Wadjasay? American English Pronunciation Practice

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! In this lesson we'll practice the difference between /s/ and /sh/ sounds as in "sip" compared to "ship", and the final sounds /k/ and /g/ as in "luck" and "lug". Part One:  /s/ vs. /sh/ 1) see --she 2) seat -- sheet 3) sock--shock 4) save--shave 5) gas--gash 6) singl...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Reminder: Read the text below for comprehension. Then put it away and LISTEN to the podcast. Give your eyes a rest and exercise your ears. Do you know the expression "To go down the drain"? Literally it's what happens when you go to the sink and pour something down the drain. The hole at the bott...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! This episode is an experiment. I'm not going to provide any text. Like a baby learning its first language, I just want you to listen and play with what you hear. Above all, remember that babies don't waste a second worrying about pronunciation, grammar, or any other grown-up stuff. They just listen an...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! In this lesson we will practice two more vowel sounds. First /ʊ/, the sound in words like  good stood book And then the sound /u:/ in words like moon boot soon Part One : Listen to the following sentences with the  /ʊ/ sound: That’s a good cookbook . I would like to buy a wool jacket. Take a look at this hook ....

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! This lesson is the first in a series on American English vowel sounds. It is primarily intended for Spanish speakers but won't harm anyone else. I promise! Today's sounds are the [i] sound in fit, sit, or bit, and the [ee] sound in feet, seat, and beat. Part One : Let's start with a few sentences...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!  In this podcast we'll practice with the "th" sounds in English. This is the sound you hear in the word "the" and the word "think". The "th" in "the" is voiced which means your vocal cords vibrate when you make the sound. In "think" the "th&q...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! If you are a native speaker of French and have studied English, then you have probably run into the /h/ problem. This sound, which Americans make when we say "Hello" and "How are you" and "Ha ha ha", does not exist in French. This makes two problems for French speakers. 1)  Problem...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! This podcast was originally recorded in May of 2021. I’ve updated it and made it more than three times longer. (May, 2024) Hope you enjoy the new and improved version. All the regular verbs below that end in “ed” (simple past tense) are pronounced with a “d” sound at the end. So for example: Advised — [uhd-VEYZ...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! 'R' is everywhere. And, unfortunately, the 'R' sound in American English is different from the equivalent sound in French, Spanish, German and for all I know, every other language. So here is a quick conversation to help you practice this tricky sound. Listen a few times first and then repea...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! In this podcast we'll look at some more verbs where the ‘-ed’ past tense ending is pronounced ’t’. Please see the transcript for a list of the sentences. Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Support the show Email me:  swift.water3883@fastmail.com You...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Sometimes the "ed" at the end of a verb, used to indicate past tense, is pronounced with a "t" sound. To make it worse, in words like "looked" you get the combo: k+t. Try to find that in Spanish. He tricked his brother. She liked his t-shirt. We talked for hours. They worked from s...

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! A quick intro to the Wadjasay Podcast. Sample sentences in this podcast are: Slow version:  "Sorry, I am in a noisy room. What did you say?" Fast version (more or less):  "Sorry, I'm inna noisy room. Wadja say?" Link to my Telegram account for notifications of lessons on Tandem. Intro &...