ACCENT TUTOR ONLINE

                        AMERICAN ENGLISH SPEECH

                                    VOWEL SOUNDS

                                   

AE                       

 

AE is the “ugly American” sound—not very pleasant to listen to and it is another difference between American and British English.  British speakers tend to use the A (“ah”) sound in words which American pronounce with AE.

 

Instructions to make this sound: Is your mouth open wide?  Is your tongue lying on the floor of your mouth?  Are the muscles of your mouth tense? 

 

Common problems: Using an A sound, so "hat" sounds like "hot."

 

Common spellings: A as in “am,” AI as in “plaid,” AU as in “laugh”

 

an                               has an apple pie                

asked                         asked her address            

action                        no action at the auction   

lacks                          lacks an answer                

salad                          toss the salad                                 

 

Lap-top computers have obvious travel advantages.        

The Stanford grad wants to be on the fast track.