Pronunciation

Pronounce plural -s correctly based on the final sound: /s/, /z/, or /ɪz/.

Learn which syllable to stress and how stress changes meaning and clarity.

Master the most common vowel sound in English: the schwa in unstressed syllables.

Learn US-style flapping: /t/ and /d/ can sound like a quick flap /ɾ/ between vowels.

Learn how words connect in natural speech (linking consonant→vowel, /r/ linking, intrusion).

Understand stress-timed rhythm: stressed beats stay regular, and unstressed syllables compress.

Use weak forms to sound natural: reduce function words in fast, connected speech.

Learn how word boundaries affect sounds (assimilation, linking) and how to keep clarity.

Train your ear and mouth with minimal pairs that differ by vowel length/quality.

Pronounce regular past tense -ed correctly: /t/, /d/, or /ɪd/.

Learn common stress shifts where nouns stress the first syllable and verbs stress the second.

Learn T-glottalization: /t/ can be replaced by a glottal stop /ʔ/ in some UK accents.

Learn assimilation: sounds change to become more like neighboring sounds in fast speech.

Learn elision: sounds disappear in fast speech to make pronunciation easier.

Learn intrusive sounds that appear between vowels in connected speech: /r/, /j/, /w/.

Learn prominence: English highlights meaning by stressing focus words and reducing everything else.

Learn yod coalescence: /t/ + /j/ and /d/ + /j/ often merge to /tʃ/ and /dʒ/ in fast speech.

Use rising and falling intonation to signal yes/no questions, wh-questions, and attitudes.

Use stress to highlight meaning: stress content words, reduce function words, and shift stress for contrast.