Speaking English: How to Pronounce “Water” in American English (It’s a LOT More Difficult Than You Might Think!) | #TeamWater

I created this video to help you nail the pronunciation of the word “water” in American English. But I also need your help with a very important task: to raise money for Team Water!

Tagged With: Travel Phrases, Travel Vocabulary   YouTube blocked? Click here to see the video.

Video Transcript:

That’s refreshing. The pronunciation of water in American English is pretty unique.

Water problem.

Running water.

Water moves.

Water.

I can’t even do the Australian one.

Today, we’re going to go over a bunch of sentences with the word ‘water’ in American English so you can confidently nail its pronunciation.

I can access clean water from my kitchen sink.

I can access clean water from the hose behind my house. I’m not going to, but I could drink this.

Same with the hose for my garage.

I can get clean drinking water from the sink in the guest bathroom.

That would be four sources of clean drinking water right here in my home.

I have clean drinking water in the sink in the whole bathroom.

Make that five. But around the world,

In this bathroom, I have two sinks with clean drinking water.

One in ten people don’t have access to clean drinking water.

I can even get clean drinking water from this shower.

So, I’m teaming up with over 3,000 other YouTubers.

Or this shower.

To raise $40 million for clean drinking water for people all over the world.

Or this shower.

With the team water fundraiser and WaterAid America.

Or this bathtub.

So, today I’m asking you to join me and thousands of others.

And right here from inside my refrigerator.

By donating to this fundraiser today.

12 sources of clean water right here in my home. But millions around the world don’t even have one.

My goal is to raise $1,500. And today I’m going to jumpstart that by donating half of it myself. Please join me to help team water reach the incredible goal of 40 million dollars. To raise this money and make this impact, we need everyone who can give a little or a lot to do so. This will help us bring clean water to two million people for decades to come. The next time you enjoy a glass of clean, fresh water, feel gratitude and give a little to bring this sustenance to someone else who needs it.

Thank you, Team Rachel’s English, for helping me reach my fundraising goal. Let’s talk American English pronunciation. Water. First syllable stress, a W where the lips round.

1. Open into the A vowel with some jaw drop. W. Now, that’s kind of easy. It’s the rest of the word that can be really tricky. First of all, that T, it’s not T pronounced as a true T. It’s pronounced as a flap T, [flap]. The tongue bounces against the roof of the mouth. This is one of the main differences between the word water in American English versus British English. In British English, they don’t do the flap t. Water. Wa- [flap], water. And then we go into the R sound which here takes over the schwa which comes before. So don’t worry about making a sound between the flap and the R. Just go straight from the flap into the R. Now to make the American R, you should be able to hold that sound out. The middle part of my tongue is lifting so it can touch the roof of the mouth, but the tip of the tongue pulls back and it doesn’t touch anything.

Water. Water. Make sure you have pitch change. That helps make this word clearer.

Water.

Make sure you’re repeating that out loud right now. Give it a try.

Water.

Now, let’s get into some exposure training by hearing this word in many different contexts, many different voices. You’ll hear each example three times in a row before moving on.

Then I felt water.

Blood is thicker than water.

Everybody gets a bucket of water.

William, I am going to blow it out of the water.

I know she’s wacky as a water bug.

I threw it off the water tower.

I want to go in the water.

I was just looking for some regular water.

I was on the water.

I’ll stand by you come hell or high water.

It’s just dead in the water.

Is there Is there a body of water involved?

Is the only source of fresh water we found.

Looks like water.

It’s a fish out of water story.

It’s all water under the bridge, I guess.

Good.

It’s important to keep your head above water.

It’s water, power and property taxes.

Looks like somebody’s water broke in there.

Mr. Treehorn draws a lot of water in this town.

Naturally, when you divert water, there’s a little runoff.

Now, as the water level rises…

Of course, he has to swim in the same water we all do.

Oh, because of the water leak.

Oh, I got that coconut water that you wanted.

Oh, I’m certainly a fish out of water here.

Oh, water, Huh?

Okay, okay, my water isn’t breaking anytime soon.

Or clean water, clean sheets, food, shelter.

Seems you can walk on water after all.

Okay, so water works a bit differently in space.

Something in the water.

That’s a lot of water under the bridge, huh, Jack?

The water was so great.

Then he found out you were dumping water at night.

There’s got to be some water ahead.

They call it a lake, but it’s really just a big bowl of muddy water.

Toilet paper and water.

Because water in a plastic bag is a water balloon.

Water molecules are bombarded with microwave radiation

We couldn’t find any signs of fresh water.

We got a UN diplomat got his detail in hot water.

We try to water them down a little.

We’re dead in the water until the power comes back on.

She’ll be in hot water again.

Excuse me, where’s your water cooler?

You guys are dead in the water.

Keep your head above water in New York.

You know, a water would be perfect.

You really went into deep water on this one.

Thank you so much for considering a donation for the Rachel’s English team with this team water effort to raise 40 million dollars for clean water. I so appreciate your effort to this cause. It’s really special when so many people from so many places around the world come together for one cause. You are what makes it happen.

Keep your learning going now with this video and don’t forget to subscribe with notifications on. I absolutely love being your English teacher. That’s it. And thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.

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