Hello dear learners, I already wrote an answer for this which I, again, write it here in the same manner.The very question is how to speak in American accent:-Any language accent can be learnt by practice. Well you asked, "how can I speak English in American accent?", I suggest you to go in depth phonetics of American English. Once you learnt the accent, and practise in it, then , I am pretty sure that you would speak like an American.
For example:
Consider the following words and take their pronunciation into account in comparison with the British and American accents.1. Ladder
American accent: 'r' is always pronounced -- Ladder
British accent: 'r' is not pronounced when it is followed by a vowel sound -- Ladde(r)
In British English 'r' is pronounced only before a vowel sound. As in 'red'.2. Writer
American accent : when 't' comes between vowel sounds , it is pronounced as 'd'---- writer is pronounced as 'rider'.
British accent : 't' in such case remains the same --- 'writer'3. Get
American English : past participle of get is 'gotten'.
British English: past participle of get is 'got'.In American English, some prepositions are used differently as:
Stay at home ---- British English
Stay home--------- American English.In American English (informal) , the adverb ending in 'ly' is often not used.
He looked at me really strangely ----- British English
He looked at me really strange-------- American English'Shall' is not used instead of 'will' in American English for the first person singular number, future tense.I shall(will) be there . ------- British English
I will be there. ------------------ American English
Should ( not shall ) I be here. -------- American EnglishIrregular verbsPast simple and past participle of verbs ending with 't' is replaced by 'ed':
They burnt (burned) the house. ------ British English
They burned the house. ----------------- American English.
A spoilt child.--------------------------------- British English
A spoiled child. ----------------------------- American EnglishConjunction like 'and' is not often used.Go and take a look. -------------------- British English
Go take a look. -------------------------- American EnglishWell, watch movies and observe the way the Americans speak and learn it. In a month or two on practising, you would start speaking American accent.For further study in phonetics, study An Outline Of English Phonetics by Daniel Jones.
I hope the above would help you and a little practice would make you speak like Americans.
#1. Accept That English Is a Weird LanguageSometimes you can find patterns in English grammar, but other times English doesn’t make sense at all. For example, why are read (reed) and read (red) the same word, but pronounced differently depending on whether you’re speaking in the past or present tense? Or why is “mice” the plural of “mouse”, but “houses” is the plural of “house”?Unfortunately, there are just as many exceptions as there are rules in English. It’s easy to get stuck on learning how to speak English properly, if you try to find a reason for everything. Sometimes English is weird and unexplainable, so instead the best thing to do is just memorize the strange exceptions and move on.Related post top 7 frree and paiid English speaking courrses: Top 7 English speaking courses#2. Dive into the Deep EndStudying English for an hour once a week isn’t usually enough to make any real progress. The best way to quickly improve your English is to spend at least a few minutes practicing every day. Immerse yourself as much as possible every time you study, and challenge yourself to listen to, read, and even say things in English that you think might be too difficult for you. If you want to speak English fluently, you need to make it an essential part of your everyday life.
#3. Stop Being a StudentThe right attitude can make the difference between failure and success. Stop thinking of yourself as someone who is learning English, and start thinking of yourself as someone who speaks English. It’s a small change, but it will make you feel more confident and help you to use the English you already know more effectively.This also means you need to start thinking in English. If you want to say the word “apple” in English, for example, right now you probably think of the word in your native language first, and then try to think of the correct word in English. Instead, try imagining a picture of an apple, and then just think the English word “apple”. Real fluency happens when you stop mentally translating conversations.#4. Get More out of ListeningWhen most students listen to a native English-speaker, they focus on understanding what all the words mean. This is definitely important, but there is a lot more you can learn from listening. Try listening not just to what the words mean, but to how the person says them. Notice which words the person links together in a sentence, or when they say “ya” instead of “you.” Try to remember these details the next time you speak and your English will begin to sound more natural.Easier said than done, right? When you listen to native English speakers, it can be hard to understand every single word that is spoken. They might use many words you don’t know, talk too fast or have a strong accent.
#5. Learn and Study PhrasesSpeaking English fluently means being able to express your thoughts, feelings and ideas. Your goal is to speak English in full sentences, so why not learn it in full sentences? You’ll find that English is more useful in your everyday life if you study whole phrases, rather than just vocabulary and verbs. Start by thinking about phrases that you use frequently in your native language, and then learn how to say them in English.#6. Don’t Study Grammar Too MuchThe key to learning a language is finding a balance between studying and practicing. Speaking English fluently isn’t the same as knowing perfect English grammar – even native English-speakers make grammar mistakes! Fluency is about being able to communicate. That’s why sometimes it’s important to put the grammar textbook away, so you can go out and practice those writing, reading, listening and speaking skills in the real world.
