To Relish, the verb, means ” To take pleasure or delight in; to enjoy greatly,” and ” To give flavour or relish to; to make appetizing. Also fig.” or so the OED tells us.  So when I encourage an actor to relish …

Relishing Vowel Length Read more »

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Dark L is the version of the /l/ consonant that most English speakers use at the ends of syllables, after a vowel, as in tile, hull, school. Depending on your accent, you may have a different kind of /l/ sound …

Lighten Your Dark L Read more »

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Getting greater articulatory detail in your speech comes from making sure that you include consonant cluster sounds rather than elide them when you feel that the emphasis will serve you. Today we’ll look at a final consonant cluster that frequently …

Consonant Cluster: /-sts/ Read more »

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Just stop! You’re such a snob! I don’t get it! I’m so mad! I feel sick! Don’t make me beg! All these short sentences end in stop-plosive consonants. In more casual, intimate speech, we’re likely to not release these final …

Releasing Your Final Consonants Read more »

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“Vowels are the emotion, and consonants are the intellect.” This is a commonly believed assertion, that the emotional content of your speech is shared through the vowel sounds, which are “free, and open”, while the intellectual component (the meaning!) is …

Balancing Consonants and Vowels Read more »

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