{"id":19679,"date":"2020-10-02T16:37:35","date_gmt":"2020-10-02T20:37:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.pimsleur.com\/?p=19679"},"modified":"2026-03-13T11:23:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T15:23:44","slug":"improve-pronunciation-accent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/improve-pronunciation-accent\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to stop saying \u201cBon-Jer\u201d? How To Improve Your Pronunciation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-it-s-okay-to-have-an-accent\"><strong>It\u2019s <em>Okay <\/em>to Have an Accent<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a very specific feeling of shame I get when I say something in Portuguese to a Brazilian, and they can\u2019t understand me. I have even occasionally had someone say to me: <em>I don\u2019t understand you\u2026 can you say it in English?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These moments make you feel like curling up into a ball and giving up altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But don\u2019t. Take a deep breath.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then remember:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Having an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/where-do-accents-come-from\/\">accent<\/a> is normal; it\u2019s not a failure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re on a journey, and you\u2019re still learning.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can practice your pronunciation and get better at it.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, I want to help you contextualize what it means to have an accent so you\u2019re less worried about it. Then, I want to show you how to improve pronunciation in a foreign language and reach a point where native speakers can easily understand you.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s <em>okay <\/em>to have an accent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, I want to make it clear that <em>it\u2019s okay <\/em>to have an accent. <strong>You will <em>always <\/em>have an accent, even when you\u2019re fluent.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think of English: there are hundreds\u2014maybe thousands\u2014of accents. All of these are \u201ccorrect\u201d ways of speaking the language. A person from the Southern United States who speaks with a drawl is not speaking English any <em>better<\/em> or <em>worse<\/em> than someone with an Irish lilt or someone with a Glaswegian twang. Fluency in English has nothing to do with a person\u2019s accent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s the same with your second language. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-portuguese-european\/\">European Portuguese<\/a> differs from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-portuguese-brazilian\/\">Brazil<\/a>ian Portuguese, which differs from the Portuguese spoken in Mozambique. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-french\/\">French<\/a> from Quebec is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OAm6_GEpKZg\">much different<\/a> than that spoken in Senegal or any of the <a href=\"https:\/\/theculturetrip.com\/europe\/france\/articles\/essential-guide-frances-regional-accents\/\">twenty-or-so<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-french\/\">French<\/a> accents you\u2019ll find in France. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-spanish-spain-castilian\/\">Castilian Spanish<\/a> is quite different from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-spanish-latin-american\/\">Latin American Spanish<\/a> accents. And so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We <em>all <\/em>have an accent in English, and we <em>all <\/em>will<em> <\/em>have an accent in our second language. So right away, let\u2019s get away from the idea that there\u2019s a \u201ccorrect\u201d accent that you need to aim for in your second language.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-aim-for-good-enough\"><strong>Aim for \u201cgood enough.\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, you must pronounce your words close enough to how the listener <em><strong>expects them to sound<\/strong><\/em> if you want to be understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Languages exist to achieve a specific goal: to connect people and help them communicate. For communication to be successful, your language partner must decipher what you\u2019re saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do that, your pronunciation does not need to perfectly match any given accent, but it <em>does<\/em> have to be good enough for your partner to understand you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be hard, but that\u2019s not a reason to get discouraged and give up. Just like any other skill, pronunciation improves with regular practice. So, practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-7-strategies-on-how-to-improve-your-pronunciation-in-a-foreign-language\"><strong>7 Strategies on How to Improve Your Pronunciation in a Foreign Language<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-listen-to-native-speakers\"><strong>1. Listen to Native Speakers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the best ways to learn how to pronounce words in your second language is to <em>listen to the language. <\/em>A lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is, of course, why <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/the-pimsleur-method\/\">the Pimsleur method<\/a> has such an emphasis on audio. The native speaker audio clips help learners develop a <em>feeling<\/em> for the language&#8217;s pronunciation. Listening is essential for speaking well, especially if your second language has different sounds and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Phoneme\">phonemes<\/a> than your mother tongue.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Internet provides a wealth of great resources for those who want to complement your language and class materials. There are thousands of foreign language films and series on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/netflix-learn-french\/\">Netflix<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/scandipop-music-scandinavian-playlist\/\">music<\/a> on Spotify, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/top-youtube-channels-to-learn-spanish\/\">videos<\/a> on YouTube, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/education\/2015\/feb\/09\/top-podcasts-learning-language-german-japanese\">podcasts<\/a>. The options are endless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Try to search for listening resources that have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>High sound quality<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Articulate speech, which means that the speaker is not mumbling&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clear sound that is free of distracting background or ambient noise<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A speech rhythm appropriate for your level so that you can follow what is being said. If you\u2019re a beginner, you might need to slow down the audio slightly (which is easy to do on YouTube and Spotify)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Listening