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Accent Development: Lesson 1

10/7/2026

Exercise:

  1. Listen to the recording and repeat each word or sentence in the same way as the speaker.

    (Do your best to imitate them!)

  2. Voice-record yourself reading the words out loud

  3. Play your voice recording audio and listen to your pronunciation

  4. Compare with the original audio and Imitate the speaker

  5. Send your voice recording to your language coach.

grey microphone on brown wooden stand
grey microphone on brown wooden stand

ACCENT DEVELOPMENT — LESSON 1: PRONUNCIATION PATTERNS

Level: A2–B2 Focus: Recognising spelling patterns and predicting pronunciation in modern British English.

1. RECOGNISE

Read the words aloud. Identify the letters that create the main sound.

  • -tion: station, action, information

  • -sion: television, decision, confusion

  • -ture: picture, future, adventure

  • -ough: though, through, thought, rough

  • Silent letters: knife, lamb, honest, climb

Task: Underline the target letter combinations. Read each word aloud twice.

2. UNDERSTAND

English spelling does not always tell you exactly how a word sounds. Some letter combinations are common patterns, while others have several possible pronunciations.

  • -tion usually sounds like /ʃən/: station

  • -sion can sound like /ʒən/ or /ʃən/: decision, confusion

  • -ture often sounds like /tʃə/: picture

  • -ough has several pronunciations: though, through, thought, rough

  • Silent letters are written but not pronounced: knife, lamb, honest

3. PREDICT

Before checking a dictionary, predict how each unfamiliar word is pronounced. Mark the syllables and underline the stressed syllable.

  • cautious

  • departure

  • occasion

  • throughout

  • knowledgeable

  • muscle

  • architecture

  • sufficient

Then check the pronunciation in a British English dictionary.

For each word, answer:

  • Which part of the spelling helped you predict the pronunciation?

  • Were any letters silent?

  • Where is the main stress?

  • What surprised you?

4. PRACTISE

Read each group aloud. Focus on the target pattern and keep the rhythm natural.

A. -tion

  • The station is next to the information centre.

  • Her explanation helped me understand the situation.

  • We need to make a decision before the celebration.

B. -sion

  • Television has changed the way people communicate.

  • His decision caused some confusion.

  • The discussion continued after the meeting.

C. -ture

  • The picture shows a beautiful landscape.

  • We have an exciting adventure planned for the future.

  • The temperature dropped during the night.

D. -ough

  • Although it was tough, we thought it through.

  • I knew we could get through the journey.

  • She bought enough food, though not everything.

E. Silent letters

  • I know the answer, but I might have to think.

  • The honest man climbed the mountain.

  • She left her knife beside the lamb.

5. APPLY

Read the paragraph aloud. First, read slowly and pronounce each word clearly. Then repeat it at a natural speaking speed.

A Difficult Decision

Although the journey was tough, we thought it would be worth it. We travelled through the countryside to visit an old building with unusual architecture. The guide gave us useful information about its history and explained how the structure had changed over time. After the visit, we had a discussion about whether the building should be restored. It was a difficult decision, but everyone had an interesting suggestion.

6. RECORD

Record yourself reading the paragraph twice.

  • Recording 1: Focus on accuracy.

  • Recording 2: Focus on natural rhythm and clear pronunciation.

Listen back and check:

  • Did you pronounce the target letter combinations correctly?

  • Did you pronounce any silent letters by mistake?

  • Did you stress the correct syllables?

  • Which three words need more practice?