The Accent Journey Podcast

Steven D. Nelson
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Do you have an accent when you speak English and aren't happy with it? Then the Accent Journey Podcast is for you! Every week, host and American English accent coach Steven Nelson discuss topics to help non-native speakers improve their communication skills and sound more natural when expressing themselves in English. Join our community and see the transformation within yourself. Brought to you by accentfirst.com.

  1. 5d ago

    Make the Small Words Small: Reducing Function Words in American English

    As we've discussed previously on the podcast, in natural American English not every word receives the same amount of stress. Content words usually carry the main message, while small grammatical words such as to, for, of, than, and as are often reduced and spoken with less prominence. This episode builds directly on the episode two weeks ago on "finding the main point" in a sentence. We take the idea of the “spotlight” and apply it to function words throughout the sentence. In this episode, you'll learn: Why English doesn't give every word equal weightWhat it means to reduce a wordHow to reduce to from /tu/ toward /tə/How to reduce for from /fɔr/ toward /fər/How to reduce of toward /əv/How to reduce as toward /əz/How to reduce than toward /ðən/How stressing a small function word can change the listener's interpretationHow to identify the important words in your own sentencesKey examples I need to GO. → I need tə GO. I waited TWO HOURS. → I WAITed fər TWO HOURS. a CUP of COFFee → a CUP əv COFFee She's TALLer than HIM. → She's TALLer thən HIM. as SOON as POSSible → əz SOON əz POSSible Practice Challenge Take five sentences that you commonly use in English. Identify the one or two words carrying the most important information.Stress those words.Find the small function words.Reduce them.Record yourself and listen without looking at the text.Practice Passage: "I'm going to meet a friend for dinner after work today. We decided to go to a small restaurant near the office because it's easier to get to. I haven't been there for a while, but my friend says the food is better than it used to be. I'm looking forward to seeing her and catching up." Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by accent coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation - one sound and pattern at a time. ------------------------------ The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

    Make the Small Words Small: Reducing Function Words in American English

  2. Sep 6

    The Tongue That Never Touches: Building the American R from Scratch

    The American English /r/ can be one of the most challenging sounds for English learners — especially if your native language uses a tapped or rolled R. But here's the key: the American R isn't made by touching the roof of your mouth. In this episode, we break down how to build the American /r/ from scratch and explore the two common tongue configurations: the retroflex R and the bunched R. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the American /r/ is an approximant, not a tap or a rollThe most important rule: your tongue should not make contactHow to create the retroflex and bunched versions of /r/How slight lip rounding contributes to the soundHow to find the correct position using a long “errrr”Key takeaway: The American R is the sound of your tongue getting very close to the roof of your mouth and stopping just short. The five-step R drill: Hold it: rrrrrrrAdd vowels: ree, ray, rye, row, rooPractice words: red, run, right, road, roomAdd consonant combinations: tree, green, free, brown, trainUse sentences: “The red train is running late.”Short Dialogue: A: Are you ready to leave? B: Almost. I need to grab my red jacket. A: The red one or the gray one? B: The red one. It's right over there. A: Oh, I see it. B: Great. Let's go. A: Are we driving or taking the train? B: Let's drive. The restaurant isn't very far. Practice Passage: "Ryan was ready to leave for the restaurant, but he couldn't find his car keys. He searched the bedroom, checked the drawer, and looked under the chair. Finally, he found them right next to his red jacket. He grabbed his keys, ran downstairs, and drove across town to meet his friends." Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by accent coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation - one sound and pattern at a time. ------------------------------ The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

