How to Fix Accent and Diction

Find out what you need to fix (see below)

Make a list of words and word combinations that need work.

Prioritize which words/ are most common + which are hardest to fix

Practice your highest priority items daily

(Other resources: site #2 • site #3 • site #4) • Medical pronunciations

Test your accent step 1 • Test your accent step 2

Minnesota's common pronunciations • Technical: Upper Midwestern Accent

Common pronunciations in different states • More pronunciations • How to talk Minnesotan

      The Most Commonly Mispronounced Words

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Click here to improve your vocabularly

Accessory

Affidavit

Stress the 1st syllable

"am-BROH-zhah"

"AN-ihss"

"uh-non-uh-muhs"

Antarctic

Arctic

Ask

Athletic

Athlete

"uh – rye"

Barbed Wire

"Bar+Bit+U+Rate"

"Broo-SKETT-a"

Candidate

"KEHR-ah-mehl" or "KAR-ah-mehl"

Cavalry

The first c is a k sound

A Very Soft [Th] Sound

"KAHL-eeg"

"kwah-SAHN"; "KWAH-sawn"; "kruh-SAHNT"

Dayta most common, but DATa also correct.

Dilate

Di/F/Theria This Ph Is "F" Not "P"

Drown

"eh-dah-MAH-meh"

Accent 2nd, not 3rd syllable

Especially

Espresso

"eth-nis-i-tee"

"ett – set – err – uh"

Etcetera / Etc

"fuh-sil-i-teyt"

February

Federal

"FWAH GRAH"

Foliage

Not a "J" sound, but a hard G

"YEE-roh," "YEE-rohs"

Height

"HOOM-uhs"

"hah-lah-PEH-nyoh"

Jewelry

"li-a-ble"

Three syllables-li-bra-ry, not li-bary

Masonry

Mayonnaise

Miniature

"maht-suh-REHL-lah"; "moht-suh-REHL-lah"

Nitch or Neesh are both correct. Ask for preference

Nuclear

Nup-Shull

The "t" is silent (most preferred pronunciation)

Use a brief "Y" Sound After The L

"per-tik-yuh-ler-lee"

Accent 2nd, not 3rd syllable

Options: "pih-KAHN"; "pih-KAN"; "PEE-kan"

Perspire

"fi-nom-uh-non"

"pic-shur" or "pic-tchur," not "pitch-er"

Pollute

"prej-uh-dis"

"pre – rogg – uh – tiv"

"Purr - Scrip - Shun"

Probably

Pronunciation

Prostate

Realtor

"reg-yuh-ler-lee"

"rih-KAHT-tuh"; "ree-KOH-tah"

"SHER-biht" no second "R"

Silicon

"saw-muh-LYAY"

"stuh-tis-tiks"

Supposedly

"tuh-MAH-lee"

Triathlon

"TER-muh-rihk"

Utmost

Wasn't

The first d and the second e are silent

Even more words here

Some vocabularly-improving links:

Here are some English vocabulary apps if you're using a smart phone Android • Apple/iOs

http://www.vocabulary.com/ adapts to your level, and http://www.vocabsushi.com/ lets you set your level.

http://www.intensivevocab.com/practice/mainpage.cfm is also good

http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/vocabulary/ has a big list of links, some you might find useful.

If you want to study a variety of vocabulary lessons AND be able to choose your level,

Levels 1 & 2 | http://a4esl.org/a/v.html

Levels 3 & 4 | http://a4esl.org/a/v3.html

Levels 5 & 6 | http://a4esl.org/a/v5.html

Here are some specific resources for learning to speak better, oriented around vocabulary and idioms (common phrases): http://www.eslgold.com/speaking.html

Some other links or helping improve your vocabulary: