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The American accent for French speakers

Your English is already good. If French is your first language, these are the American patterns worth your time first, and why.

Start with these patterns

French makes its R in the throat, keeps every vowel full and has no air on T.

1. Vowel and R become “er”

   ER · IR · UR + no vowel → erW + OR → erER · OR · AR in a quick part → er

   Work, bird and turn all have “er”, and so does a quick part: doctor, sugar.

   If you speak French, make this R with your tongue, not your throat. Bird has no “eu”.

2. Any vowel can become “uh”

   vowel in a quick part → uh

   An -le at the end sounds like “uhl”: table.

3. 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

French has no H sound and makes the end of a word strong, and ship and sheep can sound alike.

1. Hat or at?

   H air firstno H vowel first

   Without the breath of the H, hat sounds like at, and hold like old.

   If you speak French, the H in French is silent, so happy can sound like “appy”. Say the H, but not in hour or honest.

2. Thirteen or thirty?

   -teen → strong-ty → quick

   In -teen, the T is clear. In -ty, it often becomes a quick D, one fast touch.

   If you speak French, you make the end of a word strong. That is right for thirteen, but thirty is strong at the start.

3. Two-part words start strong

   two parts → strong-quick

   This is true about 3 times in 4, so when you’re not sure, start strong.

4. Ship or sheep?

   i shortee long

   Your mouth is relaxed for ship, with a little smile for sheep.

   If you speak French, ship and sheep may sound the same to you. Make sheep long, with a smile, and ship short.

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