As if English pronunciation isn’t tricky enough, did you know there are actually hidden sounds in many words?

I know!

Specifically, I’m talking about hidden /y/ and /w/ sounds that often occur between syllables.

If there’s a particular word that, no matter how much...

An S Cluster?

What the heck is an S Cluster?

As I stood on stage my head began to spin and a strange feeling spread through my stomach. I suddenly struggled to stay upright.

A description of a serious case of stage fright AND a sentence full of S-Cluster words.

An S Cluster word is a word...

When we think of confusing English words, ENTREPRENEUR definitely comes to mind.

This word has come up several times recently with my Clear English Academy members, and I wanted to share how we break down the pronunciation of this word to make it so much easier to say. :)

...

With everything happening in the world right now, this word is heard and spoken daily: WAR.

It's a tough topic and it can be a challenging word to pronounce.

There are only 3 letters. It seems like it should be pretty straightforward. But some of the actual sounds in this word...

We added a new fur baby to the family this week!

She is seriously precious and hilariously curious.

I'm not sure our older pup agrees, but she's being gracious!

Precious, gracious, curious, hilarious, serious... each of these words ends in IOUS yet the...

Disagreement is a healthy part of a business environment.

It’s how new, innovative ideas are often created!

Disagreement can demonstrate people collaborating and introducing different perspectives.

However, how conflict is addressed can create a problem.

It's important to use...

If you don't know what makes these words a little tricky you won't be able to adjust the way you say them.

Don't and won't.

2 super common words we use to negate.

But for a lot of my students, these two words sound closer to "done" and "want." 

What's happening here?

In...

Ball... bowl... bowel...

When you say these words out loud, do they sound distinct and different or do they kind of jumble into one?

If these words are tough for you, you are not alone!

They're tricky because the sounds within them are exactly the same except for the core vowel.

By...

Babe, darlin, dear, schnookims, babycakes!

There are lots of sweet little affectionate names we can call our partner or significant other. 

And what better time than the beginning of February, the month of LOVE, to learn and practice some of the most common terms of endearment...

It’s a CONfusing CONcept. Both these words start with C-O-N, yet the beginning of these words sound different. What gives?

It's all about STRESS my friend!

No, not the kind of stress you have when a giant deadline is looming, or when your to-do list is multiplying like...