English pronunciation practice, sentence by sentence
Listen · say it · see which words were not clear
Sentence 1 of 13
Hi, I'm Dana.
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What is English pronunciation practice by shadowing?
Shadowing means you listen to a sentence and say it straight back, copying the sounds, stress and rhythm. You practice whole sentences, the way you actually speak, so this English pronunciation practice for adults uses real sentences you can use this week.
Here, a speech recognizer checks each sentence you say against the original and marks the words that weren’t clear: skipped, swapped for another word, or heard as something else. It checks what a listener would understand, not whether you sound like a native speaker.
What English pronunciation practice should focus on
Four things decide whether a listener understands you. The marked words usually come from one of them.
Word stress
English leans hard on one syllable: PHOtograph, phoTOgraphy. Put the weight in the wrong place and a word you know perfectly can sound like a different one.
Linking
Native speakers join words: “pick it up” comes out as one sound. Saying every word separately is clear but slow, and it makes you harder to follow in fast speech.
Word endings
Final sounds carry grammar: the -ed in “walked”, the -s in “bags”. Dropping them changes the meaning, so this is the first thing to fix when a word is marked.
Vowel length
“Ship” and “sheep”, “full” and “fool” differ only in how long and how tight the vowel is. Listen twice, then copy the length, not just the letters.
Who English pronunciation practice helps
Clear speech matters most when someone has to understand you the first time.
At work
Meetings and calls where people ask you to repeat yourself. Practice the kind of sentences you actually say, and the words that keep getting misheard come out clearer.
Travel and daily life
Ordering food, asking for directions, checking in. Short everyday sentences are exactly what this pronunciation practice uses, so the fixes carry straight over.
Speaking exams
IELTS rates pronunciation on how easy you are to understand, not on having a native accent. Fix the words a listener would struggle with here, then use them in IELTS speaking practice.
After the accent test
If the accent test showed the sounds that give you away, practice them here inside full sentences, where they actually come up, instead of as isolated drills.
How to do English pronunciation practice here
One sentence at a time, as many tries as you like.
1. Listen to the sentence
Tap Listen as often as you like. Notice where the stress falls and which words run together.
2. Say it
Tap the microphone, say the whole sentence, then tap again. Match the speed and rhythm, not only the words.
3. Fix the marked words
Yellow words weren’t clear. Coral words were skipped or swapped. Listen again, try again, or move on to the next sentence.
Pronunciation practice FAQ
How does the pronunciation check work?
Two speech recognizers listen to your recording: one hears it the way a person would, using the words around each word, and one follows only the sound. Words both of them catch stay plain. A word only the first one catches is marked not clear, and a word you left out or said as a different word is marked skipped or swapped.
Do I get a pronunciation score?
No. We don’t give a percentage or a mark for your accent. We show exactly which words a listener might not have understood, so you know what to repeat.
Why was a word flagged when I think I said it right?
Speech recognition isn’t perfect, and a quiet room with the microphone close makes a big difference. If it keeps happening on the same word, listen to the sentence again and focus on that word’s stress and ending.
Do I need a microphone?
Yes. A laptop or phone microphone is fine. Allow microphone access in your browser when it asks.
Is it free?
Yes. You can check 20 sentences a day without an account, and 60 a day with a free account.
What should I practice after single sentences?
Shadowing trains how you say a sentence, but the words are someone else’s. To build your own sentences, try retelling: you hear a short real-life story, tell it in your own words from notes, and the AI shows how a native speaker would say what you meant.
The easiest way to improve your spoken English.
Free English speaking practice: one short story, a few minutes, no sign-up.
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