It’s natural that your native language and the way you learned English has influenced your English pronunciation. Why? Well, you, most likely, learned English from non-native English speakers and if they spoke English with an accent then that was your role model. Another contributing factor is that when you learned English you made associations between how to pronounce a word based on its spelling. This can result in mispronunciations because English is not a phonetically based language.I agree with many of the other participants who have responded to your question. Imitation is the key to acquiring a different accent. There’s no magic wand here. Our speech is governed by habits and the only way to change that habit is to practice a different one. It can help, however, to have an expert provide some guidance on which sounds you need to practice.Why practice all of the sounds of English if you don’t need to? That’s a waste of your time and resources. If you’re proficient in English and have been speaking it for a while you’d probably be surprised how many sounds you do say correctly or are emerging as habitual.
Research has shown that people who speak English as a second language tend to exhibit error “patterns” that are common among others who share their native language. For example, native Spanish speakers tend to insert a vowel (epenthesis) prior to s-blends (as in the words “school” and “speak”). They also, along with most non-native English speakers, tend to produce final voiced consonants as unvoiced or voiceless consonants. This might result in the word “dog” sounding like “dock” or “bag” sounding like “back”. You might not easily identify this error pattern if your primary practice approach relies only on the imitation of reality show actors (their speech - not their behavior…:).So. What’s the best way to modify your accent? Well, naturally, I’m going to recommend you, first, consider hiring the services of a Certified Accent Reduction consultant (Best American Accent Training) who will thoroughly evaluate your speech producing a Personal Phonetic Analysis. Then create a custom program to address only those target sounds you need to work on in order to streamline your practice.Another option is to go the self-study route but choose one that is based on your native language (remember my earlier comment about not wasting your time working on sounds that don’t represent error patterns in your native language?) and provides you with life-time online access (Accent Reduction Training Programs For Professionals).
Assimilation, Intrusion and Elisionare features of connected speech and when it comes to speaking English like a North American they are necessary to learn. These features will help your English to flow smoothly and sound natural.Assimilation is when the sound at the end of a word changes to make it easier to link it to the next word.Example:“Don’t you just love the food here?” sounds like “Doncha just love the food here?”Intrusion is when a new sound “intrudes” in between two existing sounds. The ounds that are more likely to do this are /j/ /w/ and /r/.Example:“He asked me to do it” sounds like “Heyasked me to do it”Elision is where a sound is taken away in the middle of two existing sounds. Usually this is with a /t/ or a /d/ sound.Example:“She lives Next door” sounds like “She lives Nexdoor”
Feeling confused or want more information on this topic?
For example:
Consider the following words and take their pronunciation into account in comparison with the British and American accents.
American accent: 'r' is always pronounced -- Ladder
British accent: 'r' is not pronounced when it is followed by a vowel sound -- Ladde(r)
In British English 'r' is pronounced only before a vowel sound. As in 'red'.
American accent : when 't' comes between vowel sounds , it is pronounced as 'd'---- writer is pronounced as 'rider'.
British accent : 't' in such case remains the same --- 'writer'
American English : past participle of get is 'gotten'.
British English: past participle of get is 'got'.
Stay at home ---- British English
Stay home--------- American English.
He looked at me really strangely ----- British English
He looked at me really strange-------- American English
I will be there. ------------------ American English
Should ( not shall ) I be here. -------- American English
They burnt (burned) the house. ------ British English
They burned the house. ----------------- American English.
A spoilt child.--------------------------------- British English
A spoiled child. ----------------------------- American English
Go take a look. -------------------------- American English
I hope the above would help you and a little practice would make you speak like Americans.
THE NORTH AMERICAN R – “ERRRR”
Mastering the letter R in North American spoken English is very important. Lots of learners can feel frustrated because the R doesn’t sound like anything in their native language. To add to the confusion, the R can be said differently throughout the USA, depending on where you live. This tip is the most common way to use the R with a North American English accent.First it is important to be aware of R colored vowels.Example:Word sounds like Werrd, rather than pronounced with an O soundWorld sounds like Werrld, rather than pronounced with an OR sound Second remember that an R at the end of a word will usually be pronouncd strongly in North American English. Just as Gabby said “get out your Pirate hooks”, be prepared as the North American R really does sound like a Pirates “ERrrr”. Example:“I parked my car over there” will sound like “I parked my caERR over thERR”
USE AMERICAN PHRASES
This is an easy way to sound like a North American English speaker. In real day-to-day conversation you will speak differently with close friends or family, then when speaking to a Boss or Police Officer. When speaking with friends our language is more casual, playful and relaxed. Add a couple of North American phrases to your speech to help you sound more like a native English speaker. Example:Instead of “How are you today John?”, try “What’s up John?”Instead of “John, your sweater is very nice”, try “John that sweater is awesome”Instead of “John, you look good tonight”, try “John, you are looking sharp my friend”
SPEAK LOUDER
North American English speakers are known for speaking louder. It is a language with a lot of action (more about verbs in the next tip) and has the volume to match the movement. It is a language that sounds confident and bold, and so speaking this way will take time and practice. When practicing, it may help to pretend to be an Actor and imagine feeling confident and bold, and then try speaking louder. There is an expression in America “fake it until you make it”. Pretending confidence when practicing will eventually lead to feeling more confident in everyday conversations. Confidence is critical to speaking a little louder and thereby sound more North American.
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