Improving my American accent - feedback needed from native Americans:)

Couple of things. First, you're pretty good. Really quite good. For me the sound quality (maybe my speakers) made it a bit hard to hear clearly some of your words but I think for example, 'they all went away' for the 'th' I could hear a hint of a 'd' instead of a pure 'th'. This always causes a problem with non native speakers. Has to do with placement of the tongue behind the front teeth which causes the hint of a 'd'. think about where your tongue is placed when you pronounce the 'th'.
If you spent a few months immersed in an American setting you would have no trouble 'tweaking' your accent.
Having said this, I know you must realize there are regional accents in America, deep South, Midwest, New England, New York, Bronx, Brooklyn and more. So a simple word like 'water' can have a slightly different sound or not so slight, depending on where you were raised. Which I can't explain in writing! To me your accent has more of an eastern seaboard flavor. Often recommendations are to try and listen to American language radio which is excellent but one must realize that broadcasters generally do not have regional accents or really any accent and all sound pretty much alike...bland. This is so everyone can understand them. LOL!
I think your accent improved when you started reading faster and at a more normal speaking pace. And when you were not reading but just speaking about what you were going to do. That sounded more real.
Were your English teachers native speakers?
 
Not bad at all. I only noticed the way you pronounced the "y" in "anything". Your "y" needs to be stronger...."anEEthing".

And I'm from Brooklyn so we say "wawk". :cheeky:
 
thanks a lot for the replies, guys:) really means a lot. Now I know how to make it better.
Cinzia - thank you for the most informative answer:) My accent is mainly John Little (Bruce Lee historian) and Conan O'Brien;) (and a little bit of Hugh Laurie). I mean, they are my pronunciation role models;) So I realize I will never have a local accent. I do know the 'th' sound, but I thought that sometimes you can get away with just saying /d/:) I was wrong then.

Suzynyc - so in 'anything' there is a long /i/ sound, is that right? I thought it was /y/ sound (like in "live").

Thanks again, guys. I'm trying to learn as much as I can, as far as this is concerned.
 
You're welcome! But when you ask: I thought it was /y/ sound (like in "live"), you do mean 'live' as in I live in this house and not as in 'a live broadcast' :D
It sounds as if you are saying : an a thing vs anEE thing

Also pay attention that sometimes you don't unintentionally 'draw out' some words and make them sound longer than they should be.
When you say 'more precisely' 0:44 listen to how you have a subtle emphasis on ...cisely..and 1.05 'an incredible example...' your 'r' sounds as if it is pronounced a bit too far back in your mouth and it stretches the word out a bit too much.
2.27 Bruce won...sounds a little like Bruce WARNed the right...(but again, it could be my speakers)

But your ending: Thank you... sounded extremely good, ditto your beginning up to .12

Hope helps and it isn't too much! :cheeky:
 
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