Be a NATIVE ENGLISH Speaker in 8 steps!!

One is the schwa this is the most common and [the] most lazy sound in English

how do you make this sound to make this sound properly just breathe out of your mouth and

Then just make a sound

Okay, but when can we use the schwa one of the reasons we use a schwa is in unstressed syllables

Example cousin the first syllable is the stressed syllable

Cup the second syllable that's unstressed, so it has a weak form and that will take the schwa

cars in

Cousin say with me cousin other words for example

Freedom again the first syllable is stressed free the second syllable is not

It's unstressed so try not free Dom no freedom

freedom

Say it with me

freedom or this word effort the stress is in the first syllable at

So we pronounce that sound correctly air

the next syllable not stressed so schwa effort effort

Well this word has three syllables the middle syllable is stressed

May

so the first syllable has a schwa sound not amazing [no], it's

amazing

Amazing [and] where am I now I'm not in London

No, the first syllable is stressed the second syllable is weak and has that schwa sound

London another reason we use the schwa is when word has the

sound for example in American English the

Sound has a very strong R

But in British English it doesn't for example. My job is a teacher. I say teacher

Americans would say teacher if I get sick I

Go to the hospital, and I see a doctor. No. I see a doctor

Doctor say it with me doctor. If I need legal help. I will not see a lawyer

I will see a lawyer

lawyer

with me lawyer someone who works in a university could be a

professor no professor

Professor so repeat those four words with me remember to include that schwa sound teacher

doctor

lawyer

professor

[to] British English is non-rhotic. What the hell is non-rhotic?

Non-Rhotic means that we don't pronounce that are in the same way that [for] example

American English pronounces it we pronounce it in that lazy smooth way

Instead of saying here. No we say here

warm

Butterfly um yeah, actually not every British accent is non-rhotic some are actually rohtak

Okay, yes fine

Some are for example. West country or the pirate accent. We all know how pirates sound they don't say ah

No, they say are

That one is Rohtak for example

We might say bird in the west country they might say it like this bird is there an exception to this?

yes, and that is when we use our linking or intrusion for example in a sentence like

No better actor is better at acting than Ben affleck

If you pronounce every word separately then yes, you don't use our linking or intrusion

But that sounds like a robot, and you're not a robot you [might] be I don't know if you're a robot

That's cool, but if you want to sound like a natural sounding British human

Then you might want to use our linking so this sentence would sound like this

No better [rack] [tour] is better at acting than Ben affleck try and say it with me

No better rack to R is better with acting than Ben affleck

Three when you have a regular [verb] ending in the past it will always have an iDI ending

But there are three ways [that] we can pronounce the iDI ending one is like a [tea]

One is like [adi], [duh], and one is like edie

But how do you know which one has which ending well this all has to do with voiced and unvoiced or voiceless?

Sounds what from voiced and unvoiced sound it's super easy let's compare the sounds of this and this put your hand to your throat

make this sound

now add a vibration

Now you're making this sound hMM

So this because there's no vibration it's called unvoiced or voiceless

With this one there is a vibration, so it's called a voiced sound

Okay, voiced and voiceless

[why] should I care?

Well it really helps to know what a voiced and unvoiced sound is if you want to know how that [edy] ending should sound

for [example] take these words

Kiss walk work brush

all of those words finish with an unvoiced sound

So when you put them in the past they have the idi endings, so how does that idi ending sound it sounds like [it] kissed

walked

worked

brushed

It makes more sense if you say it in a sentence he walked away, but it sounds really natural if you link that end

sound into the next word walked away notice that the

Links into that next word walked away. He walked away. It sounds natural right now

Let's look at these words use play smell. They all finish in a voiced sound

So [voiced] sounds make that [idi] sound like a dirt used played

Smelled in a sentence, we played a game

Fine, but sounds a bit robotic

So let's make [it] sound natural and make that dirt sound link into that next word we play the game

We play the game

We played a game

When do we say that [idi] like an egg? It's not walk head. It's not working. It's not wanted

boom wanted ended needed

Visited they either end in a tea or a d. So the [idi] sounds like an ed let's use it in a sentence [not]

[I'm] okay. [I'm] okay. [I] just I

Needed a moment

Before is that glottal tea?

