Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Learn the basics of pronunciation
• Method 2 of 3: Practice an American accent
• Method 3 of 3: Familiarize yourself with different dialects
• Tips
• Warnings

Whether you're preparing for acting or just wanting to have fun with friends, there are a few tricks you can use to show off an American accent that is authentic and believable. Once you've mastered basic pronunciation, you can start learning the differences between regional dialects and imitating what you hear as closely as possible. With enough practice, you will be able to convince even an experienced listener that you are away from it!

To step

Method 1 of 3: Learn the basics of pronunciation

1. Untie your tongue. Before you start, you should relax your mouth as much as possible. In general, your lips and jaw, along with the rest of your face, should remain motionless when speaking American English. Keep your tongue in the center of your mouth, just behind the two front teeth.
   • To determine if your mouth is in the right position, you sigh. You make a natural "uh" sound (as in "love") as you exhale.
   • American English is spoken with "neutral" mouth movements and does not have many loud noises or difficult sound techniques.
2. Pronounce each syllable clearly. Break up words into small groups, and speak each one clearly. A word like "spectacular", for example, can be pronounced "bacon-tek-yooh-lar". As you get better at making the individual sounds, you can speed up and speak more fluently.
   • If you're not sure how to break a word down into smaller syllables, listen to audio examples on YouTube or Dictionary.com.
   • One of the defining characteristics of Standard American English is how clearly each word is or is not pronounced.
3. Pronounce vowels loosely. Generally, American vowels are "wider" than "long". This means that the corners of your mouth are doing more work than your jaw. Try not to open your mouth too wide, or this may adversely affect your pronunciation.
   • Most vowels are formed in the front of the mouth (as in "cheese" or "fuel"). There are few exceptions, including compound vowels in words such as "out" and "always."
   • Notice and imitate the way native speakers move their mouths when pronouncing common vowels.
4. Emphasize the (non-rolling) "r" sounds. Hold your tongue in the center of your mouth and lift it slightly so that its tip is facing your teeth (but not actually touching your palate). Draw your lips together and let the sound start in your throat. Your mouth will return to this position every time you speak an "r", be it a word like "rock" or "horticulture."
   • Unlike British, Australian and other forms of English, American English is usually spoken with a "hard" r (except for the Northern dialects).
   • Emphasize the "r" sound with every word you say in a sentence like "There are four birds."
5. Learn to master the different pronunciation of "th". Press your tongue against the back of your front teeth so that the tip is slightly sticking out. Exhale through your teeth to make a soft "th" sound. For a loud 'th', hold your mouth in the same position, only this time you vocalize the sound more, rather than using your breath, for a more resonant effect.
   • There are two different "th" sounds in American English - the soft "th" as in "think" and "breath" and the harder "th" as in "this" and "wither."
   • Pay attention to how native American speakers pronounce different "th" words to get an idea of ​​how the pronunciation is used.

Method 2 of 3: Practice an American accent

1. Drill the words and sounds you find most difficult. Compile a list of words you find difficult and spend extra time on it. Don't rush - speak each word slowly, feeling each part. Break complex words into smaller units that are easier to pronounce, then put them all together when you begin to understand the sounds.
   • Do your best to master 3-5 words from your list per day.
   • Remember that exercise is the only way to get better at something.
2. Talk to native speakers. Talk to Americans if you get the chance. Because they have spoken the language all their lives, they are the best example to follow. Try to absorb the subtleties of the language while making mental notes about what you notice and what you still need to work on.
   • If you have American friends, don't be too shy to ask them for help. They may be able to offer you useful tips and exercises for refining your accent.
   • Pay attention to their other mannerisms, such as their facial expressions and what they do with their hands while they are talking.
3. Watch American movies and television. If you can't talk to a native speaker in person, your next best bet is to turn on the television. As you watch, repeat simple words and phrases to yourself and do your best to imitate them as precisely as possible. Movies and TV series are great guides because the dialogue needs to be spoken in such a way that viewers can follow it.
   • Think of daily viewing as homework. You learn and enjoy yourself at the same time - it's a win-win situation!
4. Listen to American music. Listen to recordings by famous American musicians and analyze the way they emphasize different words. You will find that the pronunciation of most words remains the same even if they are changed to fit the rhythm. Because they tend to stick in your memory, music can be a useful tool for mastering the specific sound of another language.
   • Music will also introduce you to other unique features of the American, such as rhyme, similes, and metaphors.
   • Programs such as iTunes or Spotify let you stream songs so you can listen to them on the go.
   • The songs from iconic American artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley are a good place to start.

