British Pronunciation Tips

I’d like to introduce you to the schwa — English’s most common and mysterious vowel sound! In this episode of the British Vowel Sound Masterclass, we explore what the schwa is, how it appears in unstressed syllables, and why it’s essential for smooth, natural speech. Hear how it can appear as A, E, I, O, or U, with examples at the beginning, middle, and end of words. Perfect for non-native speakers aiming to improve pronunciation, fluency, and confidence.If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Master the difference between the short /ɒ/ (as in what and hot) and the long /ɔː/ (as in water and talk). In this lesson, you’ll practice mouth positioning, tongue placement, and vowel length through repetition, word pairs, and tongue twisters. Perfect for sharpening your ear and improving your British English pronunciation. Exaggeration techniques included for maximum effect.Transcript:/ɒ/- What, hot, not, dog, lot, shop, clock, pocket, follow, hobby, What, watch, want, wallet, wash, wander,/ɔː/- water, law, talk, walk, warm, thought, short, more, board, quarter, water, walk, talk, warm, wardrobe, warning,(Minimal pairs 1)hot — haaaawl,not — nooorth,dog — dawwwwrn,what — waaa-ter,cot — cooourt(Minimal pairs 2)what — water,dog — talk,watch — walk,lot — law,want — warm,clock — caught,pocket — board,shop — short,follow — fall,wander — warning,wash – warm,wallet – wardrobe,quantity – quarter,not — north(Minimal pairs 3)dog — dawn,cot — court,rot — road,got — gore,pop — pour,shock — shore,cross — coarse,body — board,hobby — hoard,off — or(Tongue Twisters)“Tom’s small shop sold lots of hot chocolate pots.”“Tall Paul taught four warm dogs to walk by the shore.”“Wanda watched Walter walk past the shop with a long, warm stopwatch.”“Short dogs got lost on the long walk to the old forest.”If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

In this episode, we break down one of English’s most confusing vowel quirks — why the letter A sounds completely different in what and water. You’ll learn how to hear and pronounce the short /ɒ/ and long /ɔː/ vowels, understand what actually changes inside the mouth, and practise with clear word pairs to sharpen your accent. Perfect for learners who want a more natural, confident British pronunciation.If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Practice four of the seven A sounds in British English: /æ/, /ɑː/, /eɪ/, and /eə/. This episode guides you through clear examples, repetition drills, mixed practice, and tongue twister challenges to help you master pronunciation and reinforce mouth, tongue, and jaw movements for natural, accurate British English.Transcript:/æ/ — cat, man, hat, bat, black, bad, map, bag, hand, tap/ɑː/ — car, father, park, start, heart, arm, far, calm, dark, hard/eɪ/ — name, rain, day, play, cake, make, same, take, face, lake/eə/ — care, fair, hair, share, chair, pair, dare, wear, air, starecat — car — name — careman — father — rain — fairbag — park — day — hairhand — arm — make — sharetap — heart — cake — pair“A black cat ran past a bad bag of maps.” “The car park at the far dark arm of the farm.” “May’s cake made the same day as Jane’s play.” “Careful Claire shared her chair with a fair pair of bears.”If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

The letter A can represent seven different vowel sounds in English. In this episode, we focus on four of them: /æ/ as in cat, /ɑː/ as in car, /eɪ/ as in name, and /eə/ as in care. Learn how to produce each sound with correct tongue, jaw, and lip positions, hear clear examples, and practice distinguishing these essential vowels for natural British pronunciation.If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

This is the first episode in the British Vowel Sound Masterclass series. Explore the fundamentals of English vowels, including monophthongs, diphthongs, and the schwa. Learn why vowel quality, length, and articulation carry so much meaning, why some learners find them challenging, and how practicing these subtleties will improve clarity and natural British pronunciation. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes, where we’ll dive deeper into individual vowels and advanced pronunciation techniques.If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Why do some English words have an h that we don’t pronounce? Words like honest, hour, and heir keep their French spelling but not their French silence. In this episode, we explore how the Norman Conquest shaped English pronunciation, why some learners drop the h when they shouldn’t — or add it where it doesn’t belong — and how to master the correct use of this subtle sound. You’ll learn what the /h/ sound really is, why it disappears in certain words, and how to train your ear and speech to sound clearer and more natural.If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Think you’ve mastered regular verbs? Think again! In this episode of British Pronunciation Tips, we uncover the hidden secret of -ed endings — why words like worked, played, and wanted sound so different. You’ll learn how the pronunciation of -ed changes depending on the final sound of the verb — becoming /t/, /d/, or /ɪd/ for clarity and ease of speaking. We’ll break down the rules, explore plenty of examples, and test your ear to help you hear (and say) the difference naturally. By the end, you’ll know exactly when to use each ending — and your past tense verbs will sound smoother, clearer, and more native-like.If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Learn how to pronounce final consonants like /t/, /p/, and /k/ clearly and confidently. In this episode, we explore why these plosive sounds are so important in British English and how dropping them can change meaning. You’ll also discover their voiced counterparts — /d/, /b/, and /g/ — and practise with word pairs that train your ear to hear and produce the difference. Mastering these crisp endings will make your speech clearer, sharper, and unmistakably British.If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

The TH sound is one of the most distinctive — and trickiest — parts of British English. Many learners say dink instead of think or zink instead of think. In this short episode, you’ll learn how to position your tongue, practise real examples, and train your ear to recognise the difference.If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274