39. Understanding Your Voice

39. Understanding Your Voice

Author: Hadar Shemesh May 14, 2020 Duration: 58:06

If you feel like your voice is soft, stuck, broken, nasal, partial, annoying, monotone, weak, strange, weird, or loud… I want you to take a moment and remember that your voice is probably the NUMBER ONE asset you have, that allows you to express yourself: who you are, what you want, what you think, where you're going.

Now, I know that people don't always have access to vocal training, and have no idea what to do to improve their voice quality (even though every person should have access to such a thing, not only public speakers, actors, and singers).

That is why, in this episode, I share with you a live broadcast I did on Instagram where we had an intriguing conversation about voice (and beyond)

Here's what some of the people shared in the conversation:

Jessuss said: "I started to talk in English, my whole body was so tense, imagine my voice".
"Sometimes it feels I sound rude. It might be due to speaking loudly I don't why" – shared Marta.
"For me, it's not about losing my voice, rather, it's more about controlling facial expressions and spicing up my voice and body language. I feel like it's hard to be natural when you plan all of your gestures ahead" – said Sherif.

So as you can see, if you don't feel comfortable with your voice – you're not alone. And I'm here to help!
In this episode, I talk about all things related to voice – how it's created, why we are uncomfortable with it, and what we can do to improve the quality of our speaking voice.

Make sure to also listen to Episode 38 that complements this conversation – Improve Your Speaking Voice in ENGLISH with these Vocal Exercises: https://hadarshemesh