Indian Languages

Study the whole book, but also pay special attention to the topics outlined below. These are common areas of difficulty for Indian students of English. 

Consonants

The /v/ Sound

You may have a tendency to confuse the /v/ and /w/ sounds. Be sure to review the explanations and exercises for these sounds in Chapter Four.

Dropping the v in the middle or at the end of a word is also a common mistake.

Practice Sentences

1. I have to have five.
2. He will prove that he can improve the government.
3. I have been involved with them for eleven or twelve years.

The /r/ Sound

Learn to create the correct American /r/ sound by studying Chapter Three and by doing all of the /r/ exercises in Chapter Four. Make sure you do not roll the /r/ with the tip of your tongue, as this creates a harsh sounding Indian /r./

Indian speakers tend to roll the /r/ when it is followed by another consonant, as in bring, program, friend, or when it is in the beginning of the word as in red and right.

When the /r/ sound is at the end of the word, as in far and computer, or before another consonant, as in dark and concert, Indian speakers tend not to pronounce it at all. Remember, the /r/ is never silent in Standard American English whereas in British English it sometimes is.

Word Pairs for Practice

Make sure you don’t pronounce these pairs of words the same:

The th Sound

Review Chapters Three and Four to learn the correct pronunciation of this sound. A common mistake is to substitute a /t/ or a /d/ for the th.

Vowels

It is recommended that you study all of the American vowel sounds in detail. (See Chapters One and Two.) However, pay special attention to the vowel sounds highlighted below which are the most problematic ones for Indian speakers of English.

The /eɪ/ Sound

Indian speakers tend to pronounce /eɪ/ (as in take) as /ɛ/ or /æ/, so the word same ends up sounding like Sam. Here are some other examples of words that tend to sound the same when Indian speakers pronounce them:

Confusing /ɛ/ and /æ/

Review Chapters One and Two to master the differences between /ɛ/ as in bet and /æ/ as in bat.

The /ɔ/ Sound

Be careful that your /ɔ/ sound (as in saw) is not influenced by the very different British version of this sound. In British English pause sounds almost like “pose,” but in American English it sounds much more like /pɑz/, and has the same /ɑ/ sound as in father or watch.

Word Contrasts for Practice

Make sure you don’t pronounce the two words in each pair the same way:

Syllable Stress

The English spoken in India follows very different rules for syllable stress of words. Sometimes there seem to be no consistent rules, probably because of the many dialects in India that are influencing the evolution of spoken English. As a result, a variety of syllable stresses seems to be accepted. Once during an accent reduction lesson in the United States, three Indian software engineers were asked to give the correct syllable stress of the word engineer. Three different answers were given. One person was certain that the correct pronunciation was “engineer;” another student stated, “engineer;” and the third said, “engineer.”

If you speak fast and you make these types of mistakes, it will certainly be difficult for people to understand you. Learn the correct syllable stress of the words that you most commonly use. Mark the syllable that you believe should be stressed and then check your answers in the dictionary. The most common mistake is to stress the first syllable.

Here is a sample list of words that Indian speakers commonly pronounce with the wrong stress. First test out your knowledge of these words by marking the syllable that you think should be stressed, and then check your dictionary or ask a native speaker for the correct answers.

1. although
2. sophisticated
3. information
4. discuss
5. develop
6. register
7. communication
8. idea
9. Europe
10. combination
11. efficient
12. instead
13. response
14. spontaneous
15. exactly
16. colleague
17. agree
18. variety
19. eliminate
20. consist
21. priority
22. penalty
23. whenever
24. beginning
25. understand
26. determine
27. development
28. economical
29. technique
30. concern
31. request
32. already

Word Stress

Indians tend to place the most stress in the first part of a phrase or sentence, whereas Americans stress the endings more. Remember to place the most emphasis on the last content word of each sentence. Review Chapter Six for more guidance on this topic.

Intonation

There’s a tendency for Indian speakers to use rising or wavering intonation. Study the rules in Chapter Seven to work on this area.

Fast Speech

Indian speakers tend to speak very quickly and with a very different sentence melody. Combine that with mispronouncing some consonants and vowels, and you have a strong accent that can be difficult for Americans to understand. It is important for you to practice Chapters Five through Eight in order to master the rhythm and melody of English. Stressing content words will also help you to slow down your speech since you will be required to prolong the stressed vowels.