to natives will help you understand how words <em>should <\/em>sound and can help you better <em>imitate <\/em>them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-shadowing-nbsp\"><strong>2. Shadowing&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leonardoenglish.com\/blog\/what-is-shadowing\">Shadowing<\/a> is a powerful technique to improve your pronunciation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shadowing consists of listening to audio and repeating what you hear simultaneously. You are literally <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4CX8sws1MOU\">imitating the speaker<\/a> a split second after you hear them. Your voice becomes an echo\u2014a shadow\u2014of the voice you are listening to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through shadowing, you exercise your vocal muscles to articulate the words, and you train your ear to listen carefully to how things are said. It helps train our muscles and improve prosody (which is the \u201cmusicality\u201d of speech), rhythm, and even tones. Each of these is important to sound more like a native speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I like this technique because for many reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You can do it by yourself<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There\u2019s a <a href=\"https:\/\/eric.ed.gov\/?id=EJ951841\">bunch of research<\/a> to show that it <em>works<\/em>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It\u2019s free<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can do it anywhere you can listen to audio\u2014in the car, on the bus, while taking a walk\u2026 anywhere<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>So how do you do it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Find good-quality audio from a native speaker. Start with short clips, up to 2 minutes. The audio clips provided in Pimsleur lessons work great. You can also find a podcast or YouTube video in your target language.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Study the selected section carefully, making sure you understand the content. If you\u2019re a beginner, you can even find subtitles or transcribe the audio so that you can read along with the audio.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Imitate what you\u2019re hearing. Try to sound exactly like the speaker. You might choose to try the same clip a few times.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This activity is surprisingly difficult (and tiring!), but it is powerful. Try doing it for a few minutes weekly as part of your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/at-home-language-immersion-study\/\">home language learning immersion program<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-record-yourself-on-your-phone-and-play-it-back\"><strong>3. Record Yourself on Your Phone and Play it Back<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s difficult to focus on how we sound <em>as <\/em>we\u2019re talking, so listening to a recording of yourself speaking can help you notice your pronunciation. It\u2019s actually surprisingly effective for seeing the speaking habits we have\u2014and changing them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be uncomfortable at first (it\u2019s weird to talk to yourself and also to hear yourself speak another language!), but it works.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re struggling to think of things to say, try one of these ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Think of a situation (at a bakery, in the library, at a cafe) and have both sides of a conversation with the cashier, librarian, or barista.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pretend someone is interviewing you about your life and create a dialog answering the questions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Find reading materials and read out loud.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Then record yourself, listen to it, and notice where you\u2019re having trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other benefit of this method is that you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leonardoenglish.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-your-progress-in-english\">measure your language progress<\/a>. When you listen back to yourself in 3 or 6 months, you\u2019ll be able to see how much you\u2019ve improved.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-practice-individual-sounds\"><strong>4. Practice Individual Sounds<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the main strengths of the Pimsleur Method and a key to accurate pronunciation is the backward breakdown of new vocabulary, called \u201cback chaining.\u201d A native speaker pronounces the last syllable of a new word, the learner repeats it, and then the speaker continues, working&nbsp;<strong>backward<\/strong>&nbsp;from the end of the word to the beginning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Practicing individual sounds involves specific movements of the tongue, your lips, your teeth, and more. We\u2019re often not used to making our mouths move as we need to in our second language.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So practice them. This is great for building the physical aspects of speech and pronunciation. And you\u2019ll be able to feel it. While <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-french\/\">learning French<\/a>, I remember my mouth sometimes getting sore after long study sessions. That\u2019s a good sign because it means the muscles are developing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How you can practice the individual sounds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Observe how natives use their mouths for certain sounds and imitate them. Use a mirror to see how your mouth moves. Pay particular attention to your tongue and lips.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Watch videos on YouTube to learn individual sounds that you have trouble with (for example, this one on how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KwNXpMNsN98\">pronounce \u201cr\u201d in French<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep practicing. With time, you\u2019ll build the muscle memory you need to sound more like a native speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-conversation-with-native-speakers\"><strong>5. Conversation with Native Speakers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Take your practice to the next level by chatting with a native speaker. You can organize a meetup or have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/online-language-practice-partner\/\">conversation with a practice partner online<\/a>. There are tons of free exchange applications that make contact easier. Some of my favorites include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hellotalk.com\/\">HelloTalk<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandem.net\/\">Tandem<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.idyoma.com\/\">Idyoma<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conversationexchange.com\/\">Conversation Exchange<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mylanguageexchange.com\/\">My Language