Luke Nicholson improveyouraccent

Do you pronounce the words "backbenches" and "backbenchers" in the same way? For me, they're different. For other English accents, they're pronounced the same.

06.03.2026 12:30 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Is the "th" pronounced the same way in the words "worth" and "cringeworthy"?

05.03.2026 12:30 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

English Pronunciation Lessons – Improve Your Accent Lessons to Improve Your English Pronunciation. "Accent Reduction" taught by the experts. Courses 100% tailored to your needs.

Speak English with confidence! 🌟 Get 1–to–1 coaching and transform your speech

04.03.2026 12:31 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

03.03.2026 18:29 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Improve Your Accent Learn British English pronunciation with expert accent coach Luke Nicholson.

💬 "The best English pronunciation course you can find online! You will learn everything you need to speak fluently. It gave me so much confidence in speaking English. Thank you Luke!" – Magda, Poland
🚀 Join today:

03.03.2026 12:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Where's the primary stress in the word "metamorphosis": (1) metaMORphosis, (2) metamorPHOsis?

02.03.2026 12:30 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Linguistics jobs - Interview with an Accent Coach Today’s interview is with Luke Nicholson, who is an accent coach. I know quite a few people who got into linguistics because they were interested in accents and voice training, so I’m excited to share Luke’s story. Luke is also a great example of how you can use your interest in linguistics to tread your own path and start your own business - in 2017 he won IPSE’s UK Freelancer of the Year award. You can catch Luke tweeting about phonetics and accents at @ImproveAccent. What did you study at university? I studied German and Italian at the University of Birmingham in the UK. I always found myself drawn to modules which allowed me to analyse language in detail. For example, in the Italian culture module I investigated how queer language was translated into Italian, and in the German film module I examined different sociolects in Germany. After university, I took a CELTA course leading to qualification in teaching English to non-native speakers. This was the time when my interest in phonetics was sparked. I later trained as an actor at East 15 Acting School in London, which gave me a better understanding of how the voice works anatomically. Finally, I took the IPA (International Phonetics Association) Certificate of Proficiency in the Phonetics of English. I couldn’t find anyone to help me prepare for the exam, so I spent my days poring through as many phonetics textbooks as I could. The exam was really fun! My favourite part was when the examiner (speaking with a conservative RP accent) was reciting nonsense words to transcribe. The variety of implosives, clicks, and ejectives (among other unfamiliar-to-an-English-speaker sounds) was particularly enjoyable! What is your job? I run my own business in London called Improve Your Accent. I spend my days teaching non-native English speakers on a 1-1 basis and helping them communicate more clearly and confidently. Typically a session starts with me doing an assessment of the client’s accent (both speaking and reading). I work out what should be prioritised for communication purposes. For example, if a speaker has problems distinguishing /r/ and /l/ and problems distinguishing /θ/ & /ð/ (“th” sounds), it would be more productive to start with the /r/ and /l/ sounds as they have a higher functional load compared to the latter. I familiarise the client with their mouth muscles and we do exercises to increase proprioception (awareness of what your mouth is doing when you talk) and control of these muscles. Afterwards, we work on priorities for that individual. These could be vowels, consonants, rhythm and intonation, or articulatory settings/voice quality. I have a microphone and recording software set up so that the client can listen to their own voice and we can mark progress. We use the free interactive pronunciation resources on my website (shameless plug) as well as worksheets and audio recordings that I’ve created over the past six years. Does your linguistics training help you in your job? Very much so. Whenever I have a client from a new language background (which is always very exciting), I use it as an excuse to delve into academic journals to see what information I can uncover about their native phonology. A quick glance at this should make it clear what English sounds they might find challenging – or any phonotactic constraints they may have (what sounds can go together to make syllables). Do you have any advice that you wish someone had given to you about linguistics / careers / university? Just because you had a specific career in mind when you started university, it does not mean you have to pursue it. Any other thoughts or comments? Think about the amount of accent variation we have in the native English-speaking world. One paper describing the phonological system of one variety of English does not necessarily apply to another. So when reading about specific languages, do not assume that native speakers you meet will always match what you have read. Some of my most exciting moments come from realising that the speaker has an interesting accent from a region I’ve never heard before. One pertinent example of this was when I was teaching a Venezuelan speaker who would end every nasal coda with [ŋ] rather than [n] (I later learned that this was usual from speakers in that area). Alternatively, there may speaker-specific divergences. Examples of previous students that come to mind include an Italian speaker using [ʁ] rather than [ɾ] or a Hebrew speaker using [ɬ] instead of [s]. Trust your ear as much as an academic paper. Website: www.ImproveYourAccent.co.uk Twitter: @ImproveAccent Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ImproveYourAccent/ YouTube: www.YouTube.com/c/ImproveYourAccent Previously: Interview with two Communications Professionals Interview with a university course coordinator Interview with a think tank researcher Interview with a Museum Curator Interview with a Communications Consultant Check out the Linguist Jobs tag for even more interviews

I was interviewed about being an accent coach by Superlinguo:

01.03.2026 12:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Is the "th" pronounced in the word "depths"?

28.02.2026 12:30 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Online Classroom – Improve Your Accent If you want 1:1 coaching with me / ask a pronunciation question, then join my online classroom sessions. They are free as part of my online course.