    The Tongue That Never Touches: Building the American R from Scratch

  3. Aug 31

    Find the Point: Why Everything Gets Quieter After the Main Stress

    In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore post-focus compression - the tendency for speech after the main focus of a sentence to become quieter, flatter, and less prominent. The goal isn't to make the rest of the sentence disappear. Instead, reducing the prominence of the words after the main point helps the listener understand where your attention and your message is focused. In this episode, you'll learn: How to identify the main point or new information in a sentenceHow to give that word the strongest stressWhy the words following the main point often become less prominentHow pitch, loudness, and energy can decrease after the focus wordHow changing the focus of a sentence changes its stress patternHow to use post-focus compression to create more natural American English rhythmWhen you practice, don't simply ask "Which word should I stress?" But instead ask: "What's the point of this sentence?" Stress that word, then allow the rest of the sentence to become less prominent. Key takeaway: Don't make every word compete for the listener's attention. Find the point, stress the point, and let the rest of the sentence move into the background. Practice Passage: "I thought the meeting was on Thursday, but it actually got moved to Friday. I already told everyone about the change, so we shouldn't have any problems. Sarah is going to Paris next month, and she's planning to stay there for two weeks. I wanted the blue folder, not the green one, because all the important documents are inside." Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by accent coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation - one sound and pattern at a time. ------------------------------ The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

    Find the Point: Why Everything Gets Quieter After the Main Stress

  4. Aug 23

    What IS Syllable Stress Exactly? (Hint: It's Four Things Happening at Once...)

    When your English word stress sounds "off," the problem may not be the location of the stress. You may simply be missing one of the ingredients that makes a stressed syllable stand out. In this episode of The Accent Journey, we take a closer look at four important cues that contribute to English stress: Duration – stressed syllables are often slightly longerLoudness – stressed syllables generally have somewhat more vocal energyPitch – stressed syllables often have noticeable pitch movement or a different pitch levelVowel quality – stressed vowels are more likely to remain clear and full, while unstressed vowels frequently reduceYou'll learn why simply being told to "stress the right syllable" isn't always enough, and how to identify the specific ingredient that's missing from your pronunciation. In this episode, you'll practice: Isolating duration, loudness, pitch, and vowel qualityPutting all four stress cues togetherWords such as important, banana, communication, photograph, develop, and opportunityA passage focusing on natural word stress and rhythmPractice Passage: "It's important to develop good communication skills if you want to succeed professionally. Clear pronunciation, natural rhythm, and confident delivery can make a big difference when you're speaking with colleagues, giving presentations, or talking to clients." Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by accent coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation - one sound and pattern at a time. ------------------------------ The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

    What IS Syllable Stress Exactly? (Hint: It's Four Things Happening at Once...)

  5. Aug 16

    Didja Hear That? Assimilation in American English (Part 2)

    Why does did you sometimes sound like didja? Why can could you sound like couldja? And why does don't you sometimes sound like don-chu? In this episode of The Accent Journey, we continue our exploration of assimilation in connected American English. We look at how neighboring sounds influence one another in everyday conversation, causing words to blend together and sometimes produce pronunciations that sound very different from their written forms. In this episode, you'll learn about: did you → didjacould you → couldjawould you → wouldjadon't you → don-chuYou'll learn what's happening physically when these sounds combine and why these patterns are so common in fluent American speech. Key takeaway: Natural American English isn't always pronounced the way it's written. When words meet in connected speech, their sounds can influence one another, creating forms such as didja, couldja, wouldja, and don-chu. Practice Passage: "Did you hear about the meeting tomorrow? I think it's supposed to start at nine. Could you send me the updated schedule? I want to know what the manager plans to discuss. Would you like to meet for coffee beforehand? Don't you think it would be easier to go over everything together? If you're available, let me know how you want to handle it." Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by accent coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation - one sound and pattern at a time. ------------------------------ The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

    Didja Hear That? Assimilation in American English (Part 2)

  6. Aug 9

    When Sounds Change: Assimilation in American English (Part 1)

