PRONUNCIATION TIPS FOR ACTORS

As an actor, your job is to connect with the audience. When this goes well, your viewers feel what you feel and experience what you experience. Achieving this connection is difficult for any performer, but it is especially hard when you are speaking in a new language. There is always the possibility that the audience will not understand. However, you can work with your script to make sure your English is comprehensible and that you are expressing the emotions and intentions of the character with your voice and body. The benefits of this pronunciation work can transfer to English in other areas of your life.

Here are some tips for making your pronunciation clear and believable. You can do these activities in any order, and often you may revisit one or another of them during rehearsal.

1. Decide how you will express the emotions that your character feels. Read your part and think about your character. What is their backstory? What do you notice about your character’s outlook on life? What is your objective in the play as a whole and in each scene? What is your obstacle? How do you feel? Angry? Powerful? Confident? Secretive? Scared? Frustrated? Or some other emotion? Write your emotions and other notes in the margin of your script next to your lines. When you understand your character, you will be able to identify the character’s feelings and make decisions about your intonation. It will be believable and support your message.
2. Next, mark your script for stressed words and syllables. First, identify the thought groups. Every thought group has at least one focus word, the word that carries the most meaning, along with surrounding grammar words, which are often reduced or linked. Focus words are generally nouns, verbs, adjectives, and sometimes adverbs. They also include emphasizers. Put a slash between thought groups and underline or highlight the focus words. Here is an example.

The branch breaks, / and I fall./ Crash, / bang, / boom. / I bounce / from branch / to branch / and as I fall / all I’m thinking is / I’ve got / to protect / my head.

1. You may also want to mark other pronunciation points such as syllable and word stress, the linking of consonant sounds such as get‿to or vowel to consonant sounds such as have a‿seat, as well as reductions that occur within the phrases and words, such as gonna instead of going to. Notice that linkings and reductions reduce the impact of these grammar-y function words and increase the impact of the more meaningful focus words. Recognizing these patterns will also help you with your listening and speaking beyond the play.
2. Practice your lines. Read them out loud and decide whether you want long or short pauses between the thought groups. Say the focus words with a longer vowel sound to follow the rhythm of English. Remember that the focus words are the words that audiences really need to hear. Try different ways of saying your lines until you feel comfortable.
3. Note that a change in word stress can change the meaning of what you are saying. For example, saying “You shouldn’t be afraid of people,” focuses on you, in contrast to someone else. But, saying “You shouldn’t be afraid of people,” focuses on the contrast between people and something else you could be afraid of, such as animals or public speaking. Also think about the body language and gesture that will help you get your message across. How will you stand? What can you do with your hands?
4. Record yourself and then listen to the recording and make adjustments. Discuss your relationship to the story or other characters and work on the emotion as well as the pronunciation. Most people speak too fast or sound like they are reading when they are acting. Try adding a longer pause to build suspense at an important moment. Start to talk, hesitate, and then start again as if you are trying to think of what to say. Make eye contact with other characters. Get feedback from other people to find out if they understand you.
5. Memorize your lines before performing or at least practice so much that you are not reading. Good actors overlearn their lines. That way, they don’t forget what they will say and they can focus on the important messages and the way they speak.
6. Don’t panic. If you forget a line during a performance, just say something that moves the conversation along until you remember your place. Or say, “Line” and your stage manager can read it for you. It will be fine!