AMERICAN ACCENT
Accent, or “twang” as Filipinos call it, is an
interesting thing. You can often recognize a language
by the accent, even if you don’t understand the
words. And we sometimes consider accent to be the
best indicator that a person has mastered a particular
language (although that’s not necessarily true).
WHAT IS ACCENT?
What is Intonation?
 Intonation refers to the way we stress, or
emphasize certain syllables.
AMERICAN INTONATION
What do you do with your mouth to
sound American?
What is Pronunciation?
Pronunciation refers to the sound of
individual letters, and the sound of those letters
when they are used in combination with other
letters.
AMERICAN INTONATION DO’s and DON’TS
 DO NOT SPEAK WORD BY WORD
 CONNECT WORDS TO FORM SOUND GROUPS
 USE STAIRCASE INTONATION
 Bob is on the phone.
 My name is Emerson
 We go up and down staircases
 My father is fixing the car
WHAT IS EXACTLY A STAIRCASE INTONATION?
 Americans tend to stretch out their sounds longer than you may
think is natural. So to lengthen your vowel sounds, put on two
stair steps or more instead of just one.
We
‘re
he
re
Three Ways to Make Intonation
 To Just Get LOUDER or RAISE the VOLUME.
 STREEEEETCH out the Word or Lengthen the word
that you want to draw attention to.
 Change PITCH
Up
Stair
We
and
Go
Cases
Down
We Go Up and Down Staircases
Practice
1.) duh
2.) duh
3.) duh
4.) duh
duh
duh
duh
duh
1.) la
2.) la
3.) la
4.) la
duh
duh
duh
duh
la
la
la
la
la
la
la
la
Practice
1.) mee
2.) mee
3.) mee
4.) mee
mee
mee
mee
mee
mee
mee
mee
mee
1.) ho
2.) ho
3.) ho
4.) ho
ho
ho
ho
ho
ho
ho
ho
ho
Let’s Practice
Pattern 1
duh duh duh
ABC
123
Dogs eat bones
Let’s Practice
Pattern 2
duh duh duh
imprecise
a hot dog
They eat bones
Let’s Practice
Pattern 3
duh duh duh
condition
a hot dog
They eat them
Let’s Practice
Pattern 4
dud duh duh
alphabet
hot dog stand
give me one
STAIRCASE INTONATION WITH NOUNS
Dogs
bones
eat
Practice
Dogs eat bones.
Mike likes bikes.
Elsa wants a book.
Adam plays pool.
Bobby needs some money.
Therese combs her hair.
John lives in France.
Rex teaches French.
Practice
Jerry makes music.
Jean sells some apples.
Carol paints the car.
The girls have choice.
The boys need some help.
Keys open lock.
Statement Intonation with Pronouns
eat
They
them
Practice
He sees her.
She knows him.
They call them.
She sells some.
She sells them.
We fix them.
They like it.
They need something.
He killed the man.
They bought stuff.
Sentence Intonation Test
Directions: Underline the word/s that you think should
be stressed.
1.) Sam sees Bill.
2.) She wants one.
3.) Betty likes English.
4.) They play with them.
5.) Children play with toys.
6.) It tells one.
7.) Bernard works in a restaurant.
8.) He works in one.
9.) Mary wants a car.
10.) Mark lived in India.
Spelling and Numbers
IBM
MIT
Ph.D.
MBA
LA
IQ
RSVP
USJ-R
USPF
CIT-U
FBI
TV
Remember:
Link each letter/ number with each other.
9025050
123
4545467
BOX
COOK
WILSON
EMERSON
SQUEEZED-OUT SYLLABLES
 PRACTICE
Actually
Average
Aspirin
Broccoli
Business
Camera
Chocolate
Comfortable
Corporal
Desperate
Diamond
Diaper
Different
Emerald
Vegetable
Beverage
Bakery
Catholic
Nursery
Onion
Every
Family
Finally
General
Groceries
Interest
Jewelry
Mathematics
Memory
Orange
Probably
Restaurant
Separate
Several
Liberal
Conference
Coverage
History
Elementary
Accidentally
Basically
Syllable Stress
PATTERN 1a
La!
Cat
Jump
Box
Get
Quick
Choice
Loss
Stop
Which
Bit
Beat
PATTERN 1b
la-a
Dog
Bead
Choose
Plan
Know
Law
Goes
See
Car
Lose
Bid
PATTERN 2a
la-la
a dog
a cat
destroy
a pen
pretend
your job
pea soup
Bob Smith
my car
some more
red tape
enclose
consume
my choice
How’s work?
for you
Who knows?
cassette
ballet
valet
to do
today
tonight
PATTERN 2b
la-la
hotdog
icy
suitcase
project
sunset
Get one!
