Your first language
The American accent for Dutch speakers
Your English is already good. If Dutch is your first language, these are the American patterns worth your time first, and why.
Start with these patterns
Dutch T has no air at the start of a word.
T, P and K start with air
start + T · P · K → with air
Without the air, time can sound like dime.
Then, for clear pronunciation
Dutch has no A as in bad, bag can sound like back, and three and tree can sound alike.
Bed or bad?
e half-opena wide
For bad, drop your jaw low, and make the vowel longer.
If you speak Dutch, bed and bad may sound the same to you. Open your mouth wide for bad.
Bag or back?
longer before B · D · G · V · Zshorter before P · T · K · F · S
The longer vowel is often the main clue that it is bag, not back.
Three or tree?
TH tongue outno TH T, D, S or Z: behind teeth
For TH, put your tongue tip between your teeth and let the air out. If the tongue stops the air, three sounds like tree.