Your first language
The American accent for Polish speakers
Your English is already good. If Polish is your first language, these are the American patterns worth your time first, and why.
Start with these patterns
Polish keeps every vowel full, and its R is rolled.
Any vowel can become “uh”
vowel in a quick part → uh
An -le at the end sounds like “uhl”: table.
R is never rolled
R touches nothingD touches once
If your tongue tip touches, even once, hiring sounds like hiding.
If you speak Polish, your R rolls or touches once. The English R does neither: right, very.
Then, for clear pronunciation
Polish makes the same part of every word strong, bag can sound like back, and bed and bad can sound alike.
The ending shows the strong part
strong + -tion · -ic · -ity
The part just before the ending is strong, even in words you have never heard.
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.
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.
If you speak Polish, bed can end like bet, as words do in your language. Hold the E a little longer, and bed stays bed.
Bed or bad?
e half-opena wide
For bad, drop your jaw low, and make the vowel longer.
If you speak Polish, the A in bad is between your “e” and your “a”: wider than “e”, with your lips spread.