As children, we learned to speak by hearing the sounds that our parents and others made and then duplicating them. This simple action is the premise behind accent modification. Many people are not pleased with their accent or how they say certain words. But for some reason, we don’t talk about our displeasure with our accent in our society. This could be in part because accidents are linked to heritage and to our culture and complaining about or seeking to change our accent is a bit like complaining about or trying to change our culture.

You do not need to spend the rest of your life feeling frustrated about your pronunciation of certain words or phrases, or wishing that people could understand you more easily. By implementing some simple tricks you can modify how you sound.

Lengthen your vowels

Think about the fact that people who speak professionally — sports announcers, MC’s, radio personalities, and professional singers learn to lengthen vowels and make the consonants shorter. Vowels can be seen as the adhesive that links the rest of the word together. When you read something and you consciously make the vowels longer, it is like connecting the notes in a song. If you try this, you won’t hear the natural rhythm of what you are saying. In general, it is recommended that vowels are three beats each, while consonants are two beats each.

Pronounce consonants one at a time

Another good exercise is to pronounce consonants one at a time, noticing and focusing on the subtle differences of each letter. For example, T and D are both said by putting the tongue up against the back of the top teeth. Yet, there is a slight difference in the movement of the tongue that causes the difference in how these letters sound.

Use the International Phonetic Alphabet

It is worthwhile to familiarize yourself with the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). This alphabet delves into the differences in consonants, diacritics, tones, and accents on words, intonation of words, separation of words and syllables, and more. It uses a phonetic notation system made of symbols that are based mainly on the Latin alphabet. Once you familiarize yourself with and memorize these symbols, they will help you when pronouncing sounds and words that you have difficulty with.

Write down words that challenge you

Start by writing down the words and phrases that people often can’t understand — the words that you do not pronounce well. Then apply the IPA to those words. The symbols serve as memory triggers, making you stop and pronounce the words more properly. It is like having a visual picture of the sound in your mind.

As with all things, the more you practice it — the better your results. Wouldn’t it be nice to never feel negatively about your language or accent? You probably know someone who speaks with an accent, and also feels displeasure with it – with their pronunciation — to some degree. Approach the subject of accent modification with them and see if they would like to become a study partner — or practice pal. With just a few minutes a day, you can incorporate these techniques into your routine and be speaking more clearly in your target language within weeks.

Author Bio: Richard Allenby is the partner in Languagetran, a company that offers splendid language Spanish cialis cheap translation services for individuals and corporations. To communicate in Spanish, French and many other languages, visit his site for a Spanish Brand Viagra translator

Category: Culture and Society/Language
Keywords: Spanish translator, English pronunciation