American Accent Decoded

All 69 American accent patterns

A pattern is one idea that works across many words. These are the 69 the course teaches, each with its one-line rule. The first part, Sounds, is written out in full on this site.

Sounds

Some letters change their sound in American English: the T, the R and a few vowels. Free in the app, and written out here.

The T

  1. T becomes a quick D

    vowel + T + quick part → quick D

  2. T stops, with no air

    T + pause · consonant → stops

  3. T disappears after N

    N + T + quick part → disappears

  4. T, P and K start with air

    start + T · P · K → with air

R and L

  1. Every R is said

    vowel + R → said

  2. Vowel and R become “er”

    ER · IR · UR + no vowel → erW + OR → erER · OR · AR in a quick part → er

  3. R is never rolled

    R touches nothingD touches once

  4. T before R sounds like “ch”

    T + R → chD + R → j

  5. Final L sounds deep, like “uhl”

    L + end · consonant → deep

American vowels

  1. The O in hot sounds like “ah”

    O + consonant → ah

  2. Can’t and ask have the A in cat

    A + F · S · TH · N → A in cat

  3. The O in go slides to “oo”

    O as in go → slides to ooA as in day → slides to ee

  4. New sounds like “noo”

    T · D · N + U · EW → oo

Words

One part of a word is strong, longer and louder, and the others are quick. Some words have an American form. In the app.

Quick parts

  1. Any vowel can become “uh”

    vowel in a quick part → uh

  2. A middle part can disappear

    quick middle + R · L → disappears

-ary and French words

  1. -ary sounds like “air-ee”

    -ary → air-ee

  2. Words from French end strong

    French word → quick-strong

Between words

In fast speech, words get short and join together. In the app.

Little words

  1. Little words are quick

    to · for · of → tuh · fer · uh

  2. Can or can’t?

    can + verb → kuhncan't → can't

  3. Is becomes ’s, will becomes ’ll

    word + is · will → 's · 'll

  4. He, him and her lose the H

    word + him · her → 'im · 'er

Shortcuts

  1. Going to becomes gonna

    going to + verb → gonna

  2. Meet you becomes meechu

    T + you → chD + you → j

  3. Kind of becomes kinda

    of + consonant → uh

  4. Could have becomes coulda

    could · should · would + have → uh

  5. Let me becomes lemme

    let me · give me → lemme · gimme

Words that join

  1. A consonant joins the next word

    consonant + next vowel → joins

  2. A Y or W sound joins two words

    vowel + Y · W + vowel

  3. A middle T or D can disappear

    S + T + consonant → disappearsN + D + consonant → disappears

  4. TH becomes N or L

    N + TH → NL + TH → L

Sentences

A whole sentence has its own music. In the app.

Sentences

  1. Down to finish, up for yes or no

    Do · Can · Is …? → goes up ↗What · Where …? → goes down ↘

  2. One word is the strongest

    most important word → strongest

  3. Long sentences have short pauses

    group + pause + group

  4. Uh-huh is yes, uh-uh is no

    yes → breath, goes up ↗no → stop, goes down ↘

Pronunciation

Say each sound clearly, so people hear the word you mean. In the app.

The strong part

  1. Two-part words start strong

    two parts → strong-quick

  2. The ending shows the strong part

    strong + -tion · -ic · -ity

  3. Credit card starts strong

    two words → strong quick

  4. Pickup or pick up?

    noun → strong-quickverb → quick-strong

Vowel pairs

  1. Ship or sheep?

    i shortee long

  2. Lift or left?

    i almost closede half-open

  3. Bed or bad?

    e half-opena wide

  4. Late or let?

    ay · oh movee · aw stay

  5. Walk or work?

    aw opener almost closed

  6. Buy or boy?

    eye “ah” to “ee”oy “oh” to “ee”ow “ah” to “oo”

Consonant pairs

  1. Light or right?

    L tip touchesR touches nothing

  2. Very or berry?

    V teeth on lipB both lipsW round lips

  3. See or she?

    S tongue frontSH tongue back, round lips

  4. Fan or pan?

    F teeth on lip, blowP both lips, stop

  5. Three or tree?

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

  6. Jet or yet?

    J tongue touchesY touches nothing

  7. Sue or zoo?

    S air onlyZ with voice

  8. Hat or at?

    H air firstno H vowel first

  9. Peach or beach?

    P a little airB with voice

  10. Net or let?

    N air through the noseL air around the tongue

  11. Chair or share?

    CH touch, then let goSH no touch

Endings

  1. Finish the word, add no vowel

    last sound → said

  2. -ed has three sounds

    P · K · F · S · SH · CH + -ed → tother sounds + -ed → dT · D + -ed → id

  3. -s has three sounds

    P · T · K · F · TH + -s → sother sounds + -s → zS · Z · SH · CH · J + -s → iz

  4. Bag or back?

    longer before B · D · G · V · Zshorter before P · T · K · F · S

Spelling and sound

  1. -tion is “shun”, -ture is “cher”

    -tion → shun-ture → cher

  2. S between vowels is often Z

    vowel + S + vowel → z

  3. Some letters are silent

    -alk → awkkn- → n

  4. Some final Es are said

    E at the end → ee

  5. CH can sound like K

    CH from Greek → k

  6. No extra sound

    two consonants → no vowel betweenespresso · height → nothing added

Numbers and letters

  1. Thirteen or thirty?

    -teen → strong-ty → quick

  2. Five or fifth?

    date · floor + number → -th

  3. Numbers are said in parts

    price · time · year → two parts

  4. The last letter is strong

    letters → quick-quick-strong