🤔 Does your English sound flat? Learn English rhythm & intonation in my live classes! Join my course before 1st March to attend classes on basic & advanced sentence stress patterns and tones (e.g. fall, rise, fall–rise). More info & dates:

27.02.2026 12:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Could “present” be pronounced in 3 ways with 3 different meanings? 🤔
• /ˈprɛzənt/ – a gift
• /prɪˈzɛnt/ – to introduce
• /ˌpriːˈsɛnt/ – “sent beforehand”? 👀
#heteronymictriplet

26.02.2026 12:30 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

How to pronounce French letters & words with accent expert Luke Nicholson

Quick tips on French pronunciation! Luke Nicholson takes you through his tips for understanding the harder French letters and words. Luke covers the importan... How to pronounce French letters & words with accent expert Luke Nicholson

Polish your French pronunciation with my tips:

25.02.2026 12:31 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Improve Your Accent Learn British English pronunciation with expert accent coach Luke Nicholson.

💬 "Luke’s course is absolutely fantastic. I have trialled a few others and stayed with this – great structure, plenty of supporting reading and it really helped me getting over the hump with my pronunciation." – Adam, Hungary
✨ Try for free:

24.02.2026 12:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

AnDa Union - video clips

I really enjoy the sound of throat singing, so I was very pleased to finally see some live in the UK recently. I watched Anda Union and they were very good

23.02.2026 12:27 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Take the pronunciation challenge with me and Gideon from @LetThemTalkTV! From "amigo to zeitgeist, we’ll explain how loanwords are pronounced in English.Get ... How do we pronounce words from other languages?

How do we pronounce words from other languages in English? 🌍 The fascinating world of borrowed words:

22.02.2026 12:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Could “relay” be pronounced in 3 ways with 3 different meanings? 🤔
• /ˈriːleɪ/ – a race / electrical device
• /rɪˈleɪ/ – to receive and pass on information
• /ˌriːˈleɪ/ – to lay again? 👀
#heteronymictriplet

21.02.2026 12:30 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Could “record” be pronounced in 3 ways with 3 different meanings? 🤔
• /ˈrɛkɔːd/ – a document/vinyl
• /rɪˈkɔːd/ – to capture audio/video
• /ˌriːˈkɔːd/ – to cord again? 👀
#heteronymictriplet

20.02.2026 12:30 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Online Classroom – Improve Your Accent If you want 1:1 coaching with me / ask a pronunciation question, then join my online classroom sessions. They are free as part of my online course.

🎯 Learn English rhythm & intonation in my live classes! Join my course before 1st March to attend classes on basic & advanced sentence stress patterns and tones (e.g. fall, rise, fall–rise). More info & dates:

19.02.2026 12:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

funetics Putting the fun in phonetics.

Did you know "e" and "o" can each represent two different vowel sounds in Standard Italian? Learn more here:

18.02.2026 12:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Happy Lunar New Year!

17.02.2026 18:02 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

British English pronunciation course – Improve Your Accent Speak clearly and confidently. This British Council award-nominated pronunciation course helps you master vowels, consonants, rhythm and intonation.

💬 "Where has this guy been? Needed him twenty years ago!" – Vincenzo, Italy
More info ➡️

17.02.2026 12:32 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Hear the R that still survives: Lancashire rhoticity!

Try all Opera's features by downloading it, completely free:https://opr.as/01-Opera-browser-drgeofflindseyytI visited picturesque Lancashire in search of sur... Hear the R that still survives: Lancashire rhoticity!

Geoff Lindsey's excellent new video on rhoticity in Lancashire

16.02.2026 12:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

5 Tips on How to Do an American Accent (while Singing) Want to learn how to sing in an American accent? Here are 5 easy steps to help you (with useful audio recordings). (1) The T Sounds - notice how...

How to do an American Accent 🇺🇸

15.02.2026 12:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Laryngology (VOICE BOXES) with Dr. Ronda Alexander — alie ward PART 1: Voices! Singing! Anxiety busters! Breathing! The absolutely magnetic, charismatic Laryngologist and surgeon Dr. Ronda Alexander makes her long-awaited Ologies debut to chat about why we sound the way we do, hormones and voices, Elvis accents, opera singing, kid voices, turning back time vo

If you're interested in the voice, I'd highly recommend the two podcast episodes on laryngology here

14.02.2026 12:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

I heard an amusing slip of the tongue recently: someone talked about living in "Stroke-on-Tent".

13.02.2026 12:30 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Are the words "motive" and "motif" a minimal pair?

12.02.2026 12:30 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Get my FREE vowel guide – Improve Your Accent Can't make the difference between "sheep" and "ship"? Get my free vowel guide and improve your British English pronunciation. Speak English more clearly and confidently.

Do you pronounce "feet" and "fit" differently? If not, get my FREE Vowel Guide now

11.02.2026 12:32 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Improve Your Accent Learn British English pronunciation with expert accent coach Luke Nicholson.

💬 "This course is very well organised and it covers a ton of useful information and exercises to improve your English pronunciation." – Monica, Spanish speaker
🚀 Join today:

10.02.2026 12:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Can the word "handmade" sound like "ham made"?

09.02.2026 12:30 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

What I learned building a text-to-IPA transcriber While building my FREE transcriber, there were some interesting linguistic puzzles to solve, such as heteronyms and spelling variation.

What I learned building a text-to-IPA transcriber

08.02.2026 12:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Can you think of words in English that begin with the letters "ch", but don't have a /ʧ/ sound like in "cheese"? Here are some examples: "chef", "Charlotte", "charlatan".

07.02.2026 12:30 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Posts by Luke Nicholson (@improveyouraccent.bsky.social)