American English Pronunciation Video Lesson38

Introduction

Welcome to this American English pronunciation video lesson. In this lesson, we will focus on the pronunciation of some of the most common American English sounds. We will cover the vowel sounds, consonant sounds, and diphthongs that are essential for speaking American English clearly and confidently.

Vowel Sounds

The vowel sounds in American English are produced by the movement of the tongue and lips. There are 12 vowel sounds in American English, and each one is represented by a different letter or combination of letters.
Short A: /æ/ as in "cat" and "bad"
Long A: /eɪ/ as in "day" and "make"
Short E: /ɛ/ as in "red" and "bed"
Long E: /i/ as in "feet" and "tree"
Short I: /ɪ/ as in "sit" and "big"
Long I: /aɪ/ as in "ice" and "tie"
Short O: /ɑ/ as in "pot" and "dog"
Long O: /oʊ/ as in "boat" and "home"
Short U: /ʌ/ as in "cup" and "fun"
Long U: /ju/ as in "use" and "cube"
Schwa: /ə/ as in "the" and "about"
R-Controlled Vowels: /ɑr/, /ɜr/, /ɪr/, /ɔr/, /ʊr/ as in "car", "fur", "bird", "more", and "door"

Consonant Sounds

The consonant sounds in American English are produced by the obstruction of airflow through the vocal tract. There are 24 consonant sounds in American English, and each one is represented by a different letter or combination of letters.
Bilabial: /p/, /b/, /m/ as in "pat", "bat", and "mat"
Labiodental: /f/, /v/ as in "fat" and "vat"
Dental: /θ/, /ð/ as in "thin" and "this"
Alveolar: /t/, /d/, /n/, /s/, /z/, /l/ as in "top", "dog", "nose", "sun", "zebra", and "let"
Palatal: /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /j/ as in "shop", "measure", and "yes"
Velar: /k/, /g/, /ŋ/ as in "cat", "go", and "sing"
Glottal: /h/ as in "hat"

Diphthongs

Diphthongs are combinations of two vowel sounds that are pronounced together as a single syllable. There are 12 diphthongs in American English.
/aɪ/ as in "eye" and "tie"
/aʊ/ as in "out" and "house"
/eɪ/ as in "day" and "make"
/iə/ as in "here" and "near"
/oʊ/ as in "boat" and "home"
/ɔɪ/ as in "boy" and "noise"
/uə/ as in "pure" and "sure"
/ju/ as in "use" and "cube"
/ɪə/ as in "beer" and "fear"
/ɛər/ as in "hair" and "care"
/ɑr/ as in "car" and "farm"
/ɔr/ as in "more" and "store"

Conclusion

We hope this video lesson has helped you to improve your American English pronunciation. Remember to practice regularly and listen to native speakers to improve your fluency and confidence.

2025-02-14

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