American English pronunciation articles

Guides to hearing and pronouncing American English, with real success stories, word pairs to practice, and simple ways to train your ear.

• Can Adults Lose Their Accent? Lessons from 5 Success Stories

  What a famous research case and four YouTubers can teach you about losing a foreign accent.

• Cop vs cup: the American /ɑ/ and /ʌ/ vowels

  Why “hot” and “hut” sound alike to many learners, and what your jaw should do.

• Bad vs bed: the American /æ/ and /ɛ/ vowels

  How to hear the difference between “man” and “men”, and stop guessing.

• Pull vs pool: the American /ʊ/ and /u/ vowels

  Why “full” and “fool” are different sounds, not just short and long versions.