Wilt u als een Amerikaan klinken? In deze blog, vindt u 14 Geavanceerde Tips en Trucs voor jouw Amerikaans-Engelse Uitspraak. Not Dutch? No worries! These tips will work for you, too.
This article is especially for Nederlanders, but the advice on this blog is good for any B1-C2 level English speaker who wants to have a better American English sound. Would you like to sound like a real Yank? Use these tips and tricks to get your American English accent in full swing! Ready? Let’s jump in!
Klink als een Amerikaan: English Intonation and Language Music
Use intonation with abandon! (That means to use it energetically, confidently and enthusiastically.) When you speak, know the meaning you wish to communicate and use sentence stress, also called language music, to tell your story. Americans are loud, proud, and prone to excess. Strong language music is essential for the Amerikaans-Engelse Uitspraak.
1. What does the Amerikaans-Engelse Uitspraak sound like?
According to Ann Cook, the author of American Accent training, the American English sound is…
“…brash, boisterous, Immediately friendly, informal, and a little jokey.”
Are you looking for an English accent course? We offer private, native-speaker-teacher accent coaching online and in person in the Netherlands – Amsterdam, Den Haag, and Amstelveen?
Read more about English accent courses here.
Liever in Nederlands over Amerikaans-Engelse Uitspraak Cursussen lezen?
We offer pronunciation courses in both American and British English, and we offer English Accent and Diction coaching for Actors.
2. English Intonation and Language Music
Use descending staircase intonation a lot for statements. That means the overall trend/direction is down the stairs until the end, when the final word or word group pops up.
I love going to the MOVIES.
I hate coming home to a DIRTY KITCHEN.
My boss is a REAL PAIN IN THE ASS.
The tech department is DRIVING ME CRAZY!
OR choose the verb and relevant noun and hit them both hard!
I LOVE going to the MOVIES.
I HATE coming home to a DIRTY KITCHEN.
My colleague KILLED IT in her PRESENTATION.
3. Klink als een Amerikaan: The Amerikaans-Engelse uitspraak hum.
Spoken English is connected with an underlying hum, so please, connectyourwords. Do-not-speak-each-word-separately. Speak like an American jazz musician plays – smooth, connected and flowing – but with pauses for phrasing.
American-English-is-not-staccato! In order to have a good, connected hum, try these exercises:
Sing these sounds in a smooth, connected monotone– Mamama, nanana, sasasasa, bababa, lalalala
4. Create word groups or “sound units.”
Listen to Obama’s artful use of phrasing and pausing. Try to imitate the former American president . And remember, you cannot have phrases without pauses. Embrace deliberate pauses.
• Keep your voice back in your throat and down in your chest.
• Go low and find your deep, rich “daddy voice.”
• Do not roll/trill your Rs. The English R requires a rather still tongue with no taping of the alveolar ridge.
• When expressing mid and final position Rs, keep them strong. Growl them out with deep conviction. Girl = gurrrrl. Pearl = pearrrrl.
Want to know more about the English R sound? Read The English Center post about rhoticity.
Video: The English Center, “Secrets of English Pronunciation: Rhoticity”
Are you interested in the history of the rhotic R? Video with Ben Crystal
Video: What Shakespeare’s English Sounded Like
Videos: Do you want to sound more American? Go to Rachel’s English. 300+ spoken English videos.
Do you want to have a non-rhotic R? Check out The Pronunciation Studio. “The Silent R”
To properly express mid position Ts in American English, reduce T to D
butter = budder. Better = bedder.
• Speak the O sound in words like love, cover, ton, honey as though it is a schwa. That’s the sound in, “Up the bluff, Bud runs with the cup of love.”
Think: luv, cuver, tun, honey.
When speaking the vowel sounds in the words ferry & fair, keep them the same. Ditto pin and pen. Hen and his. Ben and bit.
To create the American English “A” sound in can’t & man, keep your mouth and jaw tight and small. Keep the sound flat and back in your throat and short. It may help to make the sound a bit nasal.
“I’m going to” = I’m gonna or I’m goin’. I’m gonna DO it! I’m goin’ OUT t’night!
“Is” = “uz”
Reduce “to” to t’
Reduce today, tomorrow and tonight to t’day, t’morrow, t’night: I’m goin’ t’ the store t’morrow, t’day, t’night
Say coulda, I shoulda, I woulda: I coulda helped him, I shoulda helped him. But I didn’.
Drop the t sound after didn’t, shouldn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t: You shouldn’ do that. No, I definitely wouldn’ do that if I were you.
Say “fer” not “for” – Let’s buy some gifts fer the kids.
