymousTo pronounce these words with an American accent, your tongue should never touch the tip of our mouth when doing the "r." (I'm from Pennsylvania in the Northeast by the way). Regularly = r-egg-yool-err-lee Particularly = parr-TIHK-yool-err-lee Order = or-derr Murder = merr-derr That's the most important thing about the American "r" that makes it distinctive from other English "r" sounds. Your tongue doesn't touch the roof of your mouth, and really doesn't touch anything.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichAccentDoYouSpeak/2/wdlgd/Post.htm#764813Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:47:34 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:764813anonymousIt makes it even more difficult when you look at the variations in the American Dialect. There is no "American Accent" --there are 7 recognized main divisions (Western/Californian, Upper Midwest, Midland, Southern, MidAtlantic, Applachain, New England) and upwards of 18 subdivisions. For example, I speak with a California accent, which is both cot-caught alike and soft rhetorical, with some merging between i and e. I sound distinctly different than someone from the Midwest or from New England, but more closely to Southern but not even close to Applachain. So to those learning English, the accent learned would vary depending on who is teaching the accent. Using British RP--you will learn a very distinctive English accent...http://www.englishforums.com/English/HereIGoAgain/jbqcl/post.htm#762803Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:27:05 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:762803akstylishWow, I didn't expect someone to reply, let alone read my long post. I pay much attention to how people write on forums, but my sentence structure has stayed on a basic level. That's not true, you write well! I didn't explain this part well. Keep reading and hopefully it'll make more sense. Well, awkwardness, redundancy, and incoherency are not simple words, yet you used them. Sorry, I meant to say mere words. I can't utilize idioms and other expressions that I know neatly, unless they can be used by themselves(e.g., to each his own) Anyway, if you want to learn more words, you should try to pay more attention to those words. I do and eventually memorize them, but the rate at which I'm learning...http://www.englishforums.com/English/HereIGoAgain/jbqcl/post.htm#761901Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:09:49 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:761901kooyeenHi there, I have some advice, I don't know how much sense it'll make, but... I pay much attention to how people write on forums, but my sentence structure has stayed on a basic level. That's not true, you write well! I cannot incorporate new vocabulary/expressions into my sentences except simple words. This explains awkwardness, redundancy, and incoherency of my posts. Well, awkwardness, redundancy, and incoherency are not simple words, yet you used them. Maybe you would like to use more words, but using more words doesn't mean you will write better, or that you'll be understood more easily. Anyway, if you want to learn more words, you should try to pay more attention to those words. You won't...http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowToGetRidOfIndianAccent/2/bdxkc/Post.htm#754850Fri, 29 May 2009 21:18:27 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:754850anonymousI am from California and a speaker of English and Punjabi. If you are trying to speak in an American accent, you might try to half-pronounce the letters as compared to Indian languages such as Punjabi where every letter is fully pronounced ending with an "ah" sound. If you really want to sound American, don't make the "ah" sound after every letter like they do on the Indian channel. So for example, it would sound more American if you say, "and um" instead of "and-ah". American "P" sound is much harsher than Punjabi sound. So, basically, the English accent is considered lazy compared to other accents where you actually put effort into pronouncing letters fully.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ReceivedPronunciationAtlantic-English/4/cvrlc/Post.htm#744161Sat, 23 May 2009 15:18:13 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:744161anonymousI noticed that this question is tagged as unanswered. Received pronunciation is so named because it was 'received by', i.e. taught to public school pupils and RADA pupils. ( RADA = Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts ). You can hear example in most British movies made before about 1960. Most notably, in black and white WWII movies, there are two nain categories of accent: officers and men. The higher the rank, the more likely the actor is to be using received pronunciation. The term 'received pronunciation' was first used, I believe, by the phonetician Daniel Jones. As for 'mid-atlantic' pronunciation, this is also best observed in films. British actors would learn the American accent and American actors would...http://www.englishforums.com/English/PronunciationsProstitutionAttitude-Opportunity/3/wggwk/Post.htm#700070Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:45:45 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:700070yankeeHi Tom My pronunciation of "maximum" is apparently a little more "staccato" than yours, and there is definitely no Z sound. I might represent my pronunciation this way: macks-ih-mum The pronunciation in the M-W dictionary sounds like mine. When I pronounce the word "absorb", the S sounds more like a Z than an S. But, of course, eraser can be pronounced with either a z-sound or s-sound...right? I would say definitely not in American English. I would find it odd to hear that word pronounced in an American accent with a Z sound. I would only pronounce it with an S sound.http://www.englishforums.com/English/HelpUnderstandingAmerican-Accent/wvkzj/post.htmWed, 25 Mar 2009 15:32:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:690804anonymousDear All, I need some help in understanding american accent, when i watch news in tv i am able to understand the american accent but when i direclty speak with or hear peoples speaking american accent i am not able to understand american accent, i peoples speaks american accent at a normal speed then i am able to understand the accent but when they speak at a high spped i am not able to understand, please suggest me some ways to help me in understanding the american accent better. Thanks in advance. Thanks, Sachinhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/TwoDialectsForMe/2/wdbpn/Post.htm#686238Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:02:58 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:686238cool breezeHi Kooyeen I'd like to tell you about what happened last night. I was watching a documentary on National Geographic Channel about an air disaster that happened in Los Angeles in 1986. It wasn't until the program was almost over that I realized the speaker was a Brit. I was so immersed in the content that I paid no conscious attention to his accent. Of course the Americans who were interviewed had American accents. It's an American TV channel, I think. This made me think. How many times have I watched a program thinking I'm hearing American English even though I'm not. It may have happened before. A long time ago, I think it was in the late 80s, I was watching tennis on Eurosport. After some time I began to...http://www.englishforums.com/English/TwoDialectsForMe/wdbpn/post.htm#684511Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:08:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:684511kooyeenThe problem is that I have been focusing on American English, but I have realized that I need British English too (or other varieties, generally speaking), and that neglecting other varieties would be a stupid thing to do. My lack of "practice" and familiarity with different accents is a problem I didn't take into account until recently, when I realized I would like... to listen to and watch whatever I want, as long as it is in English, just like native speakers. I even have a lot of trouble understanding what the Pythons say, and I don't want to avoid watching the Pythons just because I can't understand. That's quite a lot of funny stuff. So the main problem was, once I get familiar with BrE too, and I hear...