Thread: Mastering general American pronunciation step by step

Hello again. I've been working on some sounds lately so I'd like it if you provided feedback on how I did. I won't hold it back I tried to immitate certain consonants mostly but the whole thing is made of sounds that I've already gone through. So I'd mostly like to hear a general opinion about the recordings. And, of course, the full transcription would be given to save your time. Here we go:

the first recording
the first recording's transcription


the second recording
the second recording's transcription


the third recording
the third recording's transcription


the fourth recording
the fourth recording's transcription

Hi iCake,

Without looking at the transcripts I heard:

1st

?
river
stow
moo

Time of seven ??? are very long
Did they leave the river for a drive. (Good!)

2nd

nice
lease
hat
singer

??????? hat (I only heard he word "hat" in this sentence).

When she touched her finger to the elephant I had to laugh. (Very good!)

3rd

?
wipers
gears
nose
excuse

These ? turn the dials.
Those gears run the wipers when ?. (Until the last word good sentence).

4th

face
this
clothes
police
stops

It's a nice face. (Good!)
This office is close (the first time I heard 'closed') to the police station.

Now after reading the transcript:

1st

"Stove" and "move" need a stronger "v".

2nd

"Leaf" and "half" need a stronger "f".

3rd

"These" first time needs a stronger "th".

At the end of the sentence "it" needs to be stronger "when it rains".

4th

"close" needs more practice.

Overall it was good but with an accent. My wife will listen sometime soon.


Scott

Originally Posted by iCake

Hello again. I've been working on some sounds lately so I'd like it if you provided feedback on how I did. I won't hold it back I tried to immitate certain consonants mostly but the whole thing is made of sounds that I've already gone through. So I'd mostly like to hear a general opinion about the recordings. And, of course, the full transcription would be given to save your time. Here we go:

the first recording
the first recording's transcription


the second recording
the second recording's transcription


the third recording
the third recording's transcription


the fourth recording
the fourth recording's transcription

Thanks for the reply. These V/F cognates, damn, I've been practicing them for all that time I was silent, because I really felt that I pronounced them horribly. Yet I didn't get the hang of these sounds. I suppose I have to get back to them now. It's just like they drive me insane, flip my lid, especially this unvoiced F. Damn, it's like I've just been hitting my head against the wall for all that time without getting anything but big swollen bruises. Heh, let me stop deluding myself, I have to get back to everything

Since there are not many people to listen to my stuff, I think, I'm not going to post here as often as I used to be. Now it would be like one for a week or around this time. Great thanks to who really did give me feedback on my pronunciation. I really appreciate that.

It's very difficult to do this way, need to talk in person, face to face to be able to help properly.

Originally Posted by Seraph

It's very difficult to do this way, need to talk in person, face to face to be able to help properly.

The thing is I wouldn't have created this thread if I'd had someone to talk and check my pronunciation in person. In fact, I don't want to inflict myself on someone with that boring constant pronunciation correction and everything. So I created this thread to put up short audio files for you to listen to and don't get bored or overwhelmed in the process.

Apparently it didn't work out the way I thought it would

Dude you're doing the right way, just give it a tad more enunciation, distinction between the sounds. Do it a little bit more snappy
Here's my version of this stuff: https://soundcloud.com/fox-29/elephant/s-fVGOt

iCake,
As far as I'm concerned, you can post audio as often as you like and I'll listen to it as often as I can. It's my pleasure to help.

Scott

Excellent!

Originally Posted by Medved

Dude you're doing the right way, just give it a tad more enunciation, distinction between the sounds. Do it a little bit more snappy
Here's my version of this stuff: https://soundcloud.com/fox-29/elephant/s-fVGOt

Originally Posted by Medved

Dude you're doing the right way, just give it a tad more enunciation, distinction between the sounds. Do it a little bit more snappy
Here's my version of this stuff: https://soundcloud.com/fox-29/elephant/s-fVGOt

Medved, it's strange, but I hear you say in this recording "five or a seven sleeves" and or a drive. Did yoy really pronounce in that way?

kib I said "or"-s because I didn't quite get what I was supposed to say so I thought it was "or" and no, no article in front of the "seven".
I just thought it up because it sounds pretty much like a hokku

It's me again with some new stuff. I've practiced lots of things so here we go again

Minimal pairs
Minimal pairs' transcribe

I tried to ease up the already learned AW vowel here so that it sounded more natural. Did I pull it off?

The AW vowel
The transcribe

I studied the brand new OY vowel. I think I'm a bit off with it but let's see what you think, shall we?

OY sentence
OY sentence transcribe

OY words
OY words transcribe

This one I think is what I have most troubles with. Let's see what you say about that.

UR words
UR words transcribe

UR sentence pronounced one way
The same UR sentence pronounced another way
Ur sentence transcribed

For the word "first" add some more "r" sound otherwise except for the second "ur" sentence all was very good!

Scott

Originally Posted by iCake

It's me again with some new stuff. I've practiced lots of things so here we go again

Minimal pairs
Minimal pairs' transcribe

I tried to ease up the already learned AW vowel here so that it sounded more natural. Did I pull it off?

The AW vowel
The transcribe

I studied the brand new OY vowel. I think I'm a bit off with it but let's see what you think, shall we?

OY sentence
OY sentence transcribe

OY words
OY words transcribe

This one I think is what I have most troubles with. Let's see what you say about that.

UR words
UR words transcribe

UR sentence pronounced one way
The same UR sentence pronounced another way
Ur sentence transcribed

All were comprehensible. I think you're doing great.

Apart from quite a few words there is also a brutal difference in pronouncing some words and sounds. Here is an explanation by an Australian girl:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxcVpUWXHnw (oh know the bbcode is broken!)


I definitely prefer American English over Indian English. Some Indians receiving training. But the teacher is useless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEKmZ...69C26485F12CDD

Everything sounded really great! The OY didn't sound off at all. Your UR words also sounded good; girl, bird and burn need just a bit of fine tuning. If I understand correctly about soft consonants (thanks again for your help, by the way) it almost sounds like soft G and B on those words. I don't know if that helps or if it's the right way to explain it. But what you were practicing, the UR sound, was done very well. Really good job!

Oh, and on that video: a few of her pronunciations were a "general American accent", but most were more of either a doped up California surfer or a bad Southern accent. And I have never heard anyone say renaissance that way, if that is indeed what she said. I know it was done for laughs, but that is not really what a "general American" sounds like.

Originally Posted by coco

Your UR words also sounded good; girl, bird and burn need just a bit of fine tuning. If I understand correctly about soft consonants (thanks again for your help, by the way) it almost sounds like soft G and B on those words. I don't know if that helps or if it's the right way to explain it.

It helps A LOT. I think you just might be right, these soft consonants just entrenched themselves so deeply in me so sometimes they all go out. I wish I could help it

Thaks you all guys. Point taken and more work is to be done

I also have a good quality mic if you ever need anyone to record words.