Wadjasay? American English Pronunciation Practice

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! The verb “see” has many collocations. This podcast will introduce you to some of them. Let’s begin. Verb + See: 1) I could see the soldiers coming out of the woods. 2) We went to see the play “Hamlet” yesterday. I love Shakespeare’s plays! 3) We went to South Africa last year and I got to see lots of wild anima...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! There are many collocations with the word “heavy”. For example, if one team is very likely to win the football World Cup, you could say “Brazil is the heavy favorite to win tomorrow’s match.” Let’s practice: 1) After walking for three hours my backpack began to feel very heavy . 2) My grandson is getting too he...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Collocations are words that commonly go together. Using them makes you sound more like a native speaker. For example, a person might say: “That coffee is really strong!” The words “coffee” and “strong” are often used together. But a native speaker would never say: “That coffee is really powerful!” The words “co...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! 1. Too much exposure to ultraviolet light is bad for your skin. 2. That meal was very unappetizing. 3. He was deliriously happy after winning the lottery. 4. My uncle was a theoretical physicist. 5. Tuberculosis is a terrible disease. 6. I have cousins who live in Scandinavia. 7. Schizophrenia is a mental illne...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!   1. My idea was rejected for being too risky.  2. Lightning struck a tree and set it on fire.  3. I’m not crazy about the American ‘R’ sound but it’s everywhere.  4. My dog ran after a car yesterday.  5. This is a sentence without any ‘R’ sounds. Well, almost.  6. My reward for working for so many hours? A hea...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! 1. I want some earthworms for my birthday. 2. There are three thieves in my bathroom. 3. My brother has a theory about everything. 4. He put toothpaste on a feather and brushed his teeth. 5. Mother’s panther loves the bathtub. 6. There are three thousand therapists in New York City. 7. Would you prefer somethin...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Minimal pairs with /s/ and /z/. /S/ is unvoiced (no vibration in the vocal cords). /Z/ is voiced (the vocal cords are vibrating). Listen:  ssssssssssssssssss Now listen to /z/: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz 1) Ace — As I have the ace of spades. There are two letter ‘As’ in the word ‘algebra’. 2) dice — dies He threw his dice...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! 1) Oops. Wait a minute. I have to tie my shoelaces . 2) I did some backbreaking work yesterday. Now I have a terrible backache . 3) Some kinds of seaweed are edible. 4) Arizona is running low on groundwater . 5) This applesauce is delicious. Is it homemade ? 6) The police put handcuffs on the burglar. 7)  I nee...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! "We had a plain, simple, unpretending, good hotel, in Baden-Baden—the Hôtel de France—and alongside my room I had a giggling, cackling, chattering family who always went to bed just two hours after me and always got up two hours ahead of me. But this is common in German hotels; the people generally go to b...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! This podcast is about the song: "Wreck of the Old 97". On September 27, 1903, there was a terrible train wreck. The story was turned into a famous train song, and the recording by Vernon Dalhart was the first to sell one million copies in the US. Here's a link to a YouTube video which tells the s...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Here are some more quotes from Mark Twain: 1) Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising. 2) Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. 3) Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! 1) Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first. 2) Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. 3) There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The firs...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Mark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. He is one of my favorite authors and said and wrote many things which we still quote. Here are ten quotes to enjoy while practicing your pronunciation. https://time.com/5313628/mark-twain-real-name/ 1) It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the s...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! She offered scholarships to the most  talented students for their outstanding achievements. The architect sketched a beautiful blueprint for the school's new addition. The artist used a delicate brush to create intricate details in the portrait. The athlete's performance was exceptional earning her a...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! In this podcast I do a deep dive into my pronunciation of two sentences: "The front of the truck was crushed," and "What does Gus want from us?" Happy listening! Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show Email me:  swift.wate...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Noun phrases: 1. I recommend the Italian restaurant down the street. 2. My dentist advises regular brushing and flossing . 3. She suggested several new podcasts from the BBC. 4. The teacher recommended books about the history of Spain. 5. The doctor advised me to get more exercise. 6. My friends recommended a t...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! I’d like to begin this podcast by thanking Teri Kanefield for permission to use an excerpt from her most recent blog. Teri is an author, attorney, and all-around talented and valuable person. You can learn more about her on her website .  I’ll read a paragraph from her blog four times. Then I’ll divide it into...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! This is the sentence we'll practice in this podcast: What do you think about artificial intelligence? Here's the link to the mp3 loop on Telegram. Listen to the loop for 20-30 minutes daily for a week. As you get to day four or five, or whenever you are confident that you are pronouncing correctly, st...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! In this podcast you’ll practice with sentences about Venus. This info comes from the NASA website. To read more, see the link at the end of the notes. First Heather will read the text slowly. Then I’ll read at regular speed, followed by practice listening and repeating. At the end of the podcast, Heather will r...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! In this podcast you'll practice listening, repeating and memorizing this sentence: Winston is alway asking me for advice. Enjoy! Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show Email me:  swift.water3883@fastmail.com You can now support my podcas...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Here’s some information about Mercury from the NASA website. If you’d like to learn more about Mercury, please visit the Mercury page linked at the end of these notes. The smallest planet in our solar system and nearest to the Sun, Mercury is only slightly larger than Earth's Moon. From the surface of Merc...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Practice with “th” sounds. First conversation: 1. I went to a therapist on my birthday. 2. —Why? That seems like a terrible thing to do. 3. My toothbrush threatened me. 4. —What did your therapist say? 5. He told me to think scary thoughts at the toothbrush. 6. —And that worked? 7. I think so. It hasn’t threate...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Here’s a podcast about deciding what to have for dinner. I’m joined by my older daughter, Heather, as Person 1. Person 1: “Any ideas for dinner tonight?" Person 2: “Anything as long as I don’t have to cook it.” Person 1: "How about pizza? I can order from the Pizza Palace.” Person 2: "Pizza sound...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! From the US Geological Survey website, some info about coastal erosion: Intense storms and higher seas create more winds, waves, and floods, leading to increased coastal erosion. Hurricanes can wash away sandy barrier islands, leaving coastlines and islands unprotected from storm surge. Waves and winds can carr...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! From the United States Geological Survey website: Warmer temperatures mean less ice. As ice melts, it releases huge amounts of water previously stored in sea ice and glaciers into the world’s oceans. Warmer water is also “bigger” -- water increases in volume as temperatures rise. Combined, these factors cause g...