Lisa’s Blog

Here is my response to a reader who asked the following question:"Hello Lisa, its me Alex again. I have one more question about the American accent - I have ordered your book on amazon.com but it has not come yet so I am not sure if it is already mentioned in your...

As I have posted earlier, most people who are working on reducing their accents should also constantly be trying to improve their vocabulary. It's particularly important to focus on improving your understanding of and ability to use idioms, expressions and slang (when...

One of the biggest differences between the British and the American accents is that Americans always pronounce the letter R. In England the words "load" and "lord" would sound very similar since the R tends to be silent before another consonant. It's also silent at...

People who are working on reducing their accents and who want to sound more like native speakers must also continually work on improving their overall language fluency.Never neglect other important skill areas of English. Make sure that you are constantly learning new...

Here's a YouTube video I just posted regarding a very common mistake that almost all of my students make when they first come for lessons.

As I stated in a comment below, I didn't have time to cover all of the details of the American T in the YouTube video. Here are some more facts: This fast "d" sound occurs when a T is between two vowels but it also sometimes occurs when the letter T is before an R, as...

I have just posted this video on YouTube to help you sound more American. The letter "T" is pronounced like a fast "D" sound when it's between two vowels. Here are some examples of words: "better," "city," "Italy," "matter." The "T" in those words changes and becomes...

Usually this is not a good idea. Often speaking fast will make your accent sound stronger. Here's why:There are specific rules that native speakers subconsciously follow when they speak quickly. If you don’t follow these rules your speech will be harder to understand....

How do Americans pronounce your name? Do they struggle to say it? What name do you give when ordering coffee at Starbucks, your real name or an Americanized version?This is a common topic that comes up in my classes. Some of my students insist that Americans should...