How to Fake a Convincing American Accent
Adopt a relaxed oral position., Pronounce vowel sounds laterally., Master the /th/ sound., Vocalize /r/ sounds., Isolate and practice similar sounds you have difficulty with.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Adopt a relaxed oral position.
Your face should be mostly at rest when speaking American English.
This includes your lips, your jaw, and your tongue.
Your tongue, however, should rest in the middle of your mouth behind your front two teeth.
To verify using proper oral posture, sigh.
On the exhale, make an /ə/ (love) sound.
This is proper American oral posture.
Words with a similar vowel to the /ə/ sound for the oral posture verification technique include glove, dove, and shove. -
Step 2: Pronounce vowel sounds laterally.
Generally speaking, American vowels are more laterally (side-to-side) wide than they are tall.
Rounded vowels, like the /u:/ in boot, the /ɔ:/ in bought, and the /ou/ in boat, are exceptions to this rule.
Most American vowels are made from the front or central part of your mouth.
Only /u:/ (boot), /ɔ:/ (bought), and /ou/ (boat) occur in the back of the mouth.
Practice saying common vowels with a wide, lateral shape to your mouth, like the /æ/ in cat, the /i/ in sit, the /ə/ in sofa, and the /i:/ in treat., This sound can be especially difficult if it isn't in your native language or dialect.
Stick your tongue forward in your mouth so it is behind your top front teeth.
Exhale air while your tongue is in this position to make the /th/ sound.There are two versions of the /th/ sound.
One is unvoiced, which means your throat doesn't vibrate when making it, as in think.
The other is voiced and vibrates your throat, like this.
Most /th/ words are unvoiced.
Some common voiced /th/ words include the, this, that, these, then, they, and there.
While mastering this sound, it's common to accidentally spit or become tongue tied.
It may take some time before your mouth is comfortable making this sound. , To make the /r/ sound, raise your tongue so it approaches, but does not touch, the upward ridge behind your front teeth.
Pull back the tip of your tongue slightly so that it bunches and raises a little at its middle.
The front of the tongue should be in the front of your mouth, placed relatively low.When making this sound, the corners of your lips should contract slightly, pushing your lips slightly away from your face.
If you speak a non-rhotic dialect of English where you elongate vowels in place of making an American /r/ sound or if you speak a language without this sound, it can take considerable time and effort to train your mouth to get this right., This is especially important if you're a non-native speaker of English.
For example, you may have difficulty articulating the difference between /ə/ (love) and /u/ (good).
Practice any sounds that give you trouble.You can practice difficult sounds by noting words that trip you up and making a list of similar sounding words.
Say these words side-by-side. -
Step 3: Master the /th/ sound.
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Step 4: Vocalize /r/ sounds.
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Step 5: Isolate and practice similar sounds you have difficulty with.
Detailed Guide
Your face should be mostly at rest when speaking American English.
This includes your lips, your jaw, and your tongue.
Your tongue, however, should rest in the middle of your mouth behind your front two teeth.
To verify using proper oral posture, sigh.
On the exhale, make an /ə/ (love) sound.
This is proper American oral posture.
Words with a similar vowel to the /ə/ sound for the oral posture verification technique include glove, dove, and shove.
Generally speaking, American vowels are more laterally (side-to-side) wide than they are tall.
Rounded vowels, like the /u:/ in boot, the /ɔ:/ in bought, and the /ou/ in boat, are exceptions to this rule.
Most American vowels are made from the front or central part of your mouth.
Only /u:/ (boot), /ɔ:/ (bought), and /ou/ (boat) occur in the back of the mouth.
Practice saying common vowels with a wide, lateral shape to your mouth, like the /æ/ in cat, the /i/ in sit, the /ə/ in sofa, and the /i:/ in treat., This sound can be especially difficult if it isn't in your native language or dialect.
Stick your tongue forward in your mouth so it is behind your top front teeth.
Exhale air while your tongue is in this position to make the /th/ sound.There are two versions of the /th/ sound.
One is unvoiced, which means your throat doesn't vibrate when making it, as in think.
The other is voiced and vibrates your throat, like this.
Most /th/ words are unvoiced.
Some common voiced /th/ words include the, this, that, these, then, they, and there.
While mastering this sound, it's common to accidentally spit or become tongue tied.
It may take some time before your mouth is comfortable making this sound. , To make the /r/ sound, raise your tongue so it approaches, but does not touch, the upward ridge behind your front teeth.
Pull back the tip of your tongue slightly so that it bunches and raises a little at its middle.
The front of the tongue should be in the front of your mouth, placed relatively low.When making this sound, the corners of your lips should contract slightly, pushing your lips slightly away from your face.
If you speak a non-rhotic dialect of English where you elongate vowels in place of making an American /r/ sound or if you speak a language without this sound, it can take considerable time and effort to train your mouth to get this right., This is especially important if you're a non-native speaker of English.
For example, you may have difficulty articulating the difference between /ə/ (love) and /u/ (good).
Practice any sounds that give you trouble.You can practice difficult sounds by noting words that trip you up and making a list of similar sounding words.
Say these words side-by-side.
About the Author
Stephanie Roberts
Specializes in breaking down complex creative arts topics into simple steps.
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