Do you want your English to flow in conversation, without stopping to think, "How do I say this?" and without worrying about being understood? English Pro Lite is a great first step.
English Pro Lite is your first step to sounding more confident and clear when speaking English. You'll learn the top 5 areas of the American accent that are vital to speaking English like a native speaker.
Ready to go beyond the free course? Explore English Pro, our complete American accent and pronunciation training program, with step-by-step courses, extensive practice, live coaching, and personalized feedback.
Start here!
Guidebook to the Sounds of American English
Before we begin...
LEARN: How to Pronounce the EE /i/ Vowel
VIDEO PRACTICE: EE /i/ Vowel Words
AUDIO PRACTICE: EE /i/ Vowel Words
AUDIO PRACTICE: EE /i/ Vowel Looped Practice
LEARN: How to Pronounce the IH /ɪ/ Vowel
VIDEO PRACTICE: IH /ɪ/ Vowel Words
AUDIO PRACTICE: IH /ɪ/ Vowel Words
AUDIO PRACTICE: IH /ɪ/ Vowel Looped Practice
AUDIO PRACTICE: EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Minimal Pairs
AUDIO PRACTICE: EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Minimal Pairs Looped
VIDEO QUIZ #1: EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Minimal Pairs Listening Quiz
VIDEO QUIZ #2: The EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels: A Visual Test
AUDIO QUIZ #3: EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Listening Quiz
LEARN: All About the Flap /ɾ/ (aka Flap T or Flap D)
VIDEO PRACTICE: Flap /ɾ/ Practice
AUDIO PRACTICE: Flap /ɾ/ Practice
AUDIO PRACTICE: Flap /ɾ/ Looped Practice
LEARN: An Introduction to American English Stress
LEARN MORE: Syllables and Stress in American English
LEARN MORE: The Three Types of Syllable Stress
AUDIO PRACTICE: Stress exercises using DA-da
VIDEO PRACTICE: 2-syllable words
VIDEO PRACTICE: 3-syllable words
LEARN: Introduction to Word Reductions
LEARN MORE: Content Words and Function Words
LEARN MORE: Function Word Reductions
VIDEO PRACTICE: Function Word Reductions
AUDIO PRACTICE: Function Word Reductions
MORE AUDIO PRACTICE: Function Word Reductions in Phrases and Short Sentences
LEARN: Consonant to Vowel Linking
VIDEO PRACTICE: Linking with "a" and "an"
AUDIO PRACTICE: Linking with "a" and "an"
VIDEO PRACTICE: Linking numbers
AUDIO PRACTICE: Linking numbers
VIDEO PRACTICE: Linking with N /n/
AUDIO PRACTICE: Linking with N /n/
VIDEO PRACTICE: Linking with M /m/
AUDIO PRACTICE: Linking with M /m/
VIDEO PRACTICE: Linking with R /ɹ/
AUDIO PRACTICE: Linking with R /ɹ/
Here's what my students say.
He speaks more clearly, confidently, and fluently
"I recently finished a 10-session program with Julie, and I am completely satisfied with the results.
Since the first class, it was clear that she was an expert on the subject and created a safe space to practice and ask questions. I totally recommend Julie if you are looking for a coach who helps you improve the details of your accent that limit your communication or make you feel less confident. My best piece of advice is to take the leap to reach your English goals!"
Juan V., PhD Student, Spanish
She learned to use vowel reductions in her speech to sound more native-like
"I've crammed down the first four and a half chapters of the Master the American English Vowels for Spanish Speakers course.
This course has so many great nuggets of wisdom! I'm sure other Spanish speakers will love it, too. So far, the part that I love the most is the reduced vowels in sentences as I know it makes such a big difference in speech. And having the chance to repeat each sentence as many times as I want in normal and slower pace is just brilliant!"
Rocio P., Software Engineer, Spanish
His speech is more clear, strong, and resonant
"I can't recommend it enough!
San Diego Voice and Accent is one of the most comprehensive resources I have found to help me strengthen and develop a clear, resonant-speaking voice. I really enjoyed Julie's Six Steps to a Stronger Voice course. Completing this course proved to be useful and beneficial for me as it has helped improve my articulation to speak more clearly. This course provided an ample amount of information to better understand how to use my voice and how to keep it healthy. The exercises in the videos are easy to follow, and are guided by the ever pleasant and delightful Julie. What a great resource, I can't recommend it enough!"
