Tiffany's Top 10 Pronunciation Tips PDF Workbook

English Pronunciation
Practice Assignments
Tiffany's Top 10 Pronunciation Tips
Quickly improve your English accent!
Stress important words and syllables

stress Spend time on stressed vowels
Reduce unstressed vowels to schwa
Pause between phrases

rhythm
Link words within phrases
Mumble to keep the beat
Exaggerate pitch changes

melody Make statements rise-fall
Make Yes/No questions fall-rise
Make Wh- questions rise-fall
www.rightenglishcourse.com tiffany@rightenglishcourse.com
Page 2
Tip #1: STRESS the important words
How?
1. Find the most important word of the phrase
2. In that word, hold the primary vowel sound out MUCH longer than all
the other vowels in the phrase
For example, in the phrase, "She’s so nice,” the most important word is
‘nice’, so make the vowel sound longer and higher in pitch. She's so NICE."
In the phrase, "I can't believe it," the most important word is 'believe',
which is a 2-syllable word. Because the second syllable is the primary
syllable, lengthen the /ee/ sound and make it higher in pitch: beLIEVE.
Practice these two phrases 10 times daily:
I can't beLIEVE it."

She's so NICE."
Page 3 | Tip 1
Tip #2: Spend time on stressed vowels
Why?
Some languages are more syllable-timed. This means that those
speakers spend about the same amount of time on the vowel sound of
each syllable. English is VERY different. It is a more STRESS-timed
language, so the vowels in the stressed syllable must be held out longer
than the vowels in unstressed syllables.
How?
1. Hold out the stressed vowel super long
2. While you do that, make the pitch of your voice rise and fall
**Note: Most people feel really strange doing this, but they sound great!
Practice these phrases five with even more length and pitch change.
I can't belieeeeeeeeeeve it."
She's so niiiiiiiiiiiiiiice."
Page 4 | Tip 2
More practice
Watch a movie scene in English. Write down five phrases you hear
and underline the stressed vowel in each phrase. Then practice
saying each phrase ten times, spending a lot of time on the stressed
vowels. This will train your “English brain” to add that stress.
Then watch the scene again, pausing after each phrase you practiced
to repeat. Try to mimic their intonation.
For example, you could watch a clip from the last scene of the movie
"When Harry Met Sally" and practice these phrases.
I LOVE you.
How about I'm LEAVing?
I KNOW you're feeling lonely.
And it's NOT because I'm LONEly.
I really HATE you.
Page 5 | Tip 2
Tip #3: Reduce unstressed vowels
to schwa
What is schwa?
Schwa is a short /uh/ sound. It is like the sound a person makes if they get
punched in the stomach. Any vowel letter can reduce to the schwa sound
in an unstressed syllable. It is the most common sound in English.
Why do I need to learn about schwa?

Native speakers change many unstressed vowels to the schwa sound. If
you don't expect the schwa, it can be very hard to understand native
English speakers. Using schwa will also help you speak more naturally.
An example of Schwa
The first syllable of the word 'believe' usually reduces to the schwa
sound and is pronounced: /buh/. Practice saying it ten times.
/buh-LEEV/
Practice this sentence ten times daily:
I can't /buh-LEEV/ it!

Page 6 | Tip 3
More Practice
The vowel in the first syllable of these 2-syllable verbs reduces to
the schwa sound. Practice reading these words five times every day.
control /cun-CHROL/
agree /uh-GREE/
observe /ub-ZERV/
succeed /suck-SEED/
detract /duh-CHRACT/
receive /ruh-SEEV/
compound /cum-POUND/
redeem /ruh-DEEM/
Page 7 | Tip 3
Tip #4: Pause between phrases
Why?
Do people ever ask you to repeat yourself when you speak English?
Does it seem like they have to concentrate very hard to understand
what you're saying? Pausing between phrases makes your English much
easier to understand. But do NOT pause between every word. That will
make your English more difficult to understand.
How?
1.Pause where you would see a punctuation mark in written English.
2.Pause at the end of grammatical phrases.
3.Make your pauses long enough. Silently count to 3 when pausing.
**Note: Most English learners do not pause long enough between phrases.
Practice these phrases with a 3-second pause between them 10 times.