Exchange<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.speaky.com\/\">Speaky<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/hinative.com\/en-US\">HiNative<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/polyglotclub.com\/\">Polyglot Club<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also even find speakers in language learning groups on Facebook, comments on YouTube videos, and Reddit communities. Here are some extra <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/online-language-exchange-tips\/\">tips to have a successful online language exchange<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-6-hire-a-tutor\"><strong>6. Hire a Tutor<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leonardoenglish.com\/blog\/reasons-you-shouldnt-learn-english-in-a-classroom\">don\u2019t necessarily recommend<\/a> that you take in-person language classes or hire a tutor (which is perhaps a bit ironic as a language tutor myself). But if you <em>really<\/em> want to improve particular aspects of pronunciation, a tutor <em>could<\/em> be worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A professional tutor can guide your pronunciation and help you notice issues you may not have otherwise. They also give you constant feedback on your progress and can model better pronunciation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I encourage you to try improving your pronunciation on your own or with your favorite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/\">online language-learning<\/a> tools. But if you need extra help, a tutor could be a good option for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-7-forget-english\"><strong>7. Forget English<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the reasons that pronunciation in other languages is difficult is because we often try to learn it using English as our basis.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the Brazilian currency is called the \u201cReal.\u201d If you are a native English speaker like me, you\u2019ll see that word and pronounce it in a way that rhymes with \u201cteal\u201d or \u201cseal.\u201d If you\u2019re North American, the initial \u201cr\u201d will be a hard \u201cr\u201d sound like in the word \u201crat.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Portuguese isn\u2019t English. To pronounce it properly, I need to <em>forget <\/em>English. The \u201cr\u201d in Portuguese sounds more like an \u201ch\u201d in English. And the \u201c&#8211;al\u201d at the end makes a \u201cw\u201d sound in Portuguese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So we actually pronounce \u201creal\u201d more like \u201cheow\u201d, rhyming with the sound a cat makes: \u201cmeow\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That <em>seems strange, <\/em>but only if you\u2019re thinking with English rules. <em>Don\u2019t<\/em>. Think by the rules of <em>the language you\u2019re learning. <\/em>Try to forget English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-again-you-don-t-have-to-be-perfect\"><strong>Again, You Don\u2019t Have To Be Perfect<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Learning a new language can bring up a bunch of our insecurities. We might be afraid of looking silly or dumb when we can\u2019t say what we want or when someone doesn\u2019t understand us.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My best advice on how to improve pronunciation is to try to shift your attitude. Think about it like this: you\u2019re <em>learning. <\/em>You\u2019re going to make mistakes. You won\u2019t be great at the start but with practice, you\u2019ll get better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your goal shouldn\u2019t be perfect pronunciation or to sound like a native speaker. If you get there, great\u2026 but don\u2019t worry if you don\u2019t. As a learner, your goal should just be for others to understand you. And you can get there with deliberate practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-compare-pimsleur-to-the-competition\"><strong>Compare Pimsleur to the Competition<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most language apps neglect the all-important aspect of pronunciation. Pimsleur courses emphasize and teach it well. See for yourself by test-driving a <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.pimsleur.com\/users\/login\/freelesson\">Free Lesson<\/a> today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Any more ideas for practicing pronunciation? Share them in the comments!<\/em><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s Okay to Have an Accent There\u2019s a very specific feeling of shame I get when I say something in Portuguese to a Brazilian, and they can\u2019t understand me. I have even occasionally had someone say to me: I don\u2019t understand you\u2026 can you say it in English? These moments make you feel like curling <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/improve-pronunciation-accent\/\">Read More >><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":29702,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5,166],"tags":[58,2408,1946,4147],"class_list":["post-19679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language-learning","category-method","category-science-of-language","tag-language-learning-2","tag-language-research","tag-news","tag-science"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Want to stop saying \u201cBon-Jer\u201d? How To Improve Your Pronunciation | The Pimsleur Language Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How to improve your pronunciation in a foreign language. You don\u2019t need a perfect accent, but you need to be understandable. Master the basics.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/improve-pronunciation-accent\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Want to stop saying \u201cBon-Jer\u201d? How To Improve Your Pronunciation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How to improve your pronunciation in a foreign language. You don\u2019t need a perfect accent, but you need to be understandable. Master the basics.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/improve-pronunciation-accent\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Pimsleur Language Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Pimsleur\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-10-02T20:37:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-13T15:23:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d3brn974kg3172.cloudfront.net\/2020\/10\/how-to-perfect-your-accent-bp.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"797\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"338\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ramsay Lewis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@pimsleur\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@pimsleur\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ramsay Lewis\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"17 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/improve-pronunciation-accent\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/improve-pronunciation-accent\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ramsay Lewis\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/42ea471e4d545eba51263892b22712d0\"},\"headline\":\"Want to stop saying \u201cBon-Jer\u201d? 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