American English Pronunciation Podcast

Latest Episodes:

107: ’ck’ after short vowels (as in back), ’k’ after all the others (as in ’bake) May 25, 2010

Show notes

Learning intricate English phonetic patterns can give you confidence in vowel pronunciation. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

106: ’long u’ stressed and reduced; /yu/ or /yə/? May 18, 2010

Show notes

The long u can be difficult to recognize in multi-syllable words, especially when it's reduced. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

105: Pronouncing ’though,’ ’thought,’ ’through,’ and ’thorough’ May 11, 2010

Show notes

These four o-u-g-h words can be so similar, yet different in very important ways. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

104: Pronouncing ’pronounce’ and ’pronunciation’ May 04, 2010

Show notes

Many patterns of pronunciation can be found through a quick study of these two words. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

102: Russian/Ukrainian Special Episode Apr 20, 2010

Show notes

Learn the most common difficulties Russian and Ukrainian speakers face when speaking English with an American English accent. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

101: Subtle oddities of the word ’subtle’ Apr 13, 2010

Show notes

A silent /b/, an altered /t/, and a strange history make the word 'subtle' interesting to learn about! Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

100: A Hundred/One Hundred Apr 06, 2010

Show notes

Why is saying 'a hundred' more common than saying 'one hundred' in American English? Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

99: Three-word informal contractions Mar 30, 2010

Show notes

'How did you' can be reduced to 'howdja;' 'where did you' to 'wheredja;' and 'what did you' to 'whadja,' but those reductions can cost listener comprehension. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

97: The transition from ’used to’ to ’useta’ Mar 16, 2010

Show notes

Informal contractions are born when speakers find easier ways to pronounce words. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.

96: How ’women’ could have been ’wimmen’ Mar 09, 2010

Show notes

Noah Webster did his best to make spelling easier, but his ideas weren't always accepted. Full episode transcripts at www.pronuncian.com/podcast.