Sometimes I train Czech actors in the British accent so that they can get parts in international films. And I find they all struggle with the same sounds:
- „w“ – very often, this sound becomes a „v“ sound.
- „a“ – as in cat. It’s a very wide sound, but not the same in Czech. So my name is often pronounced „Ebbey“ by my Czech buddies.
- „th“ – this is like the „ř“ for English speakers – almost impossible!
I really admire anyone who speaks another language and am in awe of people who really want to master the pronunciation.
Sometimes I completely forget that Lenka is speaking to me in a second language. I simply can’t imagine speaking such good French or Czech!
So I found it a bit surprising when she told me that there are some words she finds difficult to say. I’ve never noticed! But then, apparently, she hates them so much that she completely changes her sentences so that she doesn’t have to use them!
But today, she’s feeling brave. Let’s tackle Lenka’s list of pronunciation troublemakers!