Do it!
wristwatch
textbook
sunshine
placemat
stapler
modern
modem
phonebook
doorknob
notebook
housekey
valid
dog show
want ad
PATTERN 3a
la-la-la
Bob’s hotdog
Bob won’t know
Sam’s the boss
Susie’s nice
Bill went home
Cats don’t care
Stocks can fall
School is fun
Worms eat dirt
Inchworms inch
Pets need care
Ed’s too late
Paul threw up
Wool can itch
Birds sing song
Spot has fleas
Nick’s a punk
PATTERN 3b
la-la-la
a hotdog
I don’t know.
He’s the boss.
We cleaned up.
for a while
I went home.
We don’t care.
It’s in March.
Make a cake.
He forgot
USC
Take a bath.
IBM
I love you.
What a jerk!
How’s you job?
CDU
How’d it go?
Who’d you meet?
SOP
PATTERN 3c
la-la-la
a hot dog
I don’t know.
Jim killed it.
tomorrow
a fruitcake
the engine
potato
in April
Ohio
Let’s tell him.
percentage
advantage
It’s starting
financial
I thought so.
the wineglass
I love you.
external
How are you?
Don’t touch it.
WORD CONNECTION – LIAISON
My name is
Because I’ve
Pick up on
LA
902-5050
hold on
turn over
tell her I miss her
I just didn’t get the chance
I’ve been late twice
Its been a hard time
-
My naymiz
B’k’zaive
pikapon
ehlay
nainotoo faivofaivo
hol on
turn over
tellerI miser
I jusdidn getha chance
I’vbin latwice
itsbinahartime
Go away
I also need the other one
-
She isn’t
Who is he
What’s your name?
Can’t you do it?
Actually
Don’t you like it
Wouldn’t you?
-
Gowaway
Iyalso need
theeyother one.
sheyisn’t
whowiz
wacher name?
kant chew dowit?
akchully
donchew lyekit?
wooden chew?
Did you see it?
How did you like it?
Could you tell?
education
Congratulations!
Yes, you are.
Insurance
Bless you
Press your hands togetherCan you dress yourself? -
didja seeyit?
hawdjo lykit?
Kujotell?
edjucation
k’ngraj’lations!
yeshu are
inshurance
blesshu
preshure hanz d’gether
C’new dreshier self?
How’s your family?
How was your trip?
Who’s your friend?
Casual
Visual
-
Hawzhur family?
- hawzhur trip?
hoozhur friend?
- kazhwal
vizhwal
 I have got to go
 I have got a book
 Do you want to dance?
 Do you want a banana?
 Let me in.
 Let me go.
 I’ll let you know
 Did you do it?
 Not yet
 I’ll meet you later
 What do you think
-
Ive gotta go
Ive gotta book
Wanna dance?
Wanna banana?
Lemme in
Lemme go
I’ll letcha know.
Dija do it?
Nachet.
I’ll meechu layder.
Whaddyu think?
COLLOQUIAL REDUCTIONS AND
LIASONS
 When did you get it?
 Why don’t you try it?
-
 How is it going?
 Where’s the what-you-may-call-it? -
When ju geddit?
Whyju tayk it?
Why don chu try
it?
Whaddya
waitin’for?
Whatcha doin?
Howzit goin?
where’s the
 What are you waiting for?
-
 How about it?
whatchamacallit?
How’boud it?
 Why did you take it?
 What are you doing?
-
 Could you speed it up, please?
 Would you mind if I tried it?
 Don’t you get it?
 I should have told you.
 Tell him I miss him
-Couldjoo spee di dup,
pleez?
-Woul joo mindifai trydit?
-Don chu geddit?
-I shouldav toljoo.
-Tellim I missim.
















Extremely Extreme Reductions:
Did you eat?
No, did you?
Why don’t you get a job?
I don’t know, its too hard
Could we go?
Let’s go!
I hate you!
Leave it to me!
Let me!
I don’t know!
Its all up to you
Are you happy?
What’s the matter?
Did he?
I don’t know
-
Jeet?
No, joo?
Whyncha geda job?
I dunno, stoo hard.
Kwee go?
Sko!
Heychu!
Vido me.
Leme!
Duno!
Tsup’yu
Happy?
Waz’mader?
Didi?
