This is by far the undoubtedly best lesson regarding the pronunciation of American AH sound. I have looked into Rachel, Keenyn, AA training, and almost all online popular lessons, and this is without any doubt the best. Rachel is the second best. There are multiple reasons: 1. You explain the jaw, tongue, and lips motions in very much details and they are crystally clear and straightforward to follow. 2. All your explanations and instructions are very well written in a very straightforward way without any possible confusions. For example, you said "unstressed AH is said faster and with a lower pitch and volume". This is very very accurate, logical, and straightforward to follow. You didn't say "unstressed AH is pronounced faster and lower" in which "lower" is not accurate as "with a lower pitch and volume" 3. You included not only motions of jaw, tongue, and lips, but also slow motions, still images, comparisons, examples, and stressed and unstressed examples. Further to make it best, you even included some dialect Americans that replace AW with AH. This is truly amazing. You and Rachel are the only two who emphasize stressed up and down pitch multiple times and you go even further. I am so happy that I run into your channel. I believe you will gain more popularity in the long run and deserve all the credits you should get. Just subscribed, liked, and saved to my playlist. I would look into your club and free lessons as well in the future. Thank you so much for all these resources, Julie!
Is there any rule for ( with ) /wɪθ/ , /wɪð/ when can i pronounce ( with ) like /wɪθ/and when like /wɪð/. i know the rule for definite article ( THE )/ðə/ , /ði/ . thank you so much.
Thank you for your question! I pronounce "with" like /wɪθ/, using the voiceless TH sound. I did a quick search on some of my favorite online dictionaries to compare how they each transcribe "with" (Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, and Dictionary.com), and all of them included both the voiceless TH /wɪθ/ and the voiced TH /wɪð/ as possible pronunciations. When you look on the Cambridge dictionary, you sometimes have to scroll down to see the other transcriptions. I don't know of a rule for this one! It might be related to where I grew up - maybe everyone in my area of California uses the voiceless TH sound? My husband is from Connecticut, which is on the other side of the US, and he also uses the voiceless TH sound /wɪθ/. I think you could use either pronunciation, and it would be OK :)
4:28 you said (within) like /wɪˈθɪn/ am i right? but when you say within like /wɪˈðɪn/ ? the same question for without /wɪˈðaʊt/ , /wɪˈθaʊt/ Thank you.
Yes, I did! (You have great ears!) I looked up the word "within" on a few of my favorite online dictionaries to compare how they each transcribe "within" (Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, and Dictionary.com), and all of them included both the voiceless TH /wɪˈθɪn/ and the voiced TH /wɪˈðɪn/ as possible pronunciations (you have to scroll down to see the other transcriptions on Cambridge). This is the same with the words "with" and "without". So you can pronounce "with", "within", and "without" using either the voiced TH /ð/ or the voiceless TH /θ/, and it would be OK :) I've noticed, however, that I use both the the voiced TH /ð/ and the voiceless TH /θ/ in the word "without" - and I'm not sure when or why I do it! I think when I'm speaking quickly, I use the voiced TH /ð/, but maybe when I'm speaking slowly or want to emphasize the word "without" I may use the voiceless TH /θ/? But I'm not entirely sure! I'll pay more attention :) Thanks for the question!
Hey there, which is the difference of the tongue position of the AH /ɑ/ vs dark L (only in the part 1, not in the part 2 that is when you up the tongue tip), in both the tongue is lower in the back presses down and I the front touching the bottom front teeth? The only difference I feel is that the jaw drops more on the /ɑ/, but I feel that the position of the tongue does not change. Thanks
Hi English - Thanks so much for your question! The answer to your question is a little too complicated to type out in a comment. It would be much more helpful if I could answer it in real time, and I'd be happy to help you during a live English class in English Pro (courses.sandiegovoiceandaccent.com/bundles/english-pro I hope to see you at a class soon!
Could you please explain the "Low back merger" (where /ɔ/ and maybe /ɒ/ become /ɑ/) and the "Weak vowel merger" (where unstressed /ɪ/ and maybe /ʊ/ become /ə/) ? I'm learning to pronounce words in American English (in general), so I focus on the most standard/common pronunciations, but it's very difficult to know what they are, various dictionaries differ from each other and I think the main conflicts are based on these two mergers, the rest is usually consistent. So far my understanding is that in General American English (or Standard American English) people pronounce /ɑ/ instead of /ɔ/ (and they use /ɔ/ only in /ɔɪ/ and /ɔɹ/), and that /ɪ/ and /ʊ/ in unstressed syllables should be pronounced as /ə/, but I really don't know.
