How to Speak Better Using Pronunciation

The English language is full of words that are hard to learn, hard to remember and hard to pronounce. Saying things differently to give them different meanings is a tricky skill to master. People from foreign countries that are not familiar with the many ways to convey meaning in English can become easily confused. However, even people who were born and raised here can have a hard time sorting it out. It’s important to learn to portray the real meaning behind your words by using correct pronunciation.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• An open mind
• Willingness to change what you think you know

1. Implied meanings behind pronunciation. For example, the sentence “Nobody went there with her.” Now, look at the different ways to say it: “NOBODY went there with her”; “Nobody went THERE with her”; “Nobody went there with HER.” See the difference? In the first, it implies that she went alone. In the second, it implies that she and whoever went with her went to that destination. In the third, they may have gone there, but not with her. There is a huge difference in each sentence and meaning. In writing, it is equally important to learn to stress the right word without using all capital letters constantly.
2. In addition to sentence pronunciation, simple word pronunciation can make a big difference. For example, Milan, Italy as opposed to Milan, Michigan. The first is pronounced me-LAHN. The second is pronounced MEYE-lan. For the word “preferable”, many people say “PREferable” while others say “preFERable”. The actual, correct way is the former.
3. Other circumstances include Heteronyms, or words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. For example, “produce.” “PROduce” refers to grocery items, while “proDUCE” means to make or be in charge of something. Learning and using proper pronunciation of words can make a huge difference in your communication skills. Hopefully these few tips will give you a headstart!

Tips & Warnings

• Certain people, depending on background or upbringing, will have their own personal meanings behind certain words. In this circumstance you will simply have to use your best judgment and speak so that they will understand.