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  • English Accent Coach is an online tool for developing English pronunciation skills - focusing on vowels and consonants. For those who were brought up speaking a language other than English, it can be as difficult to recognize English speech sounds as it is to produce them. In fact, research has shown that pronunciation can improve when learners are coached to better recognize English sounds. More accurate and rapid recognition of sounds can also help learners to more quickly acquire English vocabulary.

  • English Accent Coach allows you to learn English vowels and consonants using an interactive game approach. During play, you will hear syllables or words with English sounds and you must click on the symbol for the sound you hear. The next two pages of the tour will allow you to familiarize yourself with the symbols that are used. These are the same symbols found in many English dictionaries.

  • Click the symbols in the grid below to hear sample sounds.

    Click the symbols in the grid above to hear sample sounds.

    The orientation of vowel symbols on the left reflects how they are perceived. Those that are closest to each other tend to be most confusable with each other.

    The vowel symbols are also oriented in terms of how they are produced. The vowels that are higher are produced with a more closed jaw position and/or higher tongue.

    The vowels toward the left are produced with the tongue tip near the front of the mouth, and those on the right are produced with the tongue pulled back slightly.

    i

    Examples:

    • he
    • week
    • these

    Simplified description

    Jaw only slightly open, tongue high and front; unrounded lips

    Technical IPA description

    Unrounded, close, front vowel

    ɪ

    Examples:

    • hid
    • his
    • live

    Simplified description

    Jaw slightly more open and tongue slightly lower and more back than for i unrounded lips

    Technical IPA description

    Unrounded, near close, near front vowel

    e

    Examples:

    • hay
    • make
    • game

    Simplified description

    Jaw slightly more open and tongue slightly lower and more front than for ɪ unrounded lips

    Technical IPA description

    Unrounded, close mid, front vowel

    ɛ

    Examples:

    • head
    • pet
    • dress

    Simplified description

    Jaw slightly more open and tongue slightly lower and more back than for e unrounded lips

    Technical IPA description

    Unrounded, open mid, near front vowel

    æ

    Examples:

    • had
    • man
    • grass

    Simplified description

    Jaw slightly more open and tongue slightly lower than for ɛ unrounded lips

    Technical IPA description

    Unrounded, near open, near front vowel

    ɑ

    Examples:

    • pot
    • walk
    • clock

    Simplified description

    Jaw quite open and tongue quite back compared to æ unrounded lips

    Technical IPA description

    Unrounded, open, back vowel

    ʌ

    Examples:

    • cut
    • some
    • much

    Simplified description

    Jaw slightly more closed and tongue slightly higher than for ɑ unrounded lips

    Technical IPA description

    Unrounded, open mid, back vowel

    o

    Examples:

    • hoe
    • spoke
    • those

    Simplified description

    Jaw slightly more closed and tongue slightly higher than for ʌ rounded lips

    Technical IPA description

    Rounded, close mid, back vowel

    ʊ

    Examples:

    • hood
    • book
    • full

    Simplified description

    Jaw slightly more closed and tongue slightly higher and more front than for o rounded lips

    Technical IPA description

    Rounded, near close, near back vowel

    u

    Examples:

    • who
    • food
    • choose

    Simplified description

    Jaw slightly more closed and tongue slightly higher and more back than for ʊ rounded lips

    Technical IPA description

    Rounded, close, back vowel

    Vowels Summary
  • Click the symbols in the grid below to hear sample sounds.

    Click the symbols in the grid above to hear sample sounds.

    Like the vowel grid, the consonant symbols on the left are roughly grouped to reflect how they are perceptually related. However, since people do not perceive consonants using the same processes they use for vowels, consonant patterns cannot be described in exactly the same way.

    The consonant symbols are only roughly grouped together in terms of how they are produced. Unlike vowels, their groupings do not indicate jaw and tongue position, but places of contact, degree of contact, and whether the vocal folds are vibrating.

    p

    Examples:

    • put
    • happy
    • drop

    Simplified description

    Lips closed before release. Burst of air upon release at the beginning of stressed syllables. Vocal folds not vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiceless bilabial stop

    b

    Examples:

    • book
    • table
    • job

    Simplified description

    Lips closed before release. No burst of air upon release. Vocal folds may vibrate, but only consistently do when produced between two vowels.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced bilabial stop

    t

    Examples:

    • take
    • later
    • put

    Simplified description

    Tongue tip firmly touching ridge just behind teeth before release. Burst of air upon release at the beginning of stressed syllables. Vocal folds not vibrating. In unstressed syllables between vowels, rapid tap of tongue causes it to sound more d -like (e.g., better, cutter, heater).

    Technical IPA description

    Voiceless alveolar stop

    d

    Examples:

    • down
    • body
    • wood

    Simplified description

    Tongue tip firmly touching ridge just behind teeth before release. No burst of air upon release. Vocal folds may vibrate, but only consistently do when produced between two vowels.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced alveolar stop

    k

    Examples:

    • car
    • local
    • black

    Simplified description

    Back of tongue firmly touching roof of mouth before release. Burst of air upon release at the beginning of stressed syllables. Vocal folds not vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiceless velar stop

    g

    Examples:

    • good
    • began
    • bag

    Simplified description

    Back of tongue firmly touching roof of mouth before release. No burst of air upon release. Vocal folds may vibrate, but only consistently do when produced between two vowels.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced velar stop

    f

    Examples:

    • face
    • office
    • wife

    Simplified description

    Top teeth gently resting on bottom lip. Noisy air escapes during production. Vocal folds not vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiceless labio-dental fricative

    v

    Examples:

    • van
    • ever
    • love

    Simplified description

    Top teeth gently resting on bottom lip. Noisy air escapes during production. Vocal folds vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced labio-dental fricative