Hi MiradorIN - Thanks for your question! I appreciate your dedication to learning the ins and outs of American English pronunciation :) I explain a little bit of the caught-cot merger in this video, but I'd be happy to go into more details with you. It's difficult to do that in a comment, so the best way would be to schedule a time to work with me in a private training session. I could answer all of your questions during this session :) If you're interested, you can learn more about private training here: sandiegovoiceandaccent.com/private-training/accent-reduction
Hi Ramzy - Typically the lips are neutral for AH /ɑ/, but this can change depending on the sounds that surround AH /ɑ/ due to the effects of coarticulation and assimilation. I hope this answered your question! :)
Hi Sanjana - Thanks for your question! I agree that it can be challenging to know which syllable has the most stress in a word, especially if it's a word that you've never heard before. If you see a new word that you're not sure how to pronounce, you should go to an online dictionary (I like the online Cambridge Dictionary) or some other online resource, and listen to the word. The stressed syllable will be slightly louder, at a higher pitch, and the vowel will be said for a slightly longer duration. If you have the IPA transcription, the stressed syllable will have this symbol in front of it: /ˈ/. Here it is in the word "planet", which is 2 syllables and the first syllable "plan" has the stress: /ˈplæn.ɪt/. To pronounce "planet" correctly, you should say the first syllable "plan" at a higher pitch and slightly louder volume, and the vowel in that syllable will be a little bit longer than the other vowels in the word. I hope this was helpful!
The majority of 2 syllable nouns have stress on the first syllable, and the majority of 2 syllable verbs have stress on the second syllable. But there are always exceptions! And for longer words, there aren't any "rules" about syllable stress - you just need to listen to the words and become familiar with their stress patterns. It will take a lot of time, but eventually you will start to understand syllable stress in English! :)
Yes, I agree with you. British English seems to use more rounded back vowels than American English. And even though the /ɔ/ vowel does exist in American English, it has been replaced by the AH /ɑ/ vowel in a large amount of the country.
![Learn the IPA | [æ] vs [ɑ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/oqhY70fPZW0/mqdefault.jpg)
This is by far the undoubtedly best lesson regarding the pronunciation of American AH sound. I have looked into Rachel, Keenyn, AA training, and almost all online popular lessons, and this is without any doubt the best. Rachel is the second best. There are multiple reasons:
1. You explain the jaw, tongue, and lips motions in very much details and they are crystally clear and straightforward to follow.
2. All your explanations and instructions are very well written in a very straightforward way without any possible confusions. For example, you said "unstressed AH is said faster and with a lower pitch and volume". This is very very accurate, logical, and straightforward to follow. You didn't say "unstressed AH is pronounced faster and lower" in which "lower" is not accurate as "with a lower pitch and volume"
3. You included not only motions of jaw, tongue, and lips, but also slow motions, still images, comparisons, examples, and stressed and unstressed examples. Further to make it best, you even included some dialect Americans that replace AW with AH. This is truly amazing. You and Rachel are the only two who emphasize stressed up and down pitch multiple times and you go even further.
I am so happy that I run into your channel. I believe you will gain more popularity in the long run and deserve all the credits you should get. Just subscribed, liked, and saved to my playlist. I would look into your club and free lessons as well in the future. Thank you so much for all these resources, Julie!
Wow, Magic Leo! Thank you so much for your kind words - it made my day to read your comment :) I'm so glad that this video was helpful!
Great comment!
High level content! clear concise, and super useful. Thank you!
Thanks Ed! Glad you liked the video! :)
i like /ɑ/ Vowel, Thank you.
Great - keep up the good work! :)
[a] vs [ɑ] vowel.
Is there any rule for ( with ) /wɪθ/ , /wɪð/ when can i pronounce ( with ) like /wɪθ/and when like /wɪð/. i know the rule for definite article ( THE )/ðə/ , /ði/ . thank you so much.
Thank you for your question! I pronounce "with" like /wɪθ/, using the voiceless TH sound. I did a quick search on some of my favorite online dictionaries to compare how they each transcribe "with" (Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, and Dictionary.com), and all of them included both the voiceless TH /wɪθ/ and the voiced TH /wɪð/ as possible pronunciations. When you look on the Cambridge dictionary, you sometimes have to scroll down to see the other transcriptions.
I don't know of a rule for this one! It might be related to where I grew up - maybe everyone in my area of California uses the voiceless TH sound? My husband is from Connecticut, which is on the other side of the US, and he also uses the voiceless TH sound /wɪθ/.
I think you could use either pronunciation, and it would be OK :)
Thank you.
You're welcome! I'm so glad you liked the video! :)
Thank you very much! 😉 I was looking for a video with this sound, and finally got it. In addition, it is really well explained ☺️
Hi Gloria - Thanks so much for your comment! I'm glad my video was helpful! :)
San Diego San Diego a hug for you!
4:28 you said (within) like /wɪˈθɪn/ am i right? but when you say within like /wɪˈðɪn/ ? the same question for without /wɪˈðaʊt/ , /wɪˈθaʊt/ Thank you.
