Typical Foreign Accent Patterns of 32 Languages

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Do you ever wonder what particular pronunciation patterns from your first language influence your American accent?  American accent research shows that there are typical pronunciation patterns for specific languages.  Do you see your language or the language of someone you know who speaks English as a Second language  listed below?  If so, do you or the person you know experience(s) challenge with the pronunciations of the following sounds?

Listing of Typical Challenge Areas for Pronunciation

Amharic

b, d, g, r, v,  th, z, j, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “a” sound, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”

Arabic

p, t, th, j, r, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “a” sound, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Cantonese

b, t, d, k, g, v, th, z, sh, l, r, w, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “a”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”,, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”,  sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Czech

p, t, k, v, th, z, ch, j, r, w, h, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “a”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “a”, “uh” sound, long “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Farsi

b, t, d, g, v, th, z, ch, j, n, ng r, w, h, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, short “a”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

French

p, b, t, d, k, g, v, th, z, sh, ch, j, n, ng, l, r, h, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, short “e”, short “a”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, long “o”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in “aiy”,  sound pronounced as in the word “out”

German

p, b, t, d, g, v, th, z, ch, j, n, ng, r, w, h, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “a”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in “aiy”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Greek

p, b, t, d, k, g, v, th, z, sh, j, ng, l, r, h, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, short “e”, short “a”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo”, long “o”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Gujarati

p, b, t, d, k, g, f, v, th, z, sh, j, ng, l, r, w, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “e”, short “a”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, long “o”

Hebrew

b, t, d, g, v, th, s, z, ch, j, ng, l, r, h, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “e”, short “a”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Hindi

p, t, k, f, v, th, r, y, w, h, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “e”, short “a”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, long “o”,vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in “aiy”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Hungarian

p, b, t, d, g, v, th,, z, j, n, ng, l, r, w, short “i”, short “a”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”,

Ibo

b, t, d, g, v, th, z, ch, j, ng, l, r, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “a”, vowel sound pronounced as “uh”,  vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, long “o”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in “aiy” long “u”

Ilokano

p, b, t, d, k, g, f, v, th, z, sh, ch, j, n, ng, l, r, w, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, short “a”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, long “o”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”, vowel sound pronounced as in “oil”

Italian

p, t, k, th, d, z, sh, ch, r, y, h, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “e”, short “a”, vowel sound pronounced as “uh”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling

Indonesian

p, b, t, d, k, g, v, th, z, sh, ch, j,, ng, r, w, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, short “a”, short “u”, long “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, long “o”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in “aiy”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Japanese

b, v, th,  z, j, l, r, w, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “e”, short “a”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Korean

b, t, d, g, f, v, th, z, j, ng, l, r, w, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “e”, short “a”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, long “o”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in “aiy”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Mandarin

b, t, d, k, g, v, th, z, ch, j, n, ng, r, l, y, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “e”, short “a”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, long “o”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Polish

p, b, t, d, g, v, th, z, j, n, ng, l, r, h, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, short “a”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Portuguese

p, t, b, d, k, g, v, th, s, z, ch, sh, n, ng, l, r, st, sm, sn, spr, str, skr, spl, y, h, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “e”, short “a”, long “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”, “or”

Punjabi

p, b, t, d, g, v, th, z, ch, j, ng, r, w, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “a”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, long “o”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Romanian

p, b, t, d, g, v, th, z, j, ng, r, h, short “i”, short “a”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Russian

p, b, t, d, k, g, v, th, z, ch, j, n, ng, l, r, y, w, h, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, short “e”, short “a”, short “u”, long “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Spanish

b, t, d, k, g, f, v, th, z, sh, ch, j, ng, r, y, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “e”, short “a”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, long “o”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”

Tagalog

p, b, t, d, k, g, f, v, th, z, sh, ch, j, ng, r, h, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, short “a”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”

Taiwanese

b, t, d, g, v, th, z, ch, j, m, n, ng, l, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “e”, short “a”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, long “o”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Tamil

p, b, t, d, g, v, th, z, j, ng, r, w, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “e”, short “a”, long “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Thai

b, t, d, k, g, v, th, z, sh, ch, j, n, ng, l, r, y, w, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”

Urdu

p, b,, t, d, k, g, v, th z, j, ng, r, w, short “i”, short “a”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in “aiy”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Vietnamese

p, b, t, d, k, g, f, v, th, s, z, sh, ch, j, n, ng, l, vowel sound pronounced as in the word “keep”, short “i”, vowel sound pronounced as “aye”, short “e”, short “a”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, long “o”, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”

Yoruba

p, b, t, d, g, v, th, z, ch, j, n, ng, r, short “i”, short “e”, short “a”, short “u”, vowel sound pronounced with “oo” spelling, vowel sound pronounced as “ah”, sound pronounced as in “aiy”, sound pronounced as in the word “out”

Your Accent Patterns are Very Common

You are definitely not alone in your accent challenges.  This list was modified based on the extensive research developed by Arthur J. Compton.  Compton founded the Pronouncing English as a Second Language (P-ESL) accent modification program.

Contact Cher

If you’re interested in learning how to systematically change your accent to make it sound more American, contact Cher Gunderson at (920) 362-2359 or email her: cher@masteryouraccent.com. Cher is certified in the Compton P-ESL Approach to accent reduction.

Helpful Resources

If you enjoyed this list and benefited from it, and want to feel even more supported to shape your American accent, we hope you find value in:

 Common English Vowel Sound: Repair Communication and Limit Frustration

How the Dalai Lama’s Accent Caused him Embarrassment

The Letter T: A Trick for American English Accent

How to Ease into Accent Modification: Part 1

How to Ease into Accent Modification: Part 2

Pronouncing English Words as they are Spelled Causes Problems

How to Repair Communication Breakdown & Limit Frustration Caused by English Vowel Sound

3 Steps to Finding your Challenge Sounds

Share your Experiences, Comment, or Ask Questions

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Here’s to you shaping your American accent!