American Speechsounds How to Use the Program

AmericanSpeechsounds Why use American Speechsounds? Practice the problem sounds of American English Learn basic stress, intonation, and linking Learn commonly used vocabulary Record your voice on simple exercises and progress to sentences Use “Key Information” screens for detailed pronunciation instructions

Navigating the Main Screen FIRST Select your native language from the dropdown menu for focused pronunciation practice. Choose from the following activities: Speech soundsListen & Choose WordsSentences SECOND choose a phonetics option: AS Phonetics: Allows you to see the way sounds are written and includes color categories for similar sounds. IPA Phonetics: Uses the well- known form of phonetic text as a visual pronunciation guide.

SpeechSounds Exercises Introduce yourself to the sounds of American English by hearing the sounds then practicing them! Click the key icon for detailed pronunciation instructions and video examples Select the consonant or vowel sound you would like to work on Use the “Play All” button to hear the lesson without recording your voice Use the “Play/Record” buttons to hear the lesson and record your voice

Pronunciation Examples To view detailed pronunciation examples, click on the Pronunciation Key icon in the activities. Click on the Video icon to see how the sound is pronounced Click on the Instructions icon to hear directions for forming the sound.

Listen & Choose Teach yourself to distinguish between correctly and incorrectly pronounced words Choose from Consonant sounds, Vowel sounds, or Exercises to improve your listening skills

Words and Sentences Use the Words and Sentences activities to record your speech then compare it to examples from native American English speakers

Exiting the Program Click on the “X” when you are ready to exit the program Click on the question mark icon for more information about the program. Have another question? Ask the Skills Center staff for help.