Dunno
Practice:
1. read only
2. fall off
3. follow up on
4. come in
5. call it
6. sell at
7. take out
8. fade away
9. 60 -30-201
10. PH. D.
Practice:
1. business deal
2. credit check
3. the top file
4. sell nine new cars
5. sit down
6. some plans need luck
7. check cashing
8. let them make conditions
9. had those
10. both days
AMERICAN T
1. T at the beginning of a word – T is pronounced
T as in Ted or Italian (clear popped sound)
Examples:
tell
till
take
Todd
Tina
trousers
tomorrow
tailor
Top
try
Practice:
1.)It took Tim ten times to try the telephone.
2.)Stop touching Ted’s shoes.
3.)Tell Tina’s tailor to take two tucks in the top of Tim’s
trousers tomorrow.
4.)We try and try, but Todd still tells us to try harder.
5.)Ted took ten tomatoes.
6.) Turn toward Stella and study her contract
together.
7.) Control your tears.
8.) It’s Tommy’s turn to tell the teacher the truth.
2. With a stressed T and ST, TS, TR, CT, LT and
sometimes NT combinations, T is (T)
Examples:
content
bits
silt
contract
Octave
train
state
built
Practice:
1.)He was content with the
contract.
2.)His voice is an octave state.
3. T replaces D in the past tense. After an
unvoiced consonant sound – f, k, p,s,ch,
sh, th, -except T.
Examples:
laughed
watched
raised
picked
washed
judged
hoped
raced
unearthed
smoothed
Exceptions: wicked, naked, crooked
Practice:
1.)Sonny laughed hard after being
watched.
2.)Raised dogs were picked smoothly.
4. T at the middle of the word. – T is pronounced
as D as in (Idaly) for Italy
Examples:
Matty
Totally
Cottage
city
bought a
daughter
Letty
Katie
data
What a
lot of
got a
Practice:
1.)What a totally naughty little daughter.
2.)Matty got a little cottage in the city.
3.)Letty bought a lot of bottles for Katie.
4.)Katie got a data about the cottage in the city
with Letty her daughter.
5. T at the bottom of the word. – T is not pronounced at all
like (ho) for hot.
Examples: Matt
Got
Patt
rat
set
put
Practice:
1.) She hit the hot hut with her hat.
2.) We went to that Net site to get what we needed.
3.) Matt got to put Jim’s pet rat back in the cage.
4.) Pat set the date with Kate.
went
lot
6. The Held T before N- you need a sharp upward sliding
intonation up to the held T, then a quick drop for the N.
Examples:
written
Martin
latent
Curtain
mitten
mutant
certain
kitten
patent
forgotten
button
cotton
sentence
bitten
mountain
Practice:
1.) He’s forgotten the carton of satin mittens.
2.) She’s certain that he has written it.
3.) The cotton curtain is not the fountain.
4.) The mutant went in the mountains.
5.) Martin has gotten a kitten.
6.) Britney study Latin in Britain.
7. The T held after N – it becomes a silent T (T and N are so
close to the mouth that they simply disappear).
Examples:
interview
Interrupt
Advantage
winter
interface
internet
interfere
interactive
percentage twenty
enter
vintage
interstate
international
print out
printer
Practice:
1.) He had a great interview.
2.) Try to enter the information.
3.) Turn the printer on.
4.) Finish the printing.
5.) She’s at the international center.
6.) It’s twenty degrees in Toronto.
7.) She invented it in Santa Monica.
THE AMERICAN X The letter X can sound like
either KS or GZ, depending on the letter that follows
the X and where the stress falls.
{KS} - followed by the letter C or other unvoiced consonants.
examples:
excite, extra, experience, except, execute,
excellent, exit, excel, exile, exercise, execute
{GZ} -Followed by a vowel and usually stressed
on the second syllable
examples:
example, exist, exam, exert, examine,
executive, exit, exactly, exile, exasperate
Hello, my name is ______. I’m taking American
Accent Training. There’s a lot to learn, but I hope to
make it as enjoyable as possible. I should pick up on
the American Intonation Pattern pretty easily,
although the only way to get it is to practice all of the
time. I use the up and down, or peaks and valleys,
intonation more than I used to. I’ve been paying
attention to pitch, too. It’s like walking down the
staircase. I’ve been talking to a lot of Americans lately
and they tell me that I’m easier to understand. Anyway,
I could go on and on, but the important thing is to
listen well and sound good. Well, what do you think?
Do I?
Don't let your accent keep you
from being the Most Effective and
Confident Person you can be!
When you begin speaking with an
American accent and producing clear and
correct English, more people will want to
speak with you.
Barriers
are
lowered
and
conversations will flow more easily.
You will spend less time repeating
yourself, and more time sharing
thoughts and enjoying a mutual
exchange.