Yes, I did! (You have great ears!) I looked up the word "within" on a few of my favorite online dictionaries to compare how they each transcribe "within" (Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, and Dictionary.com), and all of them included both the voiceless TH /wɪˈθɪn/ and the voiced TH /wɪˈðɪn/ as possible pronunciations (you have to scroll down to see the other transcriptions on Cambridge). This is the same with the words "with" and "without". So you can pronounce "with", "within", and "without" using either the voiced TH /ð/ or the voiceless TH /θ/, and it would be OK :)
I've noticed, however, that I use both the the voiced TH /ð/ and the voiceless TH /θ/ in the word "without" - and I'm not sure when or why I do it! I think when I'm speaking quickly, I use the voiced TH /ð/, but maybe when I'm speaking slowly or want to emphasize the word "without" I may use the voiceless TH /θ/? But I'm not entirely sure! I'll pay more attention :)
Thanks for the question!
@@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent Thanks for sharing your experience.
@@ramzy-6566 :)
Great video , Thank you so much.
Thank you! And you're welcome! :)
Great!
Awesome, Faye! I'm glad my videos on the American English vowels are helpful! :)
Hey there, which is the difference of the tongue position of the AH /ɑ/ vs dark L (only in the part 1, not in the part 2 that is when you up the tongue tip), in both the tongue is lower in the back presses down and I the front touching the bottom front teeth?
The only difference I feel is that the jaw drops more on the /ɑ/, but I feel that the position of the tongue does not change.
Thanks
Hi English - Thanks so much for your question! The answer to your question is a little too complicated to type out in a comment. It would be much more helpful if I could answer it in real time, and I'd be happy to help you during a live English class in English Pro (courses.sandiegovoiceandaccent.com/bundles/english-pro I hope to see you at a class soon!
Could you please explain the "Low back merger" (where /ɔ/ and maybe /ɒ/ become /ɑ/) and the "Weak vowel merger" (where unstressed /ɪ/ and maybe /ʊ/ become /ə/) ?
I'm learning to pronounce words in American English (in general), so I focus on the most standard/common pronunciations, but it's very difficult to know what they are, various dictionaries differ from each other and I think the main conflicts are based on these two mergers, the rest is usually consistent.
So far my understanding is that in General American English (or Standard American English) people pronounce /ɑ/ instead of /ɔ/ (and they use /ɔ/ only in /ɔɪ/ and /ɔɹ/), and that /ɪ/ and /ʊ/ in unstressed syllables should be pronounced as /ə/, but I really don't know.
Hi MiradorIN - Thanks for your question! I appreciate your dedication to learning the ins and outs of American English pronunciation :) I explain a little bit of the caught-cot merger in this video, but I'd be happy to go into more details with you. It's difficult to do that in a comment, so the best way would be to schedule a time to work with me in a private training session. I could answer all of your questions during this session :) If you're interested, you can learn more about private training here: sandiegovoiceandaccent.com/private-training/accent-reduction
hello, is the lips a little bit rounded for the sound AH /ɑ/ .
Hi Ramzy - Typically the lips are neutral for AH /ɑ/, but this can change depending on the sounds that surround AH /ɑ/ due to the effects of coarticulation and assimilation. I hope this answered your question! :)
@@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent Thank you so much, for answer the question. i listen more to the video..
thank you for /ɑ/ Vowel.
You're welcome, Ramzy! :)
How to know when to stress or unstress any sound
Hi Sanjana - Thanks for your question! I agree that it can be challenging to know which syllable has the most stress in a word, especially if it's a word that you've never heard before. If you see a new word that you're not sure how to pronounce, you should go to an online dictionary (I like the online Cambridge Dictionary) or some other online resource, and listen to the word. The stressed syllable will be slightly louder, at a higher pitch, and the vowel will be said for a slightly longer duration. If you have the IPA transcription, the stressed syllable will have this symbol in front of it: /ˈ/. Here it is in the word "planet", which is 2 syllables and the first syllable "plan" has the stress: /ˈplæn.ɪt/. To pronounce "planet" correctly, you should say the first syllable "plan" at a higher pitch and slightly louder volume, and the vowel in that syllable will be a little bit longer than the other vowels in the word.
I hope this was helpful!
The majority of 2 syllable nouns have stress on the first syllable, and the majority of 2 syllable verbs have stress on the second syllable. But there are always exceptions! And for longer words, there aren't any "rules" about syllable stress - you just need to listen to the words and become familiar with their stress patterns. It will take a lot of time, but eventually you will start to understand syllable stress in English! :)
is the vowel /ɑ/ the most open mouth in all vowels.
Yes, the AH /ɑ/ vowel is the most open vowel (has the most jaw drop) in American English. Thank you for the question!
👍
Thanks for your comment, Richard! I'm glad the video was helpful! :)
i prefer /ɑ/ more than /ɔ/. i feel /ɔ/ like British accent
Yes, I agree with you. British English seems to use more rounded back vowels than American English. And even though the /ɔ/ vowel does exist in American English, it has been replaced by the AH /ɑ/ vowel in a large amount of the country.
Thank you for the comment!