How to Speak American English

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association.

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English is a tricky language because there are so many exceptions to the rules when it comes to grammar and syntax. American English can be even harder to learn since there are so many variations in dialect and speech from region to region. If you want to sound American, start by identifying which region you’re trying to replicate in terms of language and speech patterns. Once you’ve settled on an area, try to incorporate the region’s tone, slang, and diction. Keeping a notebook in your pocket and writing down unique idioms and phrases is helpful as well. With enough practice, you’ll sound like a native speaker in no time!

Method 1 of 3:

Using American Language

An American would say they “go to college,” but they’d also say “go to the university.”
A British or Irish speaker would say they “went to hospital,” but an American speaker always goes to “the hospital.”
The difference between using “a” and “an” isn’t the first letter that follows the article. It’s actually whether the sound of the first syllable is a vowel or consonant. You always use “an” with vowel sounds, and “a” consonants. Since Americans pronounce “honor” like “on-er,” it’s “an honor” to meet someone if you’re speaking American English.
Article usage is one of the things that can make learning English so difficult. Stick with it and you’ll get used to using the proper articles over time.

It can be tough to get used to using American terminology if you aren’t familiar with it. Give it time. You’ll get used to it the more you talk and listen to Americans.
Watching a lot of American movies and shows can give you a good sense of the everyday phrases that Americans use. If you can’t figure a word out based on context alone, write it down to look it up later.

Common American Phrases

Use "restroom/bathroom" instead of "toilet/lavatory/loo."

Use "elevator" instead of "lift."

Use "trunk" instead of "boot."

Use "freeway" instead of "motorway."

Use "sweater" instead of "jumper."

Use “pants” instead of “trousers.”

Use "vest" instead of "waistcoat" (the shirt worn under clothing is often called an undershirt).

Use "sneakers" or “tennis shoes” instead of "trainers."

Use "diaper" instead of "nappy."

Use "vacation" instead of "holiday" (holidays tend to mean national bank holidays only or the holiday season around Christmas).

Use "bag of chips" instead of "packet of crisps."

Use "gasoline" instead of "petrol," and "gas station" instead of "filling station," or "petrol station."

Use "truck" instead of "lorry."

“I could care less” actually means “I couldn’t care less” in American English. While this isn’t technically an idiom, it is an odd phrase that means something different than what it literally communicates.

Common American Idioms

A “cat nap” is a short rest.

A “Hancock” is a person’s signature.

If you’re “barking up the wrong tree,” you’re looking in the wrong place or accusing the wrong person.

A “far cry” is a big difference between two things.

If you’re giving someone “the benefit of the doubt,” you trust them without proof or evidence.

If you “see eye to eye" with someone, you’re in total agreement.

To “kill two birds with one stone” is to accomplish two things at once.

A “last straw” is the final problem that forces something to happen.

If you have “the best of both worlds,” then you have all of the advantages from two options.

If you’re “hanging out,” it means that you’re relaxing.

“What’s up?” means “what is going on?” or “what do you need?”

Advertisement Method 2 of 3:

Pronouncing American English Dialects

Including a harder R-sound makes words like “card” sound like “kaard” instead “cawd.” Another example would be “other,” which might sound like “oth-a” in British English, but sounds like “uh-ther” in American English.
Opting for hard vowels instead of soft vowels makes words like “cut” sound like “khut” in American English, while it might sound like “khat” in British English.

Tip: Watch American news reporters speak for a perfect example of what General American English sounds like. The nickname given to General American English is even “newscaster accent” or “television English.” [4] X Research source

Other examples include “feel” sounding like “fill,” and “think” sounding like “thenk.” Note that, in each example, the E, and the I-sounds are swapped.
Swapping the O and I makes words like “hot” sound like “hight,” and words like “like” sound like “lok.”

This makes words like “call” and “talk” sound like “kawl” and “tawk,” and words like “off” and “love” sound like “awf” and “lawve.”

The manipulation of O-sounds makes words like “hot” sound like “hat.” However, long O-sounds tend to be extended, so words like “whose” sound more like “hooz” instead of “whues.”

The Californian accent makes a phrase like “I like that here” sound like “I lyke tha hear.”

Advertisement Method 3 of 3:

Incorporating Slang and Using the Right Tone

The South has a lot of idioms and phrases, like “bless your heart,” which means “you are sweet,” and “pretty as a peach,” which means that something is pleasant, or cute.
The South is a very religious region of the United States. To speak like a Southerner, use the word “bless” often. Phrases like “bless your heart” and “God bless you” are common in the South.

Step 2 Adopt Northeastern slang to sound like an East Coast native." width="460" height="345" />

Raising your voice a little isn’t necessarily considered rude on the East Coast.
In Philadelphia, the word “jawn” can replace any noun and you’ll have to use context clues to determine what it means. For example, “that jawn” could mean “that girl,” “that food,” or “that politician” depending on the subject of discussion. Philadelphians also call submarine sandwiches “hoagies.”
If someone in the Northeast refers to “the City,” they’re talking about New York City. The state of New York (outside of New York City) is almost always called “New York State.”

Midwesterners tend to over-use niceties like “thanks” and “sorry” in everyday speech. These are often replaced with “ope.” It’s a sort of combination of “oh” and “whoops,” and is used to express regret that you made a minor mistake.
Chicagoans tend to say “goes” instead of “went” or “go.” They also use the word “dip” to mean “leave” or “vacate.”

“Radical” and “sick” are common terms for “awesome.” If someone from California says that you’re a “sick dude,” they’re paying you a compliment.
Like Bostonians, Californians use “hella.” However, they often pronounce it “helluva” and use it like a superlative to describe an event or person. For example, if a party was “a helluva good time,” then it was a really good party.

Tip: You can truncate and abbreviate words to sound like a trendy West Coast native. Many people there will say “guac” instead of “guacamole” or “Cali” instead of “California.”

Expert Q&A

How can I practice speaking with an American English dialect? Patrick Muñoz
Voice & Speech Coach

Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association.

Voice & Speech Coach Expert Answer Watch YouTube videos or movies with American actors and try to imitate how they pronounce the words.

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I watch foreign TV series such as Supernatural, Sherlock, Flash, etc. Will that be helpful for my fluent speaking skills?

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Remember that the U.S.A. is a huge country with loads of different accents and dialects. It's fun to try to "sound American," but if you're not a native English speaker, don't worry too much! You'll probably blend right in, anyway.
Many American dialects are "lazy" and tend to combine words, especially if they're a mouthful. For example, "Give it to me" becomes "Gimme."

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