“I want to” becomes – I wanna
“a lot of” becomes – alotta
“for sure” becomes – fersure
“It will” becomes – it’ll
“Like it or not” becomes – likuternot
“The last time I was” becomes – the last time iwuz
“You don’t have to”becomes – youdonhafto or youdonhafta
“I don’t know” becomes – I dunno
”There will be” becomes – therullbe
Learn popular American English idioms for free with our blog post series. These American English idioms were curated for Business English speakers, but are really quite useful for casual conversation, which of course includes much of what is said, “at the office.” Plus most of these idioms are also good in British and English.
Go to Chapter 1 of our Business English Idiom series
Go to Chapter 2 of our Business English Idiom series
Go to Chapter 3 of our Business English Idiom series
Go to Chapter 4 of our Business English Idiom Series
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Recommended book: American Accent Training, Ann Cook, Barron’s, 4th ed. (at Amazon)
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Would you like to meet a native-speaker teacher for a free consultation appointment about Amerikaans-Engelse Uitspraak verbetering, accent reduction, pronunciation training and the R sound? We offer these appointment online and in person, with American and British English teachers. Call us at +31 20 823 0569. Or use our contact form.
We look forward to speaking with you!
Go to our Pronunciation Training Course page now.
Summer Intensive English Courses: Private Speed Courses in Business English, Teen English, General English and Test Preparation.
Summer is the perfect time to immerse yourself in a transformative language learning experience. With Summer English Courses in Amsterdam, you will discover a unique opportunity to follow an intensive English immersion course while exploring the vibrant streets, beautiful museums and rich history of this destination city.
Intensive English Language Courses, also known as English Immersion Courses or English Speed Courses, are a trusted model of language training and are on offer in many locations, from Malta to London to New York. But these courses are often very expensive and require big commitments of time and money. Plus most of these courses require that you register months in advance!
At The English Center, we take a different approach, with Private, Customized Intensive English Courses ranging from 10 to 30 hours per week over a period of one, two, three weeks or more with a choice of locations.
With this flexible model, you can choose a course that fits your schedule as well as your budget AND allows time to explore Amsterdam, where almost everyone speaks English, providing lots of summer fun and practice opportunities. And best of all, you can start quickly!
In this Summer English Courses in Amsterdam blog post, we’ll dive into–
A note about the locations: Our popular course locations in Amsterdam include Van Eeghenlaan 27, in the Museum Quarter and right by the Vondelpark, and Binnenkant 24, just minutes from Amsterdam Central Station.
Plus we also see clients in Amstelveen (Chirurgijn 51), Den Haag (Raamweg 4) and Live Online.
Please note all meetings are by appointment only! You can contact us here.
Would you like to start with a free, no obligation, online appointment with a teacher?
In today’s globalized business world, English is the undisputed language leader. From Amsterdam to Paris to Munich, business people must speak English in order to communicate with colleagues and partners from around the world.
In many international companies, English is the official company language, so employees must use English all day– English for meetings, English for sales, written English emails and reports, English presentations and speeches, English customer service… the list is endless. And even if your company has not yet chosen English as the company language, workers are still expected to perform well in English.
Expectations re: your performance of business English tasks will start in the job interview process and continue through every activity, spoken and written. Colleagues, bosses and clients will notice your:
..and while perfection is not required, your English proficiency can be a great asset in your professional profile. CEFR level B1 across speaking and writing skills is generally the minimum, while higher level jobs will require higher level skills. Many workers need to perform at advanced levels of English proficiency (C1-C2).
These Private Customized Business English Courses focus on practical scenarios, such as presentations, negotiations, and business correspondence. Taught by experienced native-speaker trainers, these English lessons are tailored to meet your level, career needs and interests, ensuring rapid progress and increased confidence in your professional English abilities.
Visit these pages to read more and register. Or call +31 020 823 0569 to learn more. We are happy to speak with you in English or Dutch.
Note! Are you a resident of Amsterdam who needs to make a career change and is getting support from the UVW? The English Center works with the Gemeente Amsterdam program known as Switch. With Switch, your private course in Business English Job Interview training might be paid for. Read more about Switch here.
Does your teen need academic lessons to boost their English level in preparation for the next school year? Let us support them with focused, positive attention on exactly the academic skills they need. These teen English lessons are private 1:1 courses, always taught by a native-speaker teacher. English lessons help teens achieve both short- and long-term academic goals.
Don’t let English become a source of anxiety for your teen. Personalized teen English tutoring with a talented native-speaker teacher helps kids with:
Read more about private intensive courses for teens here. Or call us at +31 20 823 0569. We are happy to speak with you about your teen in English or Dutch. You can also request a free intake appointment with a native-speaker teacher.
