"Beet" or "Bit"? "Eat" or "It"? — How to Teach the Difference
A tutor once told us about a lesson in which a Korean student was talking about a trip to New...
- Pronunciation
Pronunciation
Featured Articles
R or L? 3 Easy Ways to Teach Students the Difference
It’s common knowledge that many East Asian learners confuse their R’s and L’s. The usual explanation is that these sounds...
- Pronunciation
Do Students Really Need a Native Accent? 🤔
Ironically, the English language does not belong to the English anymore … and no, it doesn’t belong to the Americans...
- Pronunciation
How Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese Brains Perceive Word Stress
As you’ve probably noticed, many of our students have a hard time mastering word stress. Some linguists even call this...
- Curiosity
- Pronunciation
Are You Correcting These Pronunciation Mistakes? 🗣️ Part III: Nuclear Stress
It’s common knowledge that we should pause when speaking. However, if you listen closely to any conversation, you’ll notice that...
- Pronunciation
Are You Correcting These Pronunciation Mistakes? 🗣️ Part II: Chunking
Take a look at these three bars of chocolate. Which one looks easier to eat? You probably replied, “the one...
- Pronunciation
Are You Correcting These Pronunciation Mistakes? 🗣️ Part I: Vowels & Consonants
Pronunciation is the greatest cause of miscommunication, so we definitely want to help students work on it. However, there are...
- Pronunciation
Common Pronunciation Mistakes Japanese Students Make
A student's native language can have a big impact on the things they find easy or difficult when learning a...
- Online Tutoring
- Pronunciation
R or L? 3 Easy Ways to Teach Students the Difference
It’s common knowledge that many East Asian learners confuse their R’s and L’s. The usual explanation is that these sounds...
- Pronunciation
English Pronunciation: Why Your Students Find It Hard And How You Can Help
Why is it that even after years of study, many English learners still struggle with pronunciation? Today, we’ll explore what...
- Pronunciation
Why “Repeat After Me” Doesn't Improve Pronunciation
You’re reading out some expressions for the student to repeat after you. In your opinion, which of the following is...
- Pronunciation
What a Viral Tweet Can Teach Us About English Pronunciation
Last year, a tweet from Japan went viral. It featured a picture of a piece of paper that had English...
- Beginners & Kids
- Pronunciation
Backchaining: How to Get Difficult Words to "Roll off the Tongue"
Have you ever started singing a song and gotten stuck after the first few lines? Or maybe you can remember...
- Pronunciation
Teaching Word Stress? Focus on These Two Principles
When teaching our students about word stress, it’s easy to think about all the rules and feel overwhelmed. Luckily, there...
- Pronunciation
How Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese Brains Perceive Word Stress
As you’ve probably noticed, many of our students have a hard time mastering word stress. Some linguists even call this...
- Curiosity
- Pronunciation
Loanwords and Romanization: Lesser-Known Culprits Behind Persistent Pronunciation Issues
When I worked as an English teacher in France, the school principal was someone called “Monsieur Lelong.” Can you guess...
- Pronunciation
Sloppy Pronunciations That Became Standard English
Have you ever wondered why “Wednesday” is pronounced “wensday” and “comfortable” “comfterble”? Or why Gloucester, Worcester, and Leicester (names of...
- Curiosity
- Pronunciation