Mastering English Pronunciation: why doesn’t 'work’ rhyme with ‘fork’?

Spelling vs. pronunciation: a fun guessing game for English learners

How Do I Know Which Sounds to Use in Which Words?

The question I'm asked most often by people who take my accent reduction courses is this:

'How do I know which sound is which? Like, which one do I use in this word?'

What they mean is,’ when I use a word with a vowel or a consonant sound that I pronounce differently - where people can really hear my 'foreign accent' - how do I know which sound to change it to?’

The Challenge of English Spelling and Pronunciation

Spelling vs. pronunciation: so much comedy potential (Image: Bored Panda)

English spelling is a very poor guide to pronunciation, isn't it?

For non-native English speakers, one of the biggest hurdles in mastering pronunciation is this sometimes maddening inconsistency between spelling and sound.

Consider the words good and mood—although they share the same spelling pattern, they have different vowel sounds.

Say both those words out loud: 'good' and 'mood'. Do they rhyme? (Hint: they shouldn't)

Another example: a simple word like 'plan'.

A French or Mandarin Chinese speaker might pronounce this as 'plen'.

In a Standard English accent (which I use as a reference point for accent reduction) 'plan' would be  a short 'a' sound like in 'pan', ran' or 'tan'.

Not a long 'a' sound like in 'plant' or 'can't'.

And not a short 'o' sound like in 'want'.

'But how am I meant to know that???' they ask/blurt out.

Because of course they all look the same written down! It's just a letter 'a' next to a letter 'n'. But there are THREE DIFFERENT WAYS that 'an' can sound.

The Gradual Nature of Accent Reduction

Accent Reduction classes with me are literally this much fun

Here's what I say to people who struggle with this - and everyone does, by the way:

working on accent reduction is a lot like learning a new language.

Remember when you first learned English (or, if you're a native English speaker, when you did other languages at school).

At the beginning, you were translating from your first language, consciously having to think about 'what's the English for…?' and looking up words all the time.

Then after a while, you get more familiar with the vocabulary, and you can just come out with it and say what you're thinking - in English - without having to 'think about it'.

It's like that process, with accent.

Initially, you may find yourself consciously thinking about every sound, just as a language learner translates words in their head before achieving fluency.

Over time, with practice and repetition, new sounds naturally become part of your speech, leading to clearer and more confident speaking.

Accent reduction is a gradual process. It doesn't happen overnight. It takes patience, and not just repeated exposure to English pronunciation - because you're around native speakers all the time, you hear them on the radio, the TV, YouTube, every day - but an understanding of why native speakers sound like that.

What are they doing? How are they holding their jaw or moving their lips, in order to sound like that?

And then YOU have to try it out for yourself. Practise, practise, practise.

Practice Makes Progress

As you internalise new sounds through active listening and speaking practice, your muscle memory adapts, making these pronunciations feel more natural over time.

This mirrors the way you, as an English language learner, transitioned from consciously constructing sentences to speaking fluently.

At first, it requires conscious effort to pronounce familiar words in a new way, and in the 'right' new way, but with enough practice, these sounds become second nature.

Practical Tips to Refine Your English Accent

(and super-subtly Market my Excellent Accent Reduction Coaching to You)

1. Be Aware of Spelling Traps
   Pay attention to words that look similar but are pronounced differently. Keep a list of common confusing pairs, such as lead (to guide) vs. lead (the metal), or read (present tense) vs. read (past tense). This awareness will help you anticipate pronunciation differences: 'bread' and 'bead' look like they should rhyme: do they?

2. Learn English Vowel and Consonant Sounds: They're Different to Your Sounds
   English has several distinctive vowel and consonant sounds, some of which may not exist in your native language. They also might be SIMILAR to sounds you know - but be careful of taking shortcuts. The French 'i' sound in 'unique' sounds similar to the English 'i' as in 'pick', but ALSO similar to the English 'ee' sound as in 'peak'. So French speakers tend to pronounce 'pick' and 'peak' exactly the same, but in Standard English they're very different (see point 4, below).

3. Listen to English Speech Regularly
   Exposure to native speakers is essential. Listening to podcasts, audiobooks, or watching English (not American!) films without subtitles helps develop an intuitive sense of how words sound in natural speech.

4. Practise Minimal Pairs
   Minimal pairs are words that differ by only one sound, such as ship vs. sheep or cot vs. caught. Practicing these will help train your ear and tongue to recognise and produce subtle distinctions. (I've tried asking ChatGPT for lists of minimal pairs that would help speakers of a variety of languages, but it's not as accurate or consistent as an accent reduction coach with 14 years' experience! I'll give you plenty of the right sounds to practise)

5. Pause More Often
   Speaking quickly can cause mispronunciations and reinforce incorrect habits. Pause after each new thought - it makes listening easier, and it will give you time to focus on enunciating sounds clearly.

6. Record Yourself Speaking
   Compare your pronunciation to native speakers by recording yourself speaking or reading aloud. Play it back and note any differences, making adjustments as needed.

7. Find Out About Mouth and Tongue Positioning
   Different accents use different tongue and mouth placements for similar sounds.  Understanding the physical mechanics of English sounds can improve your pronunciation significantly.

   TIP: working with an accent reduction coach like me can really help with this :)

8. Use Tongue Twisters
   Practicing tongue twisters is a fun and effective way to refine tricky sounds, such as the classic She sells seashells by the seashore for the voiceless 's' and 'sh' consonants, or 'Moses supposes his toeses are roses' for the 'oh' vowel sound.

9. Engage in Conversation with Native Speakers - Not With Yourself!
   The more you converse with native Standard English speakers, the more natural your pronunciation will become: but only if you take the attention off yourself and really listen to how they speak. Forget about how you sound, for a minute, and really notice what's going on in their mouths. (Don't forget to listen to what they're saying, as well as how they're saying it. I don't want you to lose friends).

The Role of Professional Accent Coaching

While self-study is crucial, professional guidance can accelerate your progress. That's where I come in.

An accent and elocution coach provides targeted feedback, helping you refine pronunciation patterns and develop clearer speech.

My approach is about boosting clarity in your spoken English, helping you achieve natural and confident pronunciation. And that doesn't mean ending up with a flawless English accent! (Unless that's what you want, of course. My aim is to help you find a sound that feels authentically like your sound, without the constant questions about 'where are you from?' or 'What's your accent…?')

Embracing the Journey

Mastering English pronunciation is a long-term process that requires consistent effort. Which makes it sound like hard work - but it doesn't have to be.

Together we'll celebrate small improvements, and I can help you stay patient, and persistent. By integrating these strategies into your daily routine and getting my professional support and feedback to keep you on track, you will refine your English accent and communicate more clearly and confidently, without worrying that you'll spend whole meetings

Over time, just as language learners transition from translating in their heads to thinking directly in their second language, you too will reach a point where English pronunciation feels natural and effortless.

Contact me to book a free 1hr taster session online, and let's give you a head start.