Having clear pronunciation is an incredibly important factor in communicating with others successfully, but getting it wrong it can make a situation awkward or embarrassing, and stops us from wanting to practice. Read our tips below to help you practice pronunciation from the comfort of your own home and build up your confidence.
Use a mirror and the BBC Pronunciation Videos
Pronunciation is a very physical activity, and it’s important to pay attention to the shape of your mouth in order to create the right sounds. Use a clear video, like those on the BBC Learning English website, and a mirror to help you make some of the more challenging sounds. ↓
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/pronunciation
Record yourself
Although it might feel a little strange at first, recording yourself is one of the best ways to really understand what you need to improve about your pronunciation. Try repeating a phrase from a film or TV series and then listen back and compare with how the actor sounds. You could even record yourself using video to help you analyse your mouth shapes too.
Talk to Siri
Many of us have a digital assistant, perhaps Siri, Alexa or Google, which can tell us all sorts of information in seconds. But did you know that these clever systems can also help you with your pronunciation? Make sure that you have the language setting to English, and try to have a conversation. You could write down some phrases with sounds that you find particularly challenging and then check that your digital assistant can understand you when you say them.
Sing
Singing is not just good for your mood, but good for you language too. Watch a music video which has the song lyrics included. Listen a couple of times to get familiar with it, then try to sing along in a similar style to the original artist. Pause and repeat as many times as you need to.