Blog
Field notes from building pronunciation courses for 31 language pairs.
Is Korean Difficult? Hangul Takes a Morning — the Rest Takes 2,200 Hours
Is Korean difficult for English speakers? The writing system is the easiest part of any hard language. The real cost is honorifics, particles and three kinds of P.
Why Is Spanish Hard to Understand When You Can Read It Perfectly?
Why is Spanish hard to understand for English speakers who can already read it? Speed, vanishing word boundaries and consonants that soften into nothing.
Common French Pronunciation Mistakes — and Why the R Isn't One of Them
The most common French pronunciation mistakes English speakers make. The famous R is overrated; the real giveaways are diphthongs, stress and the nasal vowels.
Why Is Russian Hard to Learn? The Alphabet Isn't the Answer
Why is Russian hard to learn for English speakers? Not Cyrillic — that takes a weekend. The real walls are palatalisation, unmarked stress and verbal aspect.
How to Pronounce the German Alphabet — and the Three Traps That Betray You
How to pronounce the German alphabet letter by letter, with the three traps that catch English speakers every single time they spell a name over the phone.