Speak English With Vanessa

Free PDF Worksheet

American English Pronunciation Compilation
Dear English Learner,

Get ready to speak confidently! I recommend reading the worksheet out loud and using
the blank space on the last page to answer my challenge question. Click here to watch
the original video. Thanks so much for learning English with me!

Your teacher,
Vanessa

Fast English Phrases

Shortening “you” to “ya”, “ja” or “y’”

​What do you think?

​I just bought this new dress, what do you think?

​Whadaya think?

​Wha’ ya think?

​Where did you get it?

​I love that dress! Where did you get it?

​Where’d ya ged i’?

​Where’d ja gedi’?

Are you doing ok?

Hey, I haven’t seen you in a while! Are you doing ok?

Are ya doin’ ok?

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 Ya doin’ ok?

Did you eat yet?

When I visit my grandma’s house, she always asks me, “Did you eat yet?”

Did ya eat’ ye’?

Did ja eat’ ye’?

Jeet yet?

I’ll text you later.

I need to check my calendar. I’ll text you later.

I’ll text ya lader.

Text ya lader.

Shortening contractions even more

I don’t get it.

He told a joke, but I don’t get it.

​I don’ gedi’.

​I ‘on’ gedi’.

I have got to go to…

I have got to go to the store.

I’ve gada goda the store.

​I’ gada goda the store.

I am about to…

I am about to pass out, I’m so hungry!

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 I’m ‘bout ta pass out, I’m so hungry!

I’m bouda pass out, I’m so hungry!

American English Pronunciation & Idioms

The Colored R

​The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

​The gRass isn’t always gReeneR on the otheR side.

​His life looks perfect compared to mine, but the grass isn’t always greener on the
other side and I wouldn’t want to trade places with him.

​Meaning: The things or life someone else has may seem better than what you have, but
they aren’t.

​TIP: When a word has an R plus a consonant in the middle, say it strongly like “Err.”

Change T to D

​Better late than never.

​Bed-er late than never.

​My grandma graduated from college at the age of 80. Better late than never!

​Meaning: It is better for something to arrive or to do something late than not at all.

​TIP: When a T is between two vowel sounds, say it like a D.

Stopped T
Don’t get bent out of shape over it.

Don’ ge’ ben’ ouda shape over i’.

I know the feedback from your boss was hard to hear, but don’t get bent out of shape
over it. She just wants to help you get better.

Meaning: Don’t let something make you upset. Don’t let it get to you.

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TIP: When there is a T at the end of a word, it is often not pronounced. Your tongue is in
the T position, but no air is coming through.

Linking “S + vowel”
What goes around, comes around.

What goez-around, comez-around.

He just got fired, but he has been late for work for the past month. I guess what goes
around comes around.

Meaning: How you treat others will happen to you, too. This is almost always used with
negative behavior.

TIP: When an S is before a vowel, the S sounds like a Z.

Contractions with “Will”

We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

Wull cross that bridge when we get there.

I know it’s going to be a lot of work raising chickens, but we’ll cross that bridge when
we get there–the baby chicks are so cute!

Meaning: We will deal with the potential problem in the future, not right now.

TIP: There are two ways to pronounce contractions with “will”: clear or relaxed.

Clear way: you + will = you-ull

Relaxed way: you + will = yull

More American English Pronunciation & Idioms

The Colored R

​The early bird catches the worm.

​The eaRly biRd catches the woRm.

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​You may not like waking up early, but the early bird catches the worm–if you want to
get ahead, you need to wake up early.

​Meaning: If you want to be successful, you need to get an early start; whoever gets
there first has a better chance of success

​TIP: When a word has an R plus a consonant in the middle, say it strongly like “Err.”

Linking “S + vowel”
​Your guess is as good as mine.

Your guesz-iz-as good as mine.

​Don’t ask me which direction to go–your guess is as good as mine.

Meaning: “I have no idea, I am just as clueless as you are.” This is a saying that is used
for emphasis when you don’t know the answer.

TIP: When an S is before a vowel, the S sounds like a Z.

Stopped T
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

Don’ bi’ the hand tha’ feeds you.

No one wants to help him anymore because he always bites the hand that feeds him.

Meaning: Don’t hurt the person who is trying to help you.

TIP: When there is a T at the end of a word, it is often not pronounced. Your tongue is in
the T position, but no air is coming through.

Change T to D

​Get out of hand.

​Ged ouda hand.

​More people keep showing up to this party! I’m afraid it’s gonna get outta hand.

​Meaning: Something that is getting out of control.

​TIP: When a T is between two vowel sounds, say it like a D.

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 Pronounce -ER
Birds of a feather flock together.

I am not surprised they ended up together–birds of a feather flock together.

Meaning: People (or animals!) of a common type, personality, or other characteristic

tend to stick together.

TIP: Americans pronounce the -ER at the end of words

English Pronunciation Test

Speak and Repeat
​I buy clothes through the internet.

​Buy (sounds like) bye

​Clothes (sounds like) close

​Through (sounds like) threw

​Internet (sounds like) innernet

The little girl took the receipt to the bus.

Little (sounds like) liddle

Girl (sounds like) grrl

Receipt (sounds like) receet

Bus (sounds like) buhs

In the early winter, I didn’t miss the warm weather.

Early (sounds like) errly

Winter (sounds like) winner

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 Didn’t (sounds like) di’n

Warm (sounds like) WARm

I definitely thought the water at the beach was salty.

Definitely (sounds like) def-init-ly

Thought (sounds like) thot

Water (sounds like) waDer

Beach (sounds like) bEEch

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 Vanessa’s Challenge Question
Use the space below to write a few sentences answering this question: Are you an
early bird who catches the worm? Or are you more likely to say “better late than
never”?

Sample answer: When I was younger, I was more likely to say “better late than never”
because I was always late to things. But as I have gotten older, I have better control
over my own time and am more respectful of other people’s time. I like waking up early
in the morning to get started on the day’s activities so that I can relax later. I guess you
could say that I have become the early bird who catches the worm!

Tip: Read your answer out loud to practice your American English pronunciation.

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