Pronunciation

That French ‘R’ Sound? Here’s How to Nail It.

The infamous French 'R' can feel like an impossible hurdle for English speakers. But what if the secret to mastering…

6 months ago

The Secret to Sounding French: Liaison

Ever wonder why 'les amis' sounds like 'lez-ami' in spoken French? That magical connection is called *liaison*, the phonetic glue…

6 months ago

The Vowel’s Shadow: Parasitic Vowels

Have you ever wondered why some non-native speakers say "espeak" for "speak"? This isn't just an error, but a linguistic…

6 months ago

Why French Sounds So Weird (Even to Italians)

Ever wondered why French, a Romance language, sounds nothing like its siblings Spanish or Italian? The secret lies in a…

6 months ago

How to Read a Phonetic Transcription

What do all those weird symbols in a dictionary entry mean? This beginner's guide to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)…

6 months ago

The Sound of a Vowel: What Are Formants?

Why does an 'ee' sound so different from an 'oo', even when sung at the exact same pitch? The secret…

6 months ago

How Does Stress Change a Word’s Meaning in English?

What's the difference between 'a rebel' and 'to rebel'? Just a tiny shift in emphasis. This seemingly small detail, known…

6 months ago

The Birth of a Vowel: Epenthesis Explained

Ever wonder why 'athlete' sometimes sounds like 'ath-a-lete', or 'film' like 'fi-lum'? This isn't a speech error, but a fascinating…

6 months ago

The Pitch-Accent Puzzle of Japanese

In Japanese, a single word like `hashi` can mean 'bridge' or 'chopsticks' based on a subtle change in melody. This…

6 months ago

The Dental Print: How Teeth Shape Speech

Beyond the agile movements of the tongue and lips, our teeth stand as silent, crucial architects of speech. From the…

6 months ago

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