Speaking English with native-like pronunciation is many students’ goal. English is a difficult language for many students. A lot of them struggle with the pronunciation for a number of reasons. English spelling causes problems for some students, because many words are spelled differently than they are pronounced. Here are some examples:

• General American English pronunciation has over 10 vowels, but only 5 vowel letters (A, E, I, O, U).
• The “th”-sound is actually two different sounds!
• That confusing “r”-sound

These reasons make me understand why some English students are scared to speak English. However, the fear to speak blocks you from fluency. Famous American poet Robert Frost said, “the best way out is always through.” In other words, you must conquer your fears to become fluent in any language.

While speaking English can be difficult, I am here to support you! It is my wish to help every student become fluent in English if I can. While I don’t have time to teach everyone one-on-one, I can give you some suggestions for improving your accent.

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Three Tips for Speaking English with Better Pronunciation

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#1: Pick an actor or actress with a voice you like. Mimic them!

I first heard this tip from a native English speaker who was studying Japanese. I was studying Japanese at university, and he told me that he practiced his Japanese accent by mimicking his favorite actor.

I started trying to mimic Joe Odagiri because I loved a movie he starred in named “Adrift in Tokyo.” Doing this helped me improve my accent so much! I became less shy about speaking Japanese with native speakers because I was starting to sound more like a native speaker. My accent still isn’t perfect, but it is much better than it was before!

You can do this, too! Pick your favorite actor or actress. Make sure you pick one with the kind of accent you want to learn. If you want to improve your American accent for business or academic English, pick an actor with a General American English accent. If you want to sound like someone from the southern part of the USA, pick an actor with a southern accent. If you want your English pronunciation to be Irish, pick an Irish actress!

Find a YouTube clip of the actor speaking from a movie, TV show, interview, or something else. Write down what they are saying, so you can practice reading while you practice speaking. Re-watch the clip and listen carefully to the speaker, then try to imitate them with the help of what you wrote down. Practice this for a few weeks and you will certainly notice an improvement in your accent!

#2: Speak your native language with an American, British, Australian, etc. accent!

When you are alone at home, you can easily try this trick: speak your native language with an English language accent. Listen to native speakers of English speak your language on YouTube, television, or somewhere else. Listen closely! Pay attention to how each and every sound of your language is pronounced by them. If their accent is still at a beginner level, they will use lots of English sounds in your language.

After you learn how an English speaker sounds in your language, start imitating them when you have free time. Do not imitate them to make fun of them, but to help your tongue learn how to move like a native English speaker. A lot of pronunciation is just muscle memory – if you practice the sounds enough, they will become easier!

Note: Please do not make fun of other language learners! When you imitate an accent, please do not make fun of the language or the people who speak it.

#3: Speak English with native speakers as often as you can!

Practice makes perfect. This is an English saying that means the more you do something, the better you get at it. The best way to speak English like a native is to speak with natives as often as possible.

If you chat with native speakers enough, you will naturally start to sound like them. You will start to notice the differences between sounds that used to confuse you. You will pick up slang and other colloquialisms that will make you sound more natural in your speech. You will learn how to sound happy, sad, and angry in English.

There are a lot of ways to find native English speakers online. There are websites and applications where you can get help with your English while helping English speakers with your language. Find someone with similar interests or attitudes to you. Pick someone you would be friends with in your own country. After introducing yourself and becoming friends, you can ask them to voice or video call with you. That’s some great, free practice!

You must focus on improving your accent while speaking with them. You will still improve if you’re not directly paying attention to yours and your partner’s accent in the conversation, but you will improve even faster if you ask them to correct you, try to correct yourself, and listen carefully to each sound that is spoken.

Go and speak, my friend!

Now that I have given you three tips for speak English with a better accent, you must practice. Do not waste time. You will have lots of fun pretending to be your favorite actors/actresses, speaking your native language with an American accent, and making native speaking friends.