American Accent Decoded

Your first language

The American accent for Japanese speakers

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

Start with these patterns

You may add a small vowel after a last T and after a word, say work with a long “a”, and say hot with お. Hot has あ, not お.

  1. T stops, with no air

    T + pause · consonant → stops

    Your tongue goes up for the T and stays: no air comes out. Before an N, a T or D stops too: button, didn’t.

    If you speak Japanese, end on the T itself. Don’t add an “o” or “u” after it.

  2. A consonant joins the next word

    consonant + next vowel → joins

    The last consonant starts the next word: “pick up” becomes “pi-kup”.

    If you speak Japanese, don’t add “u” or “o” after the last sound (“booku”). Join that sound to the next word instead.

  3. 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 Japanese, ワーク and バード have a long “a”. In English, work and bird have “er”.

  4. The O in hot sounds like “ah”

    O + consonant → ah

    This happens in the strong part. Your lips stay relaxed, not round.

    If you speak Japanese, the O in hot is close to your あ, not the お in ホット.

Then, for clear pronunciation

Japanese has one sound for L and R, puts a vowel after most sounds and makes each part equally strong, and very and berry can sound alike.

  1. Light or right?

    L tip touchesR touches nothing

    For L, the tip of your tongue touches just behind your top teeth.

    If you speak Japanese, your ら sound is between L and R. For L, touch behind your top teeth; for R, touch nothing.

  2. Finish the word, add no vowel

    last sound → said

    Without its T, note is no. With an added vowel, sport is support.

    If you speak Japanese, a vowel may follow each consonant, as in ストライク. Say strike as one part, not five.

  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. Very or berry?

    V teeth on lipB both lipsW round lips

    If both lips close, very sounds like berry. If they round, vine sounds like wine.

    If you speak Japanese, V may become B, as in ビデオ for video. Put your top teeth on your lower lip.

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