    θ

    Examples:

    • thank
    • nothing
    • with

    Simplified description

    Tongue tip just behind but not touching top teeth (in some cases may slightly protrude between teeth). Noisy air escapes during production. Vocal folds not vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiceless dental fricative

    ð

    Examples:

    • the
    • this
    • mother

    Simplified description

    Tongue tip just behind but not touching top teeth (in some cases may slightly protrude between teeth). Noisy air escapes during production. Vocal folds vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced dental fricative

    s

    Examples:

    • sit
    • decide
    • face

    Simplified description

    Tongue tip pulled back to ridge found behind top teeth, but not touching that ridge. Noisy air escapes during production. Vocal folds not vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiceless alveolar fricative

    z

    Examples:

    • zoo
    • visit
    • his

    Simplified description

    Tongue tip pulled back to ridge found behind top teeth, but not touching that ridge. Noisy air escapes during production. Vocal folds vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced alveolar fricative

    h

    Examples:

    • hi
    • home
    • behind

    Simplified description

    No constriction in mouth, only in open vocal folds. Just breath out noisily. Vocal folds not vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiceless glottal fricative

    m

    Examples:

    • make
    • remove
    • some

    Simplified description

    Lips closed before release as for p and b, but air escapes through nose. Vocal folds are vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced bilabial nasal

    n

    Examples:

    • need
    • final
    • man

    Simplified description

    Tongue tip firmly touching ridge just behind teeth before release as for t and d, but air escapes through nose. Vocal folds are vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced alveolar nasal

    ŋ

    Examples:

    • finger
    • hung
    • wrong

    Simplified description

    Back of tongue firmly touching roof of mouth before release as for k and g but air escapes through nose. Vocal folds are vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced velar nasal

    ʃ

    Examples:

    • show
    • nation
    • wish

    Simplified description

    Front of tongue pulled back well past ridge behind teeth, but not touching. Even further back than for s. Noisy air escapes during production. Vocal folds are not vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiceless alveopalatal fricative

    ʒ

    Examples:

    • plea­sure
    • trea­sure
    • enclo­sure

    Simplified description

    Front of tongue pulled back well past ridge behind teeth, but not touching. Even further back than for z. Noisy air escapes during production. Vocal folds are vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced alveopalatal fricative

    ʧ

    Examples:

    • choose
    • teacher
    • such

    Simplified description

    t and ʃ produced at the same time. Vocal folds are not vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiceless alveopalatal affricate

    ʤ

    Examples:

    • jet
    • enjoy
    • bridge

    Simplified description

    d and ʒ produced at the same time. Vocal folds are vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced alveopalatal affricate

    w

    Examples:

    • wind
    • week
    • away

    Simplified description

    Lips rounded, but not so close the sound becomes noisy. No other constriction. Vocal folds are vibrating. Hint: Position your lips as though you’re tour to produce an u, but then release into another vowel.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced bilabial glide

    j

    Examples:

    • your
    • young
    • beyond

    Simplified description

    Front of tongue approaching roof of mouth, but not so close the sound becomes noisy. No other constriction. Vocal folds are vibrating. Hint: Position your lips as though you’re tour to produce an i, but then release into another vowel.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced palatal glide

    l

    Examples:

    • loud
    • follow
    • call

    Simplified description

    At beginning of syllables, tongue tip touches ridge just behind teeth before release, but with sides curled up to allow easy airflow around edges of tongue. Hint: Try breathing out easily while holding tongue in position. At end of a syllables (e.g., in ‘ball’), tongue tip does not need to touch; instead back of tongue raises slightly towards roof of mouth, without causing noisy sound. Vocal folds are vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced alveolar lateral approximant

    r

    Examples:

    • room
    • around
    • for

    Simplified description

    Tongue is pulled back and bunched up, with easy airflow over top and around edges. Some speakers curl tongue tip back and allow it to move forward rapidly upon release, without touching, and with easy airflow. Vocal folds are vibrating.

    Technical IPA description

    Voiced alveolar approximant or retroflex

    Consonants Summary
  • i
    95%
    u
    78%
    ɪ
    85%
    ʊ
    96%
    e
    100%
    o
    23%
    ε
    74%
    ʌ
    82%
    æ
    76%
    ɑ
    100%
    p 85%
    b 95%
    t 78%
    d 100%
    k 98%
    g 65%
    f 100%
    v 97%
    θ 100%
    ð 100%
    s 78%
    z 96%
    h 100%
    m 97%
    n 95%
    ŋ N/A
    ʃ 14%
    ʒ 98%
    ʈʃ 0%
    dʒ 100%
    w 100%
    j 95%
    l 82%
    r 100%
    Overall Score:
    81%
    Your Time:
    4:08

    Mastered

    Satisfactory

    Needs More Practice

    Overall Score:
    84%
    Your Time:
    5:25

    Mastered

    Satisfactory

    Needs More Practice

    See Consonants

    See Vowels

    Your Vowel Report Card

    When you have completed a game session, individual vowel scores will be illustrated in the vowel grid, while your overall score and time can be seen to the right. In this example, the learner has mastered vowels in green, is doing satisfactory with vowels shown in yellow, but is advised to continue playing at this level in order to further improve vowels shown in red. If further improvement is not realized after an additional ten or more sessions, we recommend proceeding to the next level.

    Your Consonant Report Card

    In this example, the learner has mastered consonants in green, is doing satisfactory with consonants shown in yellow, but needs improvement on those shown in red. Those lacking color were not in play. For this learner, it would be advisable to spend more time focusing on just those consonants that cause confusion. Individual consonants for focus can be selected at the beginning of each session.

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