How to Say Classy Consonants
by Alicia Harris
Accent Reduction Miami® Coach and Teacher
Are your English consonants crunchy, cloudy and confused?
Do you want them to sound clean, classy and clear?
Well, clients at Accent Reduction Miami® and the Speech and Accent Academy always ask why their consonants don't sound right during our free meetups and our weekly classes.
Do you want them to sound clean, classy and clear?
Well, clients at Accent Reduction Miami® and the Speech and Accent Academy always ask why their consonants don't sound right during our free meetups and our weekly classes.
The first
secret in clear, crisp speech is to pronounce all your consonants at the end of words in English, and say your words more
completely -- finish them!
In Miami, where the Spanish accent is one of the most prevalent accents, consonants are chopped off at the end of words. For example, at Publix, the supermarket in Miami, the famous phrase “Are you next in line?” is reduced to “Are you NEK-EE-LIE?” "Yes, I'm nek-ee-lie!"
Where did those final consonants go? They were chopped off. They disappeared. They were left in the cart, next to the ice-cree.
When we don't say the final consonants, which is characteristic of good English, our listeners will miss important information -- like plurals, past tense, and other important details. And the words just don't sound right.
In Miami, where the Spanish accent is one of the most prevalent accents, consonants are chopped off at the end of words. For example, at Publix, the supermarket in Miami, the famous phrase “Are you next in line?” is reduced to “Are you NEK-EE-LIE?” "Yes, I'm nek-ee-lie!"
Where did those final consonants go? They were chopped off. They disappeared. They were left in the cart, next to the ice-cree.
When we don't say the final consonants, which is characteristic of good English, our listeners will miss important information -- like plurals, past tense, and other important details. And the words just don't sound right.
Try saying the phrase “next in Line” in the mirror. Notice how the shape of
your mouth changes like a gymnast moving over the uneven bars. These are the consonant gymnastics of English.
WORKOUT: Here are some more 'consonant gymnastics' to practice in the mirror. These words are full of consonants:
- Two cups of coffee please.
- Finish your breakfast.
- Dream Big.
- Teamwork makes the dreamwork.
- Keep Your New Year’s resolutions
Lisa Jeffery and Alicia Harris are Speech and Accent Coaches
at the Speech and Accent Academy and Accent Reduction Miami® 