Continue practicing long, stressed syllables and the schwa sound.
I can't believe it! (pause for 1...2...3...) She's so nice!
Re-read this document out loud. Pause for 1 second after each comma
and 3 seconds after each period, question mark, or exclamation mark.
Page 8 | Tip 4
Tip #5: Link words within phrases
Why?
Pausing only BETWEEN phrases while linking the words together
WITHIN each phrase will improve your fluency and your accent.
Understanding how native speakers link words together will also help
your listening comprehension.
How?
To link words together, say them as if they are one word, without any
pause between. There are four ways to link words together.
1. Link consonant and vowel sounds across words.
2. Link similar sounds across words.
3. Link vowel sounds across words with a small /w/ or /y/ sound.
4. Link consonant sounds across words when they blend together.
**Note: You'll practice #1 and #2 in this assignment using the phrase below.
Tiffany’s full online course has many more examples of all four types of linking.
I can't believe-it! She's-so nice.
Page 9 | Tip 5
Practice
Try linking consonant and vowel sounds across the words 'believe it'
by connecting the final /v/ sound in the word 'believe' to the vowel
sound that begins the word 'it'. Imagine the two words are one word.
believe it = /buh-LEE-vit/
Now try linking similar sounds across the next two words below.
If you don't pause, the /s/ sounds will naturally link together.
She's so = /she-so/
Practice both phrases, linking within each phrase, and pausing for 3
seconds between them. Don't forget about schwa and stressed vowels.
I-can't-believe-it! She's-so-nice.
More Practice
Read this paragraph out loud. What words sound like they are linked
together? Write the linked words as if they are one word. For example,
write: 'this paragraph' as /thisparagraph/. Then read the paragraph out
loud again, linking the words within each phrase.
Page 10 | Tip 5
Tip #6: Mumble to keep the beat
Why?
Much like a band uses a drummer to keep the beat, English uses
STRESS to keep the beat. But in order for the stressed syllables to keep
a steady beat, we must mumble the less important syllables so they fit
between the stressed syllables. This contrast between mumbling and
stress creates the rhythm of English!
How?
Mumbling is when you speak unclearly without opening your mouth very
much. Often the mumbled words are said quicker, quieter, and at a lower
pitch. Mumbled words and syllables are difficult to hear, which is good
because it allows the long, STRESSED syllables to stand out even more.
Native English speakers mumble a lot, which is one reason why it's
difficult to understand them.
**Note: Many students are skeptical of speaking unclearly when they want
their listener to understand, but give it a try! Stressing the right syllables and
mumbling the other syllables actually makes your English easier to understand.
Page 11 | Tip 6
Practice
Begin by clapping a steady beat at a walking pace. Don't speed up or slow
down your clapping. Continue clapping as you say the following sentence
with one word on each beat.
WE HAVE FUN.
The uppercase letters show the STRESSED syllables. Always say the
stressed syllables on the beat with your clap. Mumble the lowercase
words and syllables to make them fit between the beats. As you add
words, you'll have to mumble the unstressed words more quickly to keep
the stressed words on the beat.
WE are HAVing FUN.

Are WE still HAVing some FUN?
Yes, WE are HAVing the most FUN!
You may need to increase or decrease the speed of your clap. Repeat
these four sentences until you can say them confidently.
Page 12 | Tip 6
Tip #7: Exaggerate pitch changes
Why?
The melody of English requires a big range of intonation, which means
native speakers fluctuate between very high pitches and very low pitches
as they speak. If you don't change the pitch of your voice enough, you
might sound bored or even rude.
How?
1. For most phrases, raise the pitch of your voice very high on the
stressed syllable and then make it fall back down.
a.Statements usually have a rise-fall intonation
b.Wh- questions usually have a rise-fall intonation
2. For some phrases, make the pitch of your voice fall very low on the
stressed syllable and then rise back up.
a.Yes/No questions usually have a fall-rise intonation
**Note: It doesn't matter if you have a naturally low-pitched or high-pitched

voice. What matters is expanding the range BETWEEN your highest and
lowest pitches.
Page 13 | Tip 7
Practice
Say the following phrase five times. Each time you say it, try to make
your voice step up even higher in pitch on the stressed syllable. The
higher the pitch goes up, the more enthusiastic you sound.
I can't beLIEVE it! I can't beLIEVE it!
For More Practice:

Watch a video or listen to an audio recording of a native English
speaker. After listening to a short phrase, pause the video and try to
hum or sing the melody of that phrase without words. For example,
"I can't believe it!" could be, "la-la-la-LAAAAAAA-la".
Page 14 | Tip 7
Tip #8: Make statements rise and fall
Why?
There are patterns to the way native English speakers use intonation
(pitch change). Using the wrong intonation pattern can cause confusion.
Two Main Intonation Patterns

The two main patterns of intonation are: rise-fall and fall-rise. The most
common pattern is rise-fall, which you will practice in this assignment.
How?
Make the pitch of your voice take a big step up (rise) on the stressed
syllable and then fall back down in pitch until the end of the phrase.
If there is at least one syllable after the stressed syllable, your voice
should step down.
step
down
If the stressed syllable is the final syllable, your voice should slide down.
slide do
w
n
Page 15 | Tip 8
Practice
In the phrase, "I can't beLIEVE it!", the stressed syllable is NOT the final
syllable, so your voice should jump up to a very high pitch on the second
syllable of the word 'beLIEVE', and then step back down on the word 'it'.
I can't beLIEVE it!