Ivan S., Graphic Designer, Spanish
He's a more engaging and charismatic storyteller
"Working with Julie was awesome!
She helped customize the syllabus as per the feedback from my initial performance review, which helped me focus on my weak areas such as understanding intonation, consonants, and American English pronunciation. The course gave me a jump start to becoming a better storyteller."
Sunit V., Electrical Engineer, Hindi
Hello! My name is Julie Cunningham, and I've trained thousands of people on their American English pronunciation and voice projection skills. Here's how I can help you.
I've been helping people with their American English pronunciation skills since 2007, when I moved to the Czech Republic to teach English. This experience sparked a desire to return to school and earn a graduate degree in speech and language pathology, then pursue specialized certifications in American English pronunciation and American accent training.
Then, in 2015, I founded my company San Diego Voice and Accent, where I work one-on-one with professionals who want to perfect their American English pronunciation skills, project a clear and confident voice, and maximize their speaking potential.
Over the years of working as an American accent coach and professional voice trainer, I've learned a lot about what works and what doesn't work when training your pronunciation skills and voice projection. It's not enough for you to simply "repeat" what you hear; that isn't going to get you the results. You need to practice with the right technique and with the most effective methods, and you need someone there to guide you along the way.
That's why I created the English Pro series: to help professionals from all areas of the world and at an intermediate level and above to speak with clarity and confidence, and to reach their goals of becoming a powerful and effective communicator.
English Pro gives you everything you need to train your American English communication skills successfully, including practice techniques, pronunciation help and feedback, and live coaching to help you maximize your English skills.
Ready for the full program? English Pro, for intermediate learners and above, is $49.99 a month or $479 for lifetime access, with a 10-day money-back guarantee.
Thank you for letting me be part of your English training. I'm excited to work with you!
Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP
Licensed speech-language pathologist and founder of San Diego Voice and Accent
Start with the five areas that make the biggest difference: vowels, consonants, syllable stress, rhythm and reductions, and linking. English Pro Lite teaches each one with video lessons and audio practice, so you learn the sound, hear it and repeat it.
English Pro Lite is a free online American accent training course that will teach you the foundation of the American accent. You'll receive training in the top 5 areas of American English pronunciation that are vital to sounding clear and confident to a native speaker. Training is provided exclusively by Julie Cunningham (no outside teachers) through multiple chapters that target vowels, consonants, syllable stress, rhythm and reductions, and linking, and each chapter includes detailed practice videos and practice exercises designed to improve your speaking skills.
Your enrollment gives you instant access to: 1) Training in the top 5 areas of the American accent, including: the EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels; the Flap /ɾ/; 2- and 3- Syllable Stress; Content Words and Function Words; Reductions of Function Words; and Consonant to Vowel Linking; 2) The "Guidebook to the Sounds of American English", a must-have tool for anyone looking to boost their American English pronunciation skills. You'll learn how to pronounce every sound of American English with photos, IPA charts, audio recordings, and real-life MRIs. The guidebook is downloadable, so you can continue to perfect your American English pronunciation when you're away from your computer. Note: You must be connected to the internet to play the audio recordings.
You can download the Guidebook to the Sounds of American English and the PDF practice exercises. Some practice recordings are free to play inside the lessons, and the full set of recordings is part of English Pro.
You will have access to English Pro Lite as long as your enrollment remains active. There is no time limit, so you can take your time as you work your way through the content.
This is entirely up to you, the amount of time you have available to dedicate to studying, and your current English pronunciation level. Most students will complete English Pro Lite in 1-2 months, but this will vary greatly depending on the individual.
While I don't anticipate you'll be unhappy with English Pro Lite (this course is awesome!), you may unenroll from English Pro Lite at any time by going to "My Dashboard > My Account > Subscriptions".
Yes. The Speech and Accent Evaluation is optional and costs $375. You get a written report of about 15 pages with your American accent score.
Wonderful! I'm thrilled that you've completed English Pro Lite, because now you have a solid foundation in American English pronunciation. Your next step is to check out English Pro, which is my fully comprehensive online accent training community. You'll receive comprehensive training in all areas of American English pronunciation and voice projection, plus attend weekly, live English classes where I can work with you 1:1 and give you feedback in real time. English Pro is $49.99 a month or $479 for lifetime access, with a 10-day money-back guarantee.