If you would like to improve your overall English proficiency, The English Center’s Private General English Intensive Courses are a good choice. Designed for learners of all levels these courses offer a comprehensive approach to language acquisition. Through engaging activities and interactive discussions, you’ll develop your grammar, vocabulary, speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. The one-on-one setting enables personalized attention and fast progress, making these courses ideal for those seeking a focused and results-oriented learning experience.
You can choose an intensive English course ranging from 10 to 30 hours per week over a period of one, two, three weeks – or more. With this model, you can choose a course that fits your schedule as well as your budget AND allows time to explore Amsterdam, where almost everyone speaks English. And best of all, you can start quickly!
For C1 and C2 learners who already possess a solid foundation in English and wish to take their language skills to the next level, The English Center offers Private Advanced English Intensive Courses. These courses dive deeper into complex grammatical structures, idiomatic expressions, and advanced vocabulary. By engaging in thought-provoking discussions and stimulating activities, you’ll refine your language abilities and gain the fluency needed to confidently navigate academic or professional environments.
Many of our clients are already at a C1 or C2 level, but they understand that language learning is a lifetime journey and one can never speak a language too well! Advanced learners often wish to focus on just one or a few aspects of English, such as English pronunciation or English presentations skills. With an advanced private English course, you can go deep with everything from the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and The Economist, to poetry and great literature.
Choose an advanced intensive English course ranging from 10 to 30 hours per week over a period of one, two, three weeks – or more. With this model, you can choose a course that fits your schedule as well as your budget. And best of all, you can start quickly!
If you have an upcoming English language proficiency exam, The English Center’s Private Test Preparation Courses will equip you with the necessary tools for success. Whether you’re preparing for the IELTS, TOEFL, or a Cambridge Exam, an experienced native-speaker English tutor will guide you through the exam format, diagnose weaknesses, work with you in targeted practice, and offer invaluable test-taking strategies. Through intensive test preparation and personalized guidance, you’ll gain the skills and knowledge needed to achieve your desired score.
As with all our intensive English courses, you can choose an intensive English Test Preparation course ranging from 10 to 30 hours per week over a period of one, two, three weeks – or more. And best of all, you can start quickly!
Would you like to start with a free test? Try the English Center Level Test
Or The English Canter’s Business English Test of Idiom, also free and without obligation.
Read more about test preparation here.
Destination Amsterdam: Better English Summer 2024
Embarking on a summer English course with The English Center in Amsterdam is an exciting opportunity to combine language learning with exploring our enchanting city. From private business English intensive courses to test preparation courses, our range of programs caters to learners of all levels and goals. With our client-centric approach, you’ll benefit from personalized attention, experienced native-speaker instructors in a friendly, supportive learning environment.
Take the leap this summer! Invest in YOU and your language skills. Visit our website to learn more and start your summertime English language learning journey today. Or call +31 20 823 0569. We are happy to speak with you!
Find your Business English Voice with a 1, 2 or 3 week Spoken Business English Course such as our Intensive Business English Speed Course in the Heart of Amsterdam, right by Central Station or in the Museum Plein neighborhood, right by the Vondelpark. Or ask us about Live Online courses! Weekly spoken English lessons and in-company training are also available
We meet clients in Amstelveen, Den Haag, Live Online and at corporate locations. Read more about In-Company Business English training and request a proposal. Or go to our Private Business English Intensive Course page to learn about personalized training.
Our courses with native-speaker trainers are specially designed for business people who want to quickly enhance their spoken English language proficiency in a highly interactive 1:1 learning experience, designed to improve spoken English fluency and confidence.
Whether you’re aiming to improve your presentation skills, negotiate with confidence, have better meetings, greater diplomacy, or to speak more fluently, this course will build your skills, confidence and pleasure in speaking English.
✅ Broaden your business vocabulary.
✅ Increase fluency and boost your speaking confidence.
✅ Develop diplomatic language skills.
✅ Enhance your presentation and public speaking abilities.
✅ Gain a competitive edge in the global business landscape.
Our experienced English Center trainers are 100% native-English speakers from the UK, US and Australia. They possess a wealth of knowledge as well as teaching credentials and communication skills and social-intelligence. They are dedicated to guiding you towards fluency and proficiency in a supportive and engaging environment.
Call us. We are happy to speak with you in English or Dutch. +31(0)20 823 0569
Request your free online intake appointment.
Contact us to request more information.
Read more about our private Business English speed courses.
