American Accent Trick Placement
In this American English pronunciation video,
we’re going to focus on placement in American English.
Did you get a chance to look over those transcripts?
I did. Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.
No problem.
This video is a placement exercise, and it’s going to get a little weird.
The fun thing about this is we’re totally playing with language.
Yeah.
I mean like, this is cracking us up.
Absolutely, yeah!
But stick with me. Placement refers to where in your body the vibrations of your voice are happening.
Sometimes the difference in the sound of the voice is subtle, and sometimes more obvious.
I’m going to say a phrase with three different placements:
That’s so weird.
That’s so weird.
That’s so weird.
That’s so weird.
That’s so weird.
For American English, I always try to get my students to bring the resonance down.
Very low, very relaxed.
Uhhhh is the feeling of placement I want them to imitate.
Uhhh….
In this video, Tom and I are going to have a short conversation.
Then we’ll go back over it, phrase by phrase, and copy the intonation, but just on uh.
This seems silly,
but it is literally something we do with our students to bring the focus to placement.
When you take out the actual words, it’s easier to focus on placement
and other qualities of the voice.
Do it out loud with us.
The sound we’re using is the UH as in BUTTER vowel.
Everything in the mouth and face is relaxed.
Uhhh—uhhh.
First, the conversation.
Did you get a chance to look over those transcripts?
I did. Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.
No problem.
How long did it take?
About 10 hours altogether.
Okay, that’s not bad.
It was fine.
Now let’s break it down, phrase by phrase.
We’ll listen to each phrase, and repeat it back with the same placement and intonation,
but on the sound ‘uh’.
This first time through, just listen.
Did you get a chance to look over those transcripts?
Uhh uhh uhh uhh uhh?
I did. Uhh-uhh-
Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.
Uhh-uhh-uhh-uhh-
No problem. Uhh—
How long did it take? Uhh– uhhh– uhhh?
About 10 hours altogether. Uhh– uhhh– uhhh
Okay. Uhhh—
Okay, that’s not bad. Uhh— uhh—
It was fine. Uhh—
Now we’ll hear the conversation, phrase by phrase,
with the UH imitation three times.
Repeat the third time, just on UH.
Copying what you hear.
Think about everything in the face and neck being relaxed, and the placement low.
Maybe even put your hand here. Uhhh—
Did you get a chance to look over those transcripts?
Uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh?
I did.
Uhh- uhh- uhh
Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.
Uhh- uhh- uhh
No problem.
Uhh- uhh- uhh
How long did it take?
Uhh- uhh- uhh uhh- uhh?
About 10 hours altogether.
Uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh
Okay
Uhh–uhhh–
That’s not bad.
Uhh- uhh- uhh-
It was fine.
Uhh- uhh- uhh-
Now we’ll put the text back in.
But, to stay focused on the placement, we’re going to slow the speech down.
Did you get a chance to look over those transcripts?
Did you get a chance to look over those transcripts?
I did.
Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.
No problem.
How long did it take?
About 10 hours altogether.
Okay
That’s not bad.
It was fine.
We’re almost there. Now we’ll hear the UH phrase once a regular pace.
Repeat it at regular pace.
Then we’ll hear the phrase at regular pace, repeat it at regular pace.
Uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh?
Did you get a chance to look over those transcripts?
Uhh- uhh- uhh
I did.
Uhh- uhh- uhh
Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.
Uhh- uhh- uhh
No problem
Uhh- uhh- uhh uhh- uhh?
How long did it take?
Uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh- uhh
About 10 hours altogether.
Uhh- uhh
Okay.
Uhh- uhh- uhh-
That’s not bad.
Uhh- uhh- uhh-
It was fine.
Once you get the feel for this,
think about placement everytime you speak English.
It can truly transform your American accent.
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That’s it, and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.