Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: Here Today, let’s look at a two words that are often hard to hear: can and can’t First is can. Can is unstressed and the sound is more like kin. And the stress is on the verb after can: I kin TAKE it She kin DO it We kin GO …
986 – Liaison Shadowing: Whaddaya Think? – Speak Naturally in a Minute | Happy English
Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: Here FAQ Question: How is what are you usually pronounced in American English. Answer: I everyday English conversation, what do you and what are you often sound exactly the same: whaddaya. You need to join my for all of the transcripts, live group lessons, and more. Enjoyed this lesson? Get …
981 – Stretching Words – Speak Naturally in a Minute | Happy English
Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: Here Today, let’s talk about something fun in American English: Stretching words to show emotion or emphasis. In natural spoken English, we often lengthen the vowel sound in a stressed word. We do this to show feeling – like surprise, excitement, or strong emotion. Like, That movie was sooooo good. …
976 – Wonder vs. Wander – Speak Naturally in a Minute | Happy English
Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: Here Today, let’s look at a pair of words that sound very similar, but mean very different things: wonder and wander. First, wonder. The vowel sound here is a short, relaxed uh sound – also known as the schwa. The one in wonder is like the number one. One wonder. …
972 – Why Americans Don’t Say the T in Winter
Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: Here Today, let’s talk about something fun in American English: Why “winter” and “winner” often sound exactly the same. This happens because of a sound change called the N-flap. When N + T comes between two vowel sounds, the T often disappears or becomes a soft flap – something like …
967 – OR Sounds Like ER – Speak Naturally in a Minute | Happy English
Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: Here One of the biggest pronunciation secrets in American English is how we reduce the sound “or.” In everyday conversation, “or” often becomes a quick, relaxed “er.” Do you want tea er coffee Should we meet today er tomorrow? Is your answer, yes er no? This small reduction keeps the …
963 – Shadowing – Speak Naturally in a Minute | Happy English
Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: Here Since this is the first lesson of this series in the new year, let’s try something different today. Now, I want to practice with you. Today’s tip is shadowing – one of the fastest ways to improve your American English pronunciation. Shadowing means listening to a native speaker and …
959 – The Tiny Y – Speak Naturally in a Minute | Happy English
Now, in everyday spoken American English, when a word ends with an “ee” sound and the next word starts with a vowel sound, we often connect those sounds with a very small, quick Y sound. I call this the tiny Y. Like, see it. We don’t stop the sound, and in one breath we say, see-yit. It’s not see. it. …
954 – The Tiny W – Speak Naturally in a Minute | Happy English
Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: Here Now, in everyday spoken American English, we often connect vowel sounds with a very small, quick W sound. I call this the tiny W. The tiny W happens when when one word ends with an “oo” sound and the next word begins with a vowel sound. Like, do it. …
950 – Stress Shift With Do and Did – Speak Naturally in a Minute | Happy English
Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: Here Sometimes, in everyday spoken American English, we use stress, to show meaning. That means saying certain words louder or stronger to give emphasis in a sentence. A great example of this is when we use do or did for emphasis. FAQ Question: How to we use do or did …