5 tips on how to improve your pronunciation

First tip: Before you speak, listen carefully to every syllable. Did the speaker say his ship or his sheep? If you hear the difference, it will be easier to speak the difference.

Second tip: Remember where to put your tongue. Your tongue's position will affect the sound you make. This is most evident when you try to pronounce the 'l' and 'r' sounds. With the 'l' sound, the tip of your tongue touches the gum ridge. With the 'r' sound, the tongue is pulled back in the mouth without touching the top of it.

Third tip: Break the words into syllables (sounds). For example, the word syllable has three syllables: syl-la-ble. A way to figure out where the syllables are is to say the word and mark down the breaks in sound for that word. Each break should be a syllable.

Fourth tip: For two syllable nouns, stress the first syllable. For two syllable verbs, stress the second syllable. For example, when protest is used as a noun, you should stress 'pro.' If it is used as a verb, stress 'test.'

Fifth tip: Record yourself. When you're looking back at your video, see how it compares with someone else saying that word. You can find your favourite film and just quote a phrase from it. When you are watching your recording, you can try to imitate the accent too. It's a great way to pick up your favourite accent.