Want To Sound More Like An American? Master This Skill

If English is not your first language, then you realize your listeners can hear differences in your spoken English.  Those differences may be numerous, including differences in speaking rate, pronunciation, grammar and stressing/intonation, just to name a few.  

Many people think that by just improving their pronunciation, they will sound more American.  While this is obviously one important skill you definitely want to improve, here is another one that you will want to master. Every language has its own melody, and English is no different.  The American English melody consists of an up and down "song" that native speakers expect to hear when others speak American English.  Our pitch goes up when we say an important word and stays lower when we say unimportant words.  If you are not a native American English speaker, your "song" or melody may be different. Believe it or not, this can have a huge effect on how well Americans process and understand your speech.  

​By using the same up and down melody that native American English speakers use, your spoken English will sound more natural.  Listen to how other people speak and imitate their melody.  Read aloud, and practice.  Record your speech so that you can hear how you sound as compared to American speakers.  Soon, you'll be "singing" like an American!