In the phrase, "She's so NICE," the stressed syllable IS the final
syllable, so the pitch of your voice should both jump up and slide back
down on the vowel sound in the word 'NICE'.
She's so NICE.
Practice the intonation patterns of the phrases above 10 times each
without words. Just hum or sing the melody (e.g. la-la-la-LAAAAAA-la).
Then practice each of the phrases 10 more times with the words.
Page 16 | Tip 8
Tip #9: Make Yes/No questions fall and rise
Why?
How?
If you ask a question that could be answered with "Yes" or "No", the pitch
of your voice should take a big step down (fall) on the stressed syllable
and then rise back up in pitch until the end of the question. This is called
the fall-rise intonation pattern. If there is at least one syllable after the
stressed syllable, your voice should step back up.
up
step
If the stressed syllable is the final syllable, your voice should slide back up.
u
p
sli d e
Page 17 | Tip 9
Practice
In the yes/no question, "Can you beLIEVE it?", the stressed syllable is
NOT the final syllable, so your voice should jump down to a low pitch on
the word 'beLIEVE', and then step back up on the word 'it'.
Can you beLIEVE it?
In the yes/no question, "Is she NICE?", the stressed syllable IS the final
syllable, so the pitch of your voice should both jump down and slide back
up on the vowel sound in the word 'NICE'.
Is she NICE?
Practice the intonation patterns of the phrases above 10 times each

without words. Hum or sing the melody (e.g. la-la-la-LAAAAAA-la). Then
practice each of the phrases 10 more times with the words. The repetition
is important to teach your ear, brain, and tongue the music of English.
Page 18 | Tip 9
Tip #10: Make Wh- questions rise and fall
Why?
How?
For questions that start with a Wh- word, make the pitch of your voice
take a big step up (rise) on the stressed syllable and then fall back down
until the end of the question, just like the intonation pattern for
statements. If there is at least one syllable after the stressed syllable,
make your voice step down.
step
down
If the stressed syllable is the final syllable, make your voice slide down.
slide do
w
n
**Note: Many English learners have been mistakenly taught that ALL questions use a
fall-rise intonation pattern. BUT THAT IS NOT TRUE! Questions that start with Wh-
words--Who, What, When, Where, Why, How--usually have the same rise-fall
intonation pattern as statements.
Page 19 | Tip 10
Practice
In the question, "How can we beLIEVE it?", the stressed syllable is NOT
the final syllable, so your voice should jump up to a very high pitch on the
word 'beLIEVE', and then step back down on the word 'it'.
How can we beLIEVE it?

In the question, "Why is she being so NICE?", the stressed syllable IS the
final syllable, so the pitch of your voice should both jump up and slide
back down on the vowel sound in the word 'NICE'. Practice each of these
questions 10 times.
Why is she being so NICE?
More Practice
Write five Wh- questions (e.g. Who is ______? Where will _______?). Then
underline the stressed syllable in each question. Read the questions aloud,
making your voice rise on the stressed syllable and then fall back down.
Page 20 | Tip 10

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English Pronunciation

Stress important words and syllables

Pause between phrases

Exaggerate pitch changes

Practice these two phrases 10 times daily:

I can't beLIEVE it."

I can't belieeeeeeeeeeve it."

How about I'm LEAVing?

I KNOW you're feeling lonely.

And it's NOT because I'm LONEly.

I really HATE you.

Why do I need to learn about schwa?

I can't /buh-LEEV/ it!

Practice these phrases with a 3-second pause between them 10 times.

I can't believe it! (pause for 1...2...3...) She's so nice!

I can't believe-it! She's-so nice.

WE are HAVing FUN.

**Note: It doesn't matter if you have a naturally low-pitched or high-pitched

I can't beLIEVE it! I can't beLIEVE it!

For More Practice:

Two Main Intonation Patterns

I can't beLIEVE it!

Can you beLIEVE it?

Practice the intonation patterns of the phrases above 10 times each

How can we beLIEVE it?

Why is she being so NICE?

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Tiffany's Top 10 Pronunciation Tips PDF Workbook

Tiffany's Top 10 Pronunciation Tips PDF Workbook