Your first language
The American accent for Nepali speakers
Your English is already good. If Nepali is your first language, these are the American patterns worth your time first, and why.
Start with these patterns
You may say T with no air, leave an R silent, say hot with ओ, and roll the R.
T, P and K start with air
start + T · P · K → with air
Without the air, time can sound like dime.
If you speak Nepali, your ख has this air. For T, touch behind your top teeth, not curled back.
Every R is said
vowel + R → said
Even at the end of a word, you hear the vowel, then the R.
If you speak Nepali, school English may have taught you to drop this R. In the US, say it: car, four.
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 Nepali, the O in hot is close to a short आ, not your ओ.
R is never rolled
R touches nothingD touches once
If your tongue tip touches, even once, hiring sounds like hiding.
If you speak Nepali, your र rolls, or touches once between vowels. The English R does neither.
Then, for clear pronunciation
Nepali has no F, V or SH, and thirteen or thirty can change a price.
Fan or pan?
F teeth on lip, blowP both lips, stop
For F, rest your top teeth on your lower lip. If both lips close, fan sounds like pan.
If you speak Nepali, फ is a P with air: fan can sound like pan. For F, rest your top teeth on your lower lip and blow.
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 Nepali, V may sound like W, or like भ. Put your top teeth on your lower lip: very, not “berry”.
See or she?
S tongue frontSH tongue back, round lips
For S, the tip of your tongue is close behind your top teeth.
If you speak Nepali, श, ष and स are often all said S. Make your lips round for SH: shoes, not “soos”.
Thirteen or thirty?
-teen → strong-ty → quick
In -teen, the T is clear. In -ty, it often becomes a quick D, one fast touch.
What you likely do already
Nepali gives you a head start on: T becomes a quick D.