Method 3 of 3: Familiarize yourself with different dialects

1. Use hard vowels to mimic the more northerly accent. Shift the point where you form the pronunciation from the front of your mouth to the roof of your mouth. Widen your vowels and add a slight nasal bend to them. Northerners also often tend to pronounce certain consonants more sloppily, especially the "r".
   • In a word like "car" you may not hear the last "r" at all.
   • It can also be helpful to hear other languages ​​and dialects, such as Irish, Italian, and Polish, to understand how more northern English has evolved.
2. Talk like someone from the Central United States Instead of forming the vowels in your throat, let them form from the top of your mouth just below your nose, similar to a Northern accent. Unless you're making consonants, your tongue stays roughly in the center of your mouth. Speak at a brisk pace, but leave a little space between each word.
   • 'Midwestern' accents are recognizable by their nasal sound, as well as the way they 'shift' certain vowels (the 'o' in 'open' sounds more like 'ooh,' while in 'opposite' they are more like a sharp 'ah 'sounds).
   • To get the right intonation for your vowels, pull your lips back slightly when you smile.
3. Try a California accent. You will love this dialect less must articulate clearly. Push your lips forward slightly and keep your mouth open while you talk. Your words should escape with a lazy kind of uniformity, almost like your mouth is numb.
   • For a more authentic performance, let the "o" sounds stray a bit ("ow-uh").
   • Although not completely accurate, the stereotypical accent of the surfer and "Valley girl" as often used in movies will give you a good sense of the unique twist that someone from southern California puts to the language.
4. Add a Southern nasal sound to your pronunciation. Pull your vowels apart into two separate parts, making them rise and fall as you pronounce the word. Let your words run into each other a bit and not as sharply defined as you normally do - Southerners are known for their relaxed accent.
   • Mimicking a Southern accent is all about the cadence. In South American, a single syllable like "wind" can be pronounced as two or even three syllables ("wie-jun-duh").
   • Southerners often omit the last "g" of present verbs, so that words like "reading" are pronounced as "readin".
5. Learn a little slang (slang). Determine the type of slang that is popular in your area, or in the region you are trying to imitate. "Snake" is like the final puzzle piece when it comes to conveying a convincing accent. While it doesn't directly affect your accent, once you are able to use it correctly, you will sound a lot more believable.
   • Add some of the most common slang terms in US English to your repertoire, such as "chill", "sweet" and "what's up?"
   • Use "slang" in a conversation sparingly to avoid being forced.
   • Using the wrong "snake" (or the right one but at the wrong time) can put you through the basket, and may even be considered rude. Do not use slang in ordinary conversation until you are well acquainted with its meaning and application.

Tips

• Imitate real speakers instead of stereotypical characters. Accents are easy to imitate laughably, but hard to get just right.
• The Internet is one of your best tools for learning correct pronunciation, inflection and usage, along with regional variations such as abbreviations and slang.
• Immerse yourself completely by formulating sentences composed of the words you have the most difficulty with.
• Before attempting to imitate dialects, concentrate on the pronunciation of formal English. Otherwise you will be overwhelmed by all the different nuances.
• If you want to sound seriously more authentic, consider hiring an accent coach. These people are trained to train non-native speakers in the formation of unknown sounds.

Warnings

• Using terms from another English dialect (for example, saying "loo" instead of "toilet") may alert people that you are not a native speaker of American English.