Turns out, most people--including actors in the Harry Potter films--have been mispronouncing "Voldemort" all this time.  Click here to learn how author J.K. Rowling says his name should be pronounced.
​   If pronouncing other English words is challenging for you, and you like to learn to speak with a standard American accent, contact Clearly Speaking today.

The delicate tissue of your vocal cords can be damaged from a number of causes: illness, surgery, chemical exposure (including cigarette smoke), violent coughing, excessive muscle tension, etc. When injured, the tissue of the mucosa covering the cords tends to stiffen as it heals, changing the sound and function of your voice. Restoration of vibratory function has variable success, depending on the extent of the injury. A recent article describes a successful attempt to grow donated vocal fold cells, which then vibrated nearly normally when implanted in dog larynges. If this technique proves out in further clinical trials, it offers a promising option for people with certain types of vocal fold damage. Click here to read more.  

If you would like to learn to use your voice with optimal efficiency, and reduce the possibility of damaging your vocal cords, contact Clearly Speaking today.

The Nutella company states on its website that the preferred pronunciation is "NEW-tella," but they'll happily sell you a jar whichever version you say.  Read more.  
Other mis-pronunciations can have more serious consequences.  If your pronunciation of English is holding you back from being understood easily, contact Clearly Speaking.

   Many people find public speaking difficult, and there are many different ways to learn to speak in public more easily.  For one person in Maryland, experience in training teenage cattle judges helped in honing public speaking skills.  To read more, click here.
​   While this example may bring a smile to your face, it exemplifies several principles of good public speaking: know your topic, know your audience, and have a compelling message.
   If you would like to learn more about public speaking techniques, even if you don't have a handy herd of dairy cattle, contact Clearly Speaking today.

A stray dog in London, whose trainer at the rescue shelter speaks with a French accent, now only responds to commands "given a la francais."   To read more, click here.
​If you would like to speak to your dog with a French accent, bonne chance!  If you would like to speak English with a standard American accent, contact Clearly Speaking today.

Everyone speaks with an accent.  When a child learns to speak, he or she mimics the sounds of the language of adults.  When an adult learns a seconds language, the patterns and sounds of the first language can influence how he or she speaks the second language. Recently, a language scholar has posited that the Australian accent arose because the adults were drunk so often that the children grew up speaking with slurred sounds and dropped syllables, even the teetotalers! Click here to read more.
​If you have an accent that is not influenced by alcohol, and would like to learn to speak with a more standard American accent, contact Clearly Speaking today.