American English Pronunciation Tips for Workplace Success

Introduction

Hello! It’s Kristine here with the Express to Impress podcast. I care about helping people talk in a way that is clear, confident, and effective, so they earn the respect they deserve in the workplace and achieve success. Accurate American English pronunciation is just one of many components of effective communication in the workplace. 

Diverse Views on Pronunciation and Accents

Views on imperfect English pronunciation (other times called accents) vary widely. It can be a liability in an interview or the workplace, but many people love hearing someone speak with an accent. Perhaps it signals they are from the same country or region. Some people do not want to lose their accent as it is a source of cultural pride for them. There’s a hilarious online video of The Daily Show host Trevor Noah talking about accents where he says the number one thing people back home in South Africa tell him is, “Don’t lose your accent!” They are proud to see a South African leading the Daily Show, and his accent is a reminder of where he is from.

When I meet someone with imperfect pronunciation, I’m eager to ask questions to learn their story. And as a language-learner, I appreciate how challenging it is to learn another language well. Plus, I know that mastering pronunciation comes easily for some people, and it’s much more challenging for others. One of my favorite inspirational quotes is from Amy Chua. In her book, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” she writes,

Do you know what a foreign accent is? It’s a sign of bravery.

I also greatly appreciate and enjoy the poem “Accents,” by Denise Frohman, and the animated interpretation of it on TedEd. 

Benefits of Improved American English Pronunciation

There is a lot to gain personally and professionally from improving your American English pronunciation. Here are four ways you can benefit.

1. Build Your Confidence

Speaking a second language in a way that attracts unwanted attention and questions is frustrating. Making improvements to your American English pronunciation will alleviate the stress and frustration you feel daily!

2. Gain More Respect at Work

Accents are a source of employment discrimination. Research shows that employers have biases against people who don’t speak English like the local workforce. Furthermore, biases differ. For example, an employer may hear an accent and believe the person is from a lower social status and not very clever, while another accent may seem attractive and exotic. While these biases are unfair and should be addressed, it’s essential to be aware of how they can impact your career.

3. Reduce Communication Misunderstandings

Sometimes people hear something different than a non-native speaker intends, and they don’t ask for clarification. For example, a non-native speaker could leave a meeting and remark to a colleague, “I don’t like the stuff they were talking about.” Because of the way the person pronounced the “u” in stuff, the colleague heard, “I don’t like the staff they were talking about.” The colleague then walks away with a wrong impression of the staff. Some pronunciation errors can even be embarrassing. Imagine your colleague’s reactions if you announced you’ll be meeting on the “turd” Thursday of every month. The “th,” that “the” sound, is difficult for many non-native speakers.

4. Increase Your Understanding of How the English Language is Spoken

How native English speakers really speak the language is interesting! It’s not at all what you would expect based on the written language. You may find it fascinating to uncover the mysteries of the spoken English language. 

Now that you know about the benefits of improved American English pronunciation let’s jump into the story section of today’s episode. 

Story

While working as an English teacher on Italki, I taught more than 300 one-one-one pronunciation lessons. The professionals I worked with came to me for a wide range of reasons. One professional had moved to America from Korea and had built a good career and was raising a family. Her kids were in high school and urged her to reduce her accent. She also suspected her English pronunciation had held her back from advancing more in her career. She was reluctant to get help with pronunciation, as she had lived in America for decades. But her kids were persistent, so she set a goal of improving her American English pronunciation and enlisted my help.

In another case, I worked with a man who lived in Russia, working for one of Russia’s largest banks. He had already lived in the US and earned an MBA from a top US University. He knew he could speak English effectively at a professional level, but wanted to pronounce words to sound more native. During our first pronunciation lesson, he was hooked. After studying English for so many years, he wondered why he had never been taught about the phonetic alphabet, rhythm, intonation, linking, and stress – all necessary components of being easily understood. He wondered why a teacher had never taken the time to tell him the sounds he pronounced differently from a native speaker. After the initial shock of learning how much he had to learn, he bucked down and worked hard to improve his American English pronunciation. 

These are just two of the many professionals who have come to me for help with American English pronunciation. People are motivated to invest in pronunciation training for many more reasons. Perhaps their employer has asked them to find a pronunciation coach and offered to foot the bill. Maybe their customers or clients have complained it’s difficult to understand them over the phone. Perhaps they are asked where they are from often because their accent is a dead giveaway. Maybe they are tired of repeating themselves. Perhaps they live somewhere that not sounding native places them at higher risk. And maybe they want to feel they belong to the culture where they live and believe improved pronunciation will help. 

So whether it is a quest for learning or feeling fed up with being judged, at risk, shamed, or frustrated, it takes a lot of courage for someone to turn to a professional for help with their pronunciation. 

Is Your American English Pronunciation A Problem?

