There are two reasons why pronunciation of American English may be so difficult. First, the sound systems between your native language and American English can be very different. If you speak a language with no or few final consonants, like Chinese and Japanese, it’s difficult to end words with consonants. This can also impact English grammar since we usually add a consonant at the end for past tense and plurals.

Some languages don’t distinguish b and v or v and w. Americans spell Philippines with a ph, which is pronounced as an /f/, but I hear natives of the Philippines pronounce it with an /f/. They also produce fl blends at the beginning of words with a /pl/, so fly may be pronounced as ply.

Spelling irregularities in English also impact pronunciation. Words are not always pronounced as they look. Escargot (es car GO- French for snails) does not produce the /t/ at the end, so this word is pronounced with an /o/ at the end. A word like segue (SEG way) or lariope (la RI ya pee) can be difficult to pronounce even for an Americans unfamiliar with these words.

Cough, enough, through, bough, and although all have the ough spelling, but each of these words is pronounced with a different vowel. Auditory awareness and recognition of sound/spelling differences is an important focus of any accent modification program.

It will help you to pronounce and hear the sounds of American English.

Focus on the words you use most frequently to improve your pronunciation. Keep a list of important words used at work or socially. Check out one of the many free online dictionaries that allow you to hear words pronounced. My favorite is www.m-w.com.

We will begin a small group program on February 24. Begin the New Year with improved communication skills. You’ll find more information on our website.

Sharon Heffley is a speech-language pathologist specializing in communication skills for accented individuals. She can be reached at (703) 757-5353 or you can visit her website at www.accentmodification.com