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The American accent for Urdu speakers

Your English is already good. If Urdu 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, every vowel in full, and a rolled R.

1. T, P and K start with air

   start + T · P · K → with air

   Without the air, time can sound like dime.

   If you speak Urdu, your کھ and پھ have this air. For T, touch behind your top teeth, not curled back.

2. Any vowel can become “uh”

   vowel in a quick part → uh

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

3. R is never rolled

   R touches nothingD touches once

   If your tongue tip touches, even once, hiring sounds like hiding.

   If you speak Urdu, your ر touches once or rolls. The English R does neither: very, sorry.

Then, for clear pronunciation

Thirteen or thirty can change a price, and these pairs can sound alike: V and W, bed and bad, three and tree.

1. Thirteen or thirty?

   -teen → strong-ty → quick

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

2. 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 Urdu, V and W may be one sound in your English. Teeth on the lip for V (vest), round lips for W (west).

3. Bed or bad?

   e half-opena wide

   For bad, drop your jaw low, and make the vowel longer.

   If you speak Urdu, bed and bad may sound alike in your English. Open your mouth wide for bad.

4. Three or tree?

   TH tongue outno TH T, D, S or Z: behind teeth

   For TH, put your tongue tip between your teeth and let the air out. If the tongue stops the air, three sounds like tree.

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