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Hi everyone, it's Ms. Jennings again. Today's blog post deals with how to reduce your accent
and properly pronounce days of the week in American English. In order to pronounce American
English properly and avoid weird looks from natives, it is crucial to learn how to clearly
articulate days of the week. Suppose you would like to schedule a business meeting with a
client, or ask someone out on a date. Pronouncing the day of the week correctly is an important
first step in scheduling your appointment!
Monday: Day 1. Most people start their work weeks on this day. In American office environments,
Monday is typically the least favorite day of the week. Be that as it may, the correct
way to pronounce this two-syllable word is "Mun+day". Note that the first syllable is
a "short O", so it sounds like "money". Day will always be pronounced with a "long A",
so it rhymes with "hay". Do not change the way you pronounce day in any of the days of
the week, and make sure you are saying "day" and not "dee" or "dye."
Tuesday: Day 2. This word is also two syllables. The first pronounced just like the word "too"
with a 'z' at the end, followed by day. Just like "Tooz+day." Very good!
Wednesday: Day 3. This word is intimidating for many of my American English University
students because of it's spelling, but learning how to pronounce Wednesday properly is important
and fairly simple. Even though it might appear to have more, Wednesday only has two syllables
just like Monday and Tuesday. The first is pronounced "when" plus a hard S, so it sounds
like "Wenz". Then, of course, add the word day at the end. "Wenz-day." You can see that
the 'd' is basically silent here.
Thursday: Day 4. The key to pronouncing Thursday properly is following Ms. Jennings AEU Tip
#5: It's OK to stick your tongue out! That said, stick your tongue slightly out when
saying the first syllable. "Thhh-ursday" Sticking your tongue out is the only way pronounce
the word clearly and accurately. See how the "Th" sounds exactly like "Thirsty," and "Think?"
"Thurz+day". Make sure you aren't saying "Turz-day" without the "h." This is a very common pronunciation
mistake that I want you to avoid.
Friday: Day 5. Americans favorite workday because it is the last one before the weekend.
Many offices even have "Casual Fridays" where employees are encouraged to wear less formal
clothing. Some offices even have such themes as "Hawaiian Shirt Fridays." But back to business...the
"Fr" sound in English is best pronounced if you put your front teeth over your lower lip
when speaking. In American English, the R's are pronounced more deliberately than British
English. So the "Fr" sound should be pronounced from the back of the throat. Pretend like
you are ordering FRench FRies when you pronounce this word. The 'Fri' sound is pronounced just
like the word "fry" as in to "fry an egg." Make sure you aren't pronouncing the "i" like
and "e" and saying "Free-day"
Saturday: Day 6. This celebrated first day of the weekend has 3 syllables, but don't
worry it's a breeze to pronounce. Saturday is pronounced exactly like the words "sadder
day" or "sad+er+day." If you are unfamiliar with the term "weekend," it's the days in
which the majority of employed Americans have off from work. This is why Americans love
Saturdays so much.
Sunday: Day 7. I won't get into religious talk here, but many people in America goto
Church on this day as it is considered the "day of rest." The key to pronouncing Sunday
is to think about the "Sun" in the sky. Then simply add the word "day" at the end. You
can also see here that "Sunday" is pronounced just like the words "son + day."
Well that's all of the American English Pronunciation Tips we have today on how to pronounce the
days of the week! I hope you are all able to pronounce the following days now with ease:
Monday (Mun+day), Tuesday (Tooz-day), Wednesday (Wenz+day), Thursday (Thurz+day), Friday (Fry+day),
Saturday (Sadder+day) and Sunday (Sun+day).