Shows / The Accent Journey Podcast
The Accent Journey Podcast
Do you have an accent when you speak English and aren't happy with it? Then the Accent Journey Podcast is for you!Every week, host and American English accent coach Steven Nelson discuss topics to help non-native speakers improve their communication skills and sound more natural when expressing themselves in English. Join our community and see the transformation within yourself. Brought to you by accentfirst.com.
Episodes
The Accent Journey PodcastWhat IS Syllable Stress Exactly? (Hint: It's Four Things Happening at Once...)
When your English word stress sounds "off," the problem may not be the location of the stress. You may simply be missing one of the ingredients that makes a…
The Accent Journey PodcastDidja Hear That? Assimilation in American English (Part 2)
Why does did you sometimes sound like didja? Why can could you sound like couldja? And why does don't you sometimes sound like don-chu?In this episode of The…
The Accent Journey PodcastWhen Sounds Change: Assimilation in American English (Part 1)
Why does have to sometimes sound like haf-ta? Why can supposed to sound more like suppose-ta?In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore the first of two…
The Accent Journey PodcastThe Words You Barely Hear: Weak Forms in American English
Why do words like to, for, of, and can seem to disappear when native speakers talk? In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore weak forms - the reduced…
The Accent Journey PodcastI'm Gonna Tell You a Secret: Understanding Reductions in Casual English
Why do native speakers say gonna, wanna, and gotta instead of going to, want to, and have got to? In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore the world…
The Accent Journey PodcastSlow Down to Sound Better: Why Speaking More Slowly Can Make You Sound More Fluent
Many non-native English speakers think they need to speak quickly to sound fluent. In this episode of The Accent Journey, we challenge that myth and explain…
The Accent Journey PodcastYour Daily Accent Training Routine: 30 Minutes a Day to Sound More American
What should you practice every day if you want to improve your American English accent? In this episode of The Accent Journey, we bring together many of the…
The Accent Journey PodcastCoarticulation: Why Native Speakers Don't Pronounce Every Sound Separately
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore coarticulation, one of the fundamental features of natural spoken English. Rather than producing one sound at…
The Accent Journey PodcastIt's Not What You Say, It's What You STRESS: Emphasis and Contrast in American English
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore how native speakers use emphasis and contrastive stress to change meaning, express opinions, correct…
The Accent Journey PodcastMhm, Right, Wow: The Hidden Sounds That Make You Sound More Fluent
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore one of the least taught but most important aspects of conversational fluency: backchannels and discourse…
The Accent Journey Podcast/u/ vs /ʊ/: “Pool” vs. “Pull” - A Small Vowel Difference Makes a Big Impact
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore the important vowel contrast between /u/ as in food, blue, and shoe, and /ʊ/ as in foot, good, and book.These…
The Accent Journey PodcastThought Groups: The Secret to Natural English Rhythm
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we move beyond individual sounds and explore one of the most important features of natural spoken English: thought…
The Accent Journey Podcast"You Need to Pay Attention to How You Speak!" - How Marceli Marcinkowski Acquired an American Accent
Today accent coach Steve is joined by English instructor Marceli Marcinkowski, known as "Pan Angielski" in his native Poland, on a wide-ranging conversation…
The Accent Journey PodcastLinking Part 3: Consonant + Consonant Linking in Natural Speech
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we continue our series on connected speech by exploring how consonants link to other consonants in natural American…
The Accent Journey Podcast/eɪ/ vs /ɛ/: “late” vs “let” – One Sound or Two?
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore the important vowel contrast between /eɪ/ as in late and /ɛ/ as in let.Although these sounds may seem…
The Accent Journey PodcastThe Flap T: Why “Water” Sounds Like “Wader”
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore one of the most recognizable features of American English pronunciation: the flap T.In many common words, the…
The Accent Journey PodcastThe /t/ Sound: Why You Don’t Always Hear It (Held T)
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore an important feature of natural spoken English: the unreleased, or held /t/.Many learners pronounce the /t/…
The Accent Journey Podcast“Sheep” vs “Ship” – Small Sound, Big Difference
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we focus on another essential vowel contrast in American English: /i/ as in sheep and /ɪ/ as in ship.These two sounds…
The Accent Journey PodcastCat... or Cut? Let's Learn the Difference between /æ/ and /ʌ/ !
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we focus on one of the most important vowel contrasts in American English: /æ/ as in cat and /ʌ/ as in cut.These two…
The Accent Journey PodcastLinking Part 2: Same Consonants – Say It Once, Not Twice
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we continue our series on linking by focusing on a common but often overlooked pattern: when the same consonant appears…
The Accent Journey PodcastLinking Part 1: Consonant to Vowel – The Key to Smooth Speech
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we begin a new mini-series on linking, focusing on the most common and important type: consonant to vowel linking.In…
The Accent Journey Podcast"Accent Doesn't Just Go Away by Itself" - Interview with Storm Chaser and Accent Student Dominik
In this episode, we have an interview with another accent modification student, Dominik!Dominik, a native speaker of Slovakian, is also an amateur storm chaser…
The Accent Journey PodcastWord Stress: How Emphasis Changes Meaning and Focus in English
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore word stress—one of the most important features of natural, clear spoken English.In American English, not…
The Accent Journey Podcast"With Practice, My Confidence Grew" - an Interview with Programmer and Accent Student Robert
In this episode, Robert, a programmer and native speaker of Hungarian, was kind enough to sit down with host Steven Nelson and talk about his four years of…
The Accent Journey PodcastSyllable Stress: The Emphasis That Changes Everything
In this episode of The Accent Journey, we focus on one of the most important—and often overlooked—features of clear spoken English: syllable stress.In American…
The Accent Journey Podcast“–ED Endings: Why ‘Worked,’ ‘Lived,’ and ‘Wanted’ Sound Different”
One area that non-native speakers of English frequently struggle with at all levels is pronouncing "-ed" endings in past tense verbs (such as "worked," "lived"…
The Accent Journey Podcast"I'm Not Getting Those Barriers Anymore" - An Interview with Accent Student Sam Rowan
In this episode we talk to Sam Rowan, an online salesperson and personal trainer originally from India, about why he chose to undergo accent modification…
The Accent Journey PodcastVoiced and Voiceless Sounds: The Secret Behind Clear Endings
What are "voiced" and "voiceless" sounds, and what do they mean for our accent? Accent coach Steven Nelson breaks down this topic for us today, and we learn…
The Accent Journey PodcastWhat the "Schwa" is... and Why It Matters!
Host Steven Nelson discusses the "schwa" sound in American English, and why it's so important to everyday, natural speech. Listen and practice this sound with…