Your first language
The American accent for Turkish speakers
Your English is already good. If Turkish is your first language, these are the American patterns worth your time first, and why.
Start with these patterns
Turkish has a rolled R, and an American R is never rolled.
R is never rolled
R touches nothingD touches once
If your tongue tip touches, even once, hiring sounds like hiding.
If you speak Turkish, your R touches once. The English R touches nothing: right, very.
Then, for clear pronunciation
The strong part of a word helps most, school starts with two consonants, and these pairs can sound alike: V and W, bag and back.
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.
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 Turkish, a vowel may come before or between the first sounds: “iskool”. Keep them together: school, sport.
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 Turkish, V and W may sound alike in your English. Teeth on the lip for V (vet), round lips for W (wet).
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 Turkish, had can end like hat, as words do in your language. Hold the A a little longer, and had stays had.