English Pronunciation Coaching
Your vocabulary is strong. Your grammar is solid. But your accent is holding you back in interviews, presentations, and daily conversations. Our pronunciation coaches work on exactly the sounds that matter for you.
We do accent coaching β not accent elimination. The goal is clarity and confidence, not sounding like a native.
Accent Reduction vs Accent Coaching β what's the difference?
β Accent Reduction
Tries to erase your native accent completely. Often ineffective after age 12, and can undermine cultural identity.
β Accent Coaching (what we do)
Targets the specific sounds that cause miscommunication. Improves clarity and confidence without erasing who you are.
The 5 Hardest English Sounds for Non-Native Speakers
Which ones apply to you depends on your native language β your coach diagnoses and targets the right ones
TH Sounds β /ΞΈ/ and /Γ°/
Affects: Nearly every non-native speaker
The problem: Most languages have no equivalent sound. Speakers substitute /t/, /d/, /s/, or /z/ β making "think" sound like "tink" and "the" sound like "de".
How we fix it: Tongue placement practice: tip of tongue lightly between teeth, air passing through. Your coach will drill minimal pairs like think/sink, this/dis.
R vs L
Affects: Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Portuguese speakers
The problem: Japanese has a single flap consonant that is neither English R nor L. Chinese and Korean have similar blending. Result: "rice" and "lice" sound identical.
How we fix it: R: tongue back, lips rounded, no tongue-tip contact. L: tongue tip on alveolar ridge. Your coach identifies which one you merge and trains them separately.
Vowel Reductions
Affects: Speakers of Spanish, Arabic, French, and most syllable-timed languages
The problem: English reduces unstressed vowels to a schwa /Ι/. "Banana" is bΙ-NA-nΙ, not ba-NA-na. Pronouncing all syllables equally makes you sound robotic and harder to follow.
How we fix it: Learning which syllable carries primary stress, and actively reducing the others. Schwa drills with common words: about, problem, around, today.
Word Stress
Affects: Speakers of all syllable-timed languages (French, Spanish, Mandarin)
The problem: English is stress-timed: stressed syllables come at roughly equal intervals, unstressed ones are compressed. Wrong stress can change meaning: REcord (noun) vs reCORD (verb).
How we fix it: Stress pattern recognition, sentence rhythm practice, and minimal pair work. Your coach marks up real sentences from your work or studies.
Connected Speech
Affects: Intermediate learners who sound "textbook correct" but unnatural
The problem: Native speakers link, elide, and assimilate sounds: "want to" β "wanna", "going to" β "gonna", "did you" β "didja". Learners who enunciate every word sound formal and are harder for natives to follow in casual settings.
How we fix it: Listening to authentic audio (podcasts, films), shadowing exercises, and coaching on the specific reductions most relevant to your accent and context.
Choose Your Target Accent
Not sure which to pick? Your coach can help you decide based on your goals
American English
General American (GA)
- βΊRhotic R β pronounced in all positions
- βΊFlap T β "butter" sounds like "budder"
- βΊFlat A β "can't" rhymes with "ant"
Best for: US work, standardized tests, Hollywood media, most global business contexts
Find a American coach βBritish English
Received Pronunciation (RP)
- βΊNon-rhotic β R dropped after vowels
- βΊLong A β "bath", "can't", "dance" with /ΙΛ/
- βΊT is always crisp β never a flap
Best for: UK immigration, Oxford/Cambridge entry, finance in London, European business
Find a British coach βAustralian English
General Australian
- βΊNon-rhotic like British RP
- βΊRaised vowels β "today" sounds like "to-die"
- βΊHigh rising terminal β statements can sound like questions
Best for: Australia/NZ immigration and university entry, mining and resources sectors
Find a Australian coach βSpeak clearly. Be heard.
Expert pronunciation coaches for American, British, and Australian English. Trial lesson from $1.