Sometimes, I meet non-native speakers who believe their American English pronunciation is a significant problem when it is not. I reassure them that I can understand them well, and they do just fine in an interview and at an American workplace. Plus, many American companies employ tons of non-native English speakers! 

Other times, I meet non-native speakers who believe their American English pronunciation is sufficient for success in the workplace when it is not. While meeting more than 600 students for Business English, Conversational English, or Interview Prep lessons on Italki, I often encountered professionals who wanted to focus on vocabulary building and fluency, not pronunciation. Yet, pronunciation was a big problem! I asked for clarification often, pointed them to resources, and offered my pronunciation training classes. 

In many cases, it was clear the professional did not understand the extent to which their pronunciation of English was affecting our conversation. I would strain my ears to follow their words, and in time, I would learn to translate in my head. 

“I heard “light” but that must mean “right” in this context. Was that “pirate”? No, they must mean “pilot.”

Talking with non-native speakers with significant American English pronunciation challenges is exhausting. While I always tried to approach the topic respectfully, some people were in denial and defensive. I remember a student who met with me to prepare for a presentation. We met over the phone, not a video call. Because of the way he pronounced English, I struggled to understand him. When I offered help with the pronunciation of words, he cut me off, reassuring me he already had a job in English, and other people could understand him just fine. He only wanted my help in expressing the information naturally. It’s true many people land great jobs in English with far from perfect American English pronunciation.

But one can wonder if it is considerate to continue speaking in a way that causes great difficulty and confusion for the listener. For those wanting to improve their American English pronunciation, check out the tips section. 

Tips to Improve Your American English Pronunciation

Here are three tips to help you improve your American English pronunciation. 

1. Identify what sounds are challenging for you.
   There are likely sounds in the English language that you do not make in your native language. A pronunciation teacher or coach can quickly identify the American English sounds that are difficult for you to pronounce. If you do not have the funds for professional help, do a search online for common pronunciation mistakes people with your native language typically make. For example, you could type “Pronunciation mistakes Portuguese Speakers make.” You’ll see articles and videos explaining the mistakes. It will likely be challenging to determine if you make these mistakes, so share the list with a native English speaking friend and ask them if they hear the mistakes. There are many ways to pronounce vowels in the English language. You’ll likely find that you have no problem pronouncing them correctly in some words, but fail to pronounce them correctly in other words.

 

2. Learn how to make new sounds in English
   Once you know the sounds that are challenging for you to make, learn how to make those sounds. You need to learn to move your mouth and tongue in new ways and learn where to place your voice. It’s a lot like learning a new sport. You need to train your muscles. You can do this with a professional or watch online videos and follow along.

 

3. Learn When to Pronounce English Letters a Certain Way
   Sometimes, I would meet professionals who thought they had pronunciation problems, who didn’t. They simply didn’t know when to pronounce English letters a certain way. For example, they may be perfectly capable of pronouncing “a” but when they see “a” in sentence, they don’t know if they should pronounce it as “aye, ahh, or ah.” When this was the problem, I often discovered that the person did not listen to a lot of native English speakers. Perhaps they learned in the classroom with a non-native English teacher or through reading English. There are some general rules on when to say short or long vowels, which is helpful to some learners. However, the best way to learn how to pronounce words American English style is by listening to more native English speakers and repeating what you hear. Podcasts, movies, and songs are excellent sources of listening material.

As you can see, these tips will help you actively learn how to improve your American English pronunciation. This list is just a start, and I will cover more tips in future episodes.  

American English Pronunciation Coaching

If you would like help improving your American English Pronunciation, I’m here! While I always provide feedback on pronunciation to my non-native English speaking clients when I help them prepare for a presentation or interview, I also offer one-on-one American English Pronunciation sessions. You can sign up for just one session for help identifying what sounds are challenging for you or polish your accent quickly, or you can invest in your long-term success. Visit my website at www.express-to-impress.com and click on “services to get started.

In the next part of the episode, I’ll cover the idioms and phrases I used for people looking to build their English vocabulary. 

Idioms and Phrases

Buckle Down

After the initial shock of learning how much he had to learn, he bucked down and worked hard to improve his American English pronunciation.

It means to tackle a task with determination.

Foot the Bill

Perhaps their employer has asked them to find a pronunciation coach and offered to foot the bill. 

It means to pay for something or to pay the bill.

Dead Giveaway

Perhaps they are asked where they are from often because their accent is a dead giveaway. 

A dead giveaway is a clue or detail that obviously reveals something else.

Turn to Someone

So whether it is a quest for learning or fed up with feeling judgment, risk, shame, or frustration, it takes a lot of courage for someone to turn to a professional for help with their pronunciation.

This means to go to someone for help dealing with a situation.

Strain One’s Ears

I would strain my ears to follow their words, and in time, I would learn to translate in my head.

It means to try very hard to hear or understand someone talking. 

 

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Express to Impress. If you found it helpful, please share it with a friend. I hope to see you next time. Bye!

Music By Lucas Knutter