Is Pronunciation Important?

By Angela

Many people wonder whether pronunciation and accents are really that important when learning a new language.  The answer is absolutely! It is just as important to learn how to say something, as it is to learn what to say. Why? It’s simple really: to be understood. You can learn words upon words from a language and know them thoroughly, but if you can’t pronounce them properly, people of that culture will have a hard time knowing what you’re saying.

The confusing part is that there are many different accents and pronunciations for the same language. Take the United States for example.  English is spoken throughout the country, but the English spoken in Texas is pronounced differently than the English spoken in New York. The trick is that if you’re learning a language, don’t try to sound like a native from that area, but instead, sound like yourself using a “neutral” pronunciation of the language. What I mean is that it’s okay to let people hear where you’re from as long as you pronounce words reasonably correctly in the given foreign language.

As I’m learning Swedish I have learned how important pronunciation is.  The Swedish alphabet is pronounced somewhat differently from the English alphabet and they have three additional letters (å, ä, ö) to contend with. The three extra letters have a unique pronunciation and were a bit difficult for me to grasp. Since those letters change the complete sound of a word, I realize how important it is for me to pronounce the letters correctly, otherwise someone might think I’m saying cat when I’m saying shoe! Swedish has so many similar words that the correct pronunciation of each letter is vital.  Do I sound like an American trying to speak Swedish? Of course. I would sound more ridiculous trying to pretend I’m something I’m not. All I can do is pronounce the words appropriately and Swedes will understand what I’m trying to relay. That’s the main goal!

Pronunciation is the cherry on the cake when it comes to being fluent in another language. When people compliment you on mastering another language it is not necessarily because you have mastered the vocabulary and grammar of the language (you are not likely to be sitting with a native speaker and listing off all the vocabulary you know). They probably compliment you because you grasp the pronunciation of the language well. It is what makes speaking fluid. If you can master it, sentences will come out seamlessly, instead of choppily.  A native speaker is also more likely to understand someone that pronounces something well but has a few grammatical errors. It is rare that they will understand you if the opposite is the case.

My message is simple: learn pronunciation! It’s more important than people think. This doesn’t mean vocabulary and grammar aren’t important as well; you  do of course need to know what to say. But those words only come to life if you enunciate them correctly! So next time you’re learning a new language, remember how important it is to attain the best pronunciation you can. You only need to listen!