English is Tricky!

English is a tricky language because there are so many exceptions to rules of pronunciation and grammar. Pronunciation is tricky because the English alphabet has 26 letters in the alphabet, but most experts agree there are 44 different letter sounds! A fluent English speaker must learn all 44 sounds and be able to predict when to use these sounds.

An example of the multiple sounds for a letter in the words: “Pacific Ocean.” The letter C is found 3 times BUT, each C has a different sound.  The first C makes the typical S sound as in “see”, the second C makes the typical C sound as in “cat” and the third C sounds like SH as in “shoe.”

This short podcast provides more information on the challenges of spoken English.  Find out the tricky parts to this simple sentence: “I’m certain that the photographer will be here soon to take our photo.”

Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn because it is a phonetic language. In a phonetic language, the letter sound is predictable and consistent so, spelling usually equals pronunciation. There are 27 letters in Spanish and 30 different sounds. As with every language, geographic region affects the pronunciation and word choice.

What English sounds are the most challenging for you? Contact me for a free consultation, and I will help you improve your pronunciation skills.