Does Pronunciation Matter More Than Grammar or Vocabulary?

Speaking English as a second language, with confidence - it's all about getting the right words in the right order. Right?

Learning English: probably not from a native English speaker

I'm going to assume your English teacher back home, at school, wasn't a native speaker. (Teachers rarely are).

Did it matter? No! She had all the grammar and vocab down.

She didn't spend any time teaching you native-speaker pronunciation, did she? I bet you just learned to say it how she said it.

When you're at school, in English class, you obsess over things like grammar rules, and the difference between 'hotel' and 'hostel'.

Maybe you spend some time on English idioms, so that you don't get into embarrassing situations: like knowing that 'rest in peace' doesn't mean the same as 'sleep well', or that 'I really don’t care' isn't as polite as 'that's fine with me'.

But the truth is, once you’ve got the basics, it’s actually pronunciation that can make or break your ability to communicate.

“Pronunciation can make or break your ability to communicate”

A few listeners might notice your impressive vocabulary or spotless grammar.

What they remember, though, is when you spent the whole presentation talking about 'copyright' and pronouncing it 'corporate'.

Oops - did I say that?

 I once had a client who was constantly looking for ways to avoid talking about a 'sheet' of paper or a 'piece' of paper, because his English colleagues would snigger at being asked for another 'shit' or another 'piss' of paper.

 Words that sound like ‘other words’…

• There are lots of old jokes about 'beach' vs. 'bitch': the student innocently saying, 'I love the beach' and so forth. This minor vowel mix-up can make a polite request sound, well, less than polite!

• Another example, this time to do with consonants: in British English, the negative 'can’t' often comes with a long 'ahh' vowel sound and a nice crisp 't' on the end. Some speakers, like native Spanish and Mandarin speakers, will tend to miss out the final /t/… so we end up saying “can” when we mean “can’t.” It’s a small difference that can cause big misunderstandings. “I can’t come to work” could be interpreted as “I can come to work”. This one might have your British boss checking their calendar in confusion…

‘Can I have a sheet of paper?’ English pronunciation is a minefield if your friends and colleagues have a childish sense of humour

And some non-native speakers make the vowel too short, which makes 'can't' sound like another single-syllable English word beginning with 'c'…! How rude :)

Misunderstandings and sounding like a ‘native speaker’

It's not just about awkward moments and naughty words.

Pronunciation doesn’t just influence whether people understand you; it also affects how confident you feel and how others perceive your command over the language.

Unfortunately, people do make snap judgments based on how you sound, and a slight slip can be all it takes for someone to question your fluency, even if you’re practically bilingual.

 Sometimes it's a lack of familiarity on the part of the listener with the way English sounds in other parts of the world.

I once had a client from Singapore, who worked in banking in Switzerland.

Singapore: famous for skyscrapers, not so famous for being an English-speaking country

English is an official language in Singapore. This woman was a native English speaker - of Singaporean-accented English.

But to her Swiss, German, British and American colleagues, she sounded 'foreign'.

So she'd volunteer to help a colleague with an English-language document, and be told 'no that's ok, I'll show it to so-and-so' - a native English speaker with a British or American accent.

SO frustrating! People would assume she was less-than-fluent in English, because her English sounded 'different'.

The Confidence Factor 

Pronunciation issues can make you feel like an outsider, no matter how advanced your English is.

One of the biggest reasons to work on pronunciation is the confidence it gives you. There’s nothing worse than feeling uncertain every time you open your mouth, wondering if people are following you - or quietly giggling.

Improving pronunciation isn’t just about sounding British for the sake of it—it’s about ensuring that your words land exactly as you intend.

That clarity builds confidence, and people will respond to it.

 So, does the right sound matter more than the right word?

Let’s be clear: grammar and vocabulary matter. But the people I work with have got all that mastered.

When you’re fluent, pronunciation becomes the key to being truly understood.

Spoken language is full of nuances that only come across with the accent, and some small changes can make all the difference.

Think of it this way: you’ve already put in the hard work to learn the words and  sentence structure. Now it’s time to make sure those words are landing as they should.

Ready to Fine-Tune Your Accent?

If you’re ready to go beyond fluent to truly effective, it’s time to focus on pronunciation.

Accent reduction isn’t about erasing your identity—it’s about ensuring your message gets through clearly. I offer tailored courses in accent reduction to help you speak English-accented English with confidence and clarity.

So, let’s make sure “beach” and “bitch” never get mixed up again.

Head over to my contact page to find out more, and reach out to discuss how we can work together to perfect your pronunciation.

5 Tips to Polish Your Pronunciation

Focus on Key Vowels and Consonants: Some vowel sounds are tricky, for example the short “i” in words like 'ship', or the 'th' in words like 'other'. Even if you practise only a couple of key sounds, it will make a big difference. Not a 'beeg' difference.

The good news is, you almost certainly only need to work on a handful of sounds - not all 19 vowels and 44 consonants!

As part of a taster session, I'll have a really close listen to your existing accent and identify the small number of sounds that need to change in order to make that existing accent less noticeable. You can book one of these sessions with me anytime - and it's free.

Watch British TV and Listen to Radio 4: Shows like “The Great British Bake Off” and BBC Radio 4 are excellent ways to hear authentic Standard British English, or what I prefer to call 'BBC English'. Listening regularly will help you internalise pronunciation patterns. Try watching world-famous wildlife broadcaster and speaking expert David Attenborough.

Work on Your Intonation: this accent is quite melodic compared to some varieties of spoken English; you will probably find you need to use the higher notes in your voice at the start of phrases, and then come down towards the end of phrases.  Listen to the rise and fall of the intonation of world-famous wildlife broadcaster and speaking expert David Attenborough

Try Shadowing: Shadowing is a technique where you listen to a native speaker and try to “shadow” their speech by repeating it immediately after them. This technique is especially effective for learning pronunciation and rhythm. Try shadowing world-famous wildlife broadcaster and speaking expert David Attenborough! (And helping me increase my YouTube metrics haha)

Consider Working with… David Attenborough!

 Or if he's too busy, working with me: Sometimes, there’s no substitute for personalised guidance. You probably won't need to start from scratch: fluent English speakers usually only have a handful of sounds they find tricky, so it may cost more than an online pronunciation course, or a group class, but I can save you time!

I can help you identify the specific sounds you need to work on and give you feedback on your pronunciation progress. Book a free 1hr taster session to find out what you need to work on and how I can help.