What is a glottal tea in the words uh-oh the up sound makes you a [flood] clothes and makes an up?

Sound now in some words

You can replace the sound with that up sound not in every t sound no

Some t sounds for example at the end of words, but it fat

Not those words cool glottal t to finish fine

It sounds great

But if there is a vowel sound [t] vowel sound for example [in] words like better

Water no it sounds. I'm just going to say it sounds stupid. Don't do that. What are better?

Yeah, it sounds a little bit stupid

Just don't do it also in words that have confident sound t vowel sound for example mountain

Mountain just no don't do that

But lastly if there is a vowel t sound consonant sound for example [in] words like

Batman then it's fine. You can use that glottal t that man

but again, if you want [to] know more [about] the glottal t when to use it when to not

Click here. There is a whole lesson on it

Five is the in sound sometimes to sound a bit more natural you might want to contract the in to an in

Sound and lose that last g [reading] [writing] running go in

All these words are examples of when you can contract in to in

Well notice [that] those are all words with more than one syllable and the last syllable

Is an in sound so for example singing has two syllables and in fact two in sounds singing?

the second thing you can contract to an

Singing I've got a meeting today

Fine, but it could it sound more natural if you add the glottal t and contract that in to an init

I've got a meeting today

When can't you contract it then if there's only one syllable?

Sing sent. No King [one] syllable don't contract it to Kim

Sing sin no don't contract those only if it's more than one syllable and the final syllable

Isn't in sound then it's fine. I'm the ken of inland sea. It doesn't work

Yes, England has more than two syllables

But it's the first syllable that has the end not the final one number six be careful of silent letters

For example the most commonly mispronounced words is this one. How would you say?

No, the pain. We don't pronounce it not received. No we pronounce it receipt receipt

Not sward sword the w is silent okay next one

Not the b. Is silent. We say it like Subtle subtle subtle. What's the day after Tuesday?

Wednesday, Wednesday, we don't say Wed Thursday, no

Wednesday if you are from a [different] country you are what?

Nope the g is [silent] it's foreign

foreign

Again, we have a perfect [example] of the first syllable being stressed so the second syllable is weak has the schwa sound

foreign [Rin] foreign say with me foreign

seven practice practice practice that sound that and that whom sounds are so

Important try to be aware of the sound in words and don't pronounce

It like it or a death or or [written]

Before we begin I've got joke for you. What did the German Philosopher say on the titanic?

I'm

thinking

So I know I'm just great now for most

Non-native English speakers this sound is super difficult

[but] you will need to practice it let's practice together the difficult word like this one try it with me

three

three after Wednesday, we have

Thursday same with me Thursday

Thursday a word you will say many times during the date. Well, you should do if you're polite is this one

Thank you

Thank you [say] with me

Thank you, and on special days you want to say

Happy birthday

[it's] not birthday. It's birthday

birthday

Say with me practice

Birthday for a longer explanation of how exactly to make this sound with your mouth click here to see that video eight

Eight you could have amazing pronunciation

And then these words ah [they] let you down they disappoint you, so let's practice them this one is very often

mispronounced not arks it's [ask] ah

ask

ask

smooth them together ask

Ask if you measure how tall something is you measure its height

Not its height

Height the same mistake I see in this word

not wait note wait

Wait this words. Not come for table. No, it's

comfortable

comfortable comfortable

push it together comfortable

vegetable no

vegetable table

veg

vegetable

Vegetable one type of vegetable is this one

It's not electus. No, it's a lettuce with an f sound lettuce

Remember run practice those eight tips and I'll see you in the next class