Are you trying to improve your American English pronunciation and reduce your accent? If you are you will want to read about these five pronunciation problems that are very common for learners of spoken American English.

1. Learners mispronounce vowel sounds in stressed syllables
When you are speaking English the vowels in stressed syllables must be lengthened and pronounced with a high pitch.

For example, when you say the word student you must lengthen the u sound and pronounce it with a high pitch so that the word sounds like STUUdent.

When you stress and lengthen the vowel sounds in stressed syllables your speech much more natural and comprehensible to American listeners!

2. Learners don't use the schwa vowel sound
In American spoken English the vowels in reduced syllables typically take the schwa sound. The schwa is a low pitched 'uh' sound. Any vowel can sound like a schwa if it occurs in a reduced syllable and most do.

For example, in spoken English the word student really sounds like this: STUUduhnt.

The schwa is the most frequent vowel sound in spoken English. That means that you must learn to use it correctly if you want to improve your American English pronunciation and reduce your accent.

3. Learners don't use sentence stress correctly
When you are speaking English only the content and focus words in phrases and sentences receive strong stress. The other words are reduced.

For example, when you are speaking English the sentence-
The teacher is in the classroom.

Is pronounced like this-
The TEAcher in in the CLASSroom.

In order to improve the way you speak English you must understand which types of words to stress in phrases and sentences.

4. Learners use incorrect intonation in 'wh' questions
Questions that begin with "wh" words such as what, where, why and when are spoken with rising-falling intonation in spoken English.

For example, in the sentence-
Where are you going?
The intonation (the pitch of your voice) rises and falls on the word GOing.

So the sentence sounds like-
Where are you GOing?

Since people use "wh" questions in almost every conversation using the correct intonation is very important if you want to speak English like an American.

5. Learners don't use linking between words
In spoken English two or more words spoken in a sequence can sound very different than they appear in their written form. Sometimes sounds are deleted and sometimes new sounds such as /y/ or /u/ are added between words.

For example, the sentence-
What do you want?

Sounds like-
Whaddya want?

Using linking will help your speech rhythm sound much more natural to American listeners!

Susan Ryan is an American English pronunciation and accent reduction teacher in Washington, D.C. To learn more rules and patterns that will help you improve the way you speak English visit her Accent Reduction Classroom or view her recommended American English Pronunciation books and software http://pronunciation.confidentvoice.com/.