466. How to pronounce words like subtle, yacht, chaos and more (tricky spellings)

Now with the rise of AI, everything has become FAST. We look for short videos, quick wins, and AI tools that do everything for us. And while that’s amazing in so many ways, it can also make us believe that fluency should be something that’s easy, instant, or effortless. But here’s the truth: some things still take time, intention, and consistency. And English is one of them! In this episode, I talk about the five must-have qualities you need to truly master English. Not tools. Not grammar rules. Not hacks. Qualities. The kind that no app or AI can give you. Because over the past couple of years, I’ve noticed something, not just in my own life and business, but in the lives of my students and the people I work with. It’s becoming harder to stay consistent. Harder to follow through. And easier to expect results without really doing the inner work. So in this episode, I want to shine a light on what’s actually holding people back from fluency, even when they’re doing “all the right things.” Even when they’re using amazing tools like AI. If you’re ready to go deeper and get the kind of support where you can bring these 5 qualities to LIFE I’m inviting you to learn more about my membership, Beyond! Click here to learn more: https://bit.ly/4nrfM5N

In this interview, I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Katya, one of my amazing students who started learning English from scratch seven years ago. What’s even more incredible is that she did it all without ever living in an English-speaking country!! Katya takes us through her journey, from feeling stuck and frustrated to finding the breakthrough that led her to become a leader in our communities. We dive deep into how pronunciation work, especially prosody, not only helped her speak with confidence but also transformed her mindset and life. In this conversation, Katya shares her challenges, wins, and the powerful role our community played in her success. If you’re feeling stuck or unsure of your own learning path, her story will inspire you to keep going and find joy in the process. I am so honored to share this interview. I dearly love Katya, and I know you will love her too!  Learn with me: Join my membership, Beyond: https://bit.ly/4nrfM5N  Get on the waitlist for my 3-month program, New Sound: https://bit.ly/3I9wNkY

Improve your vocabulary, pronunciation and pace while reading a book out loud with me! We’re reading the ‘Let Them’ book by Mel Robbins. Not only is it an excellent practice, it’s also a great way for us to understand how WE can adopt this theory in our lives. Download the PDF here to follow along and improve your vocabulary [Free!] https://bit.ly/4likIrM More ‘read out loud’ videos: https://bit.ly/4fx9j4t

Shadowing is a great way to practice your pronunciation, prosody, grammar and so much more, but the key is knowing what to focus on. Today, we’re going to focus on a few key sounds, and connected speech from the hit show, The Last of Us. I also prepared for you a free PDF with the shadowing analysis and notes so you can practice this speech on your own. Download my shadowing analysis from the hit show The Last of Us: https://bit.ly/4kGPz1k

In this episode, we’re tackling some of the trickiest words in English pronunciation, like ‘queue’, ‘colonel’, ‘subtle’ and more! These words are especially tricky because of their confusing spelling. But today, we’ll practice them out loud together to build your pronunciation confidence and be able to say these words with ease. Want more practice? Get my FREE 14-day pronunciation plan to keep practicing! https://bit.ly/3YAWcJ5

There are 50 states in the US. Do you know how to pronounce all of them? In this episode, I’m teaching you how to pronounce each one…and some might just surprise you! A quick side note, there can be many different regional pronunciations of each state, so in this episode, I’ve covered the most common! Check out a list of all the states with IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription on my website: https://bit.ly/3YR2zc1

Get ready to read Atomic Habits by James Clear out loud with me! Follow along and improve your vocabulary and pronunciation with an excerpt from Atomic Habits! Personally, I love this book. It’s such a great book all about building habits that last (and these tips are great for language learning too!) Get a 30-day Audible free trial using my referral code and get Atomic Habits for FREE: https://adbl.co/2ESq3ro Read Atomic Habits: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits Practice with my Sprints: https://bit.ly/419T61z

Have you ever tried to practice rhythm in English before? In this episode, we're diving into the rhythm of English, an essential part of speaking with fluency and confidence. English is a syllable-timed language, meaning that the rhythm is based on the time between syllables, not on individual words.  Let’s practice together today with a metronome to help you develop rhythm in English in several different exercises! More episodes on rhythm:  Rhythm of English words: https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/116/  Practice rhythm in a speech: https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/47/

Struggling to show up with authority in English? In this episode, you'll learn how to build authority and confidence as a nonnative speaker: without trying to sound perfect. Discover practical tips to own your voice, speak with impact, and get the respect you deserve in any conversation. Learn more about my audio course, My English Mindset here: https://bit.ly/47wXuYD Get started with my free 14-day pronunciation plan: https://bit.ly/3YAWcJ5

Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss. Read along with me and improve your pronunciation in English! This is no easy challenge. Are you up for it? For more pronunciation practice, grab my free 14-day pronunciation plan https://bit.ly/3YAWcJ5