    Why does have to sometimes sound like haf-ta? Why can supposed to sound more like suppose-ta? In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore the first of two episodes on assimilation in connected American English, the natural processes that cause neighboring sounds to influence one another during fluent speech. Rather than pronouncing every sound separately, native speakers often allow sounds to blend or change. Understanding these patterns can make both your listening comprehension and your own pronunciation much more natural. In this episode, you'll learn about: supposed to → suppose-taused to → yoos-tahave to → haf-tahas to → has-taYou'll also learn the difference between assimilation, where one sound is influenced by a neighboring sound, and devoicing, where a normally voiced consonant becomes voiceless because of the sound that follows it. Key takeaway: Don't pronounce words as isolated units. Pay attention to what happens when sounds meet. That's where much of the natural rhythm and pronunciation of American English comes from. This week's challenge: listen to an American podcast, TV show, or movie and find five examples of sounds changing or blending in connected speech. Practice Passage: "I used to work in an office downtown, but now I work from home most of the time. I'm supposed to have a meeting tomorrow morning, so I have to get up early. My manager said I should call him if I have any questions, and I think I'll probably do that tonight. As my manager, he has to help me if I ever need it." Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by accent coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation - one sound and pattern at a time. ------------------------------ The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

    When Sounds Change: Assimilation in American English (Part 1)

  7. Aug 2

    The Words You Barely Hear: Weak Forms in American English

    Why do words like to, for, of, and can seem to disappear when native speakers talk? In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore weak forms - the reduced pronunciations of common function words that give spoken American English its natural rhythm. You'll learn the difference between content words and function words, discover why the schwa appears so often in everyday speech, and practice recognizing and using weak forms in sentences and conversations. The episode includes: An introduction to weak formsPractice with to, for, of, and canListening comparisons between careful and natural speechGuided dialogue practiceA shadowing passageA weekly listening challengeKey takeaway: Native speakers don't stress every word equally. Learning to weaken common function words while emphasizing important content words will make both your listening and your speaking sound more natural. Practice Passage: "I'm looking for a new apartment because I'd like to live closer to work. I can walk to the office in about fifteen minutes, and that gives me more time for exercise before I start my day. At the end of the week, I like to meet a few friends for dinner and relax before another busy week begins." Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by accent coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation - one sound and pattern at a time. ------------------------------ The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

    The Words You Barely Hear: Weak Forms in American English

  8. Jul 26

    I'm Gonna Tell You a Secret: Understanding Reductions in Casual English

    Why do native speakers say gonna, wanna, and gotta instead of going to, want to, and have got to? In this episode of The Accent Journey, we explore the world of reductions in casual English, one of the most common features of everyday spoken American English. You'll learn why casual reductions occur, when they're appropriate, and how they can dramatically improve both your listening comprehension and your spoken fluency. The episode includes: An introduction to reductions in casual, conversational EnglishCommon reductions such as gonna, wanna, gotta, lemme, gimme, kinda, and outtaListening comparisons between careful and casual speechGuided dialogue practiceA shadowing passageTips on when reductions are and are not appropriateKey takeaway: Casual reductions are a natural feature of conversational American English. Understanding them will help you follow native speakers more easily and make your own speech sound smoother and more natural. This week's challenge: Listen to a podcast or TV show and write down every casual reduction you hear. Then replay those sentences and shadow the speaker, focusing on rhythm, stress, and natural connected speech. Practice Passage: "I'm gonna meet a friend after work, and we're gonna grab dinner downtown. Then we wanna see a movie if we have enough time. I've gotta finish one more project before I leave the office, but after that, I'm ready to relax. It's gonna be a great evening." Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by accent coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation - one sound and pattern at a time. ------------------------------ The Accent Journey Podcast is brought to you by AccentFirst Speech Communication Services. Find us online at accentfirst.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. Visit us and leave a message at accentfirst.com/contact Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

    I'm Gonna Tell You a Secret: Understanding Reductions in Casual English
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Do you have an accent when you speak English and aren't happy with it? Then the Accent Journey Podcast is for you! Every week, host and American English accent coach Steven Nelson discuss topics to help non-native speakers improve their communication skills and sound more natural when expressing themselves in English. Join our community and see the transformation within yourself. Brought to you by accentfirst.com.

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