Final consonants are important features of American English and one we address with nearly all of our clients.  Including final consonants can be difficult if your native language has few final consonants, or if it doesn’t change nouns and verbs by adding sounds or syllables after the root word.  For us, there is a difference between 1. I work every day, and 2. I worked every day.  The first implies that you are still working, the second, that you are done working.   If you are dropping the ed in the  second example, confusion can result. 

Final consonant deletion can be critical for physicians.  If you ask for a dosage of ‘eighteen’, and omit the /n/ an inexperienced nurse, intern or transcriptionist may hear eighty, resulting in severe consequences.

For consultants, credibility is often at stake.  Failure for nouns and verbs to agree by deleting the s is often seen as a lack of education in a speaking environment.  It can also confuse the listener, requiring them to ask for clarification.

Many non-native speakers have excellent knowledge of English grammar as seen by their writing skill. But their competency isn’t reflected in the spoken words if they omit sounds.  It is easy to determine where the problem lies by looking at routine writing.

If you are tired of repeating yourself, or feel that you are passed over for promotions due to your communication skills, consider an accent modification program.  Group programs are perfect for pronunciation improvement, private for those who travel or want to integrate skills into presentations.

If you are a manager who wants to hold on to employees, but need them to improve their speaking skills, offering training can be an important step.  When employees view this kind of training as an ‘opportunity’ to improve their work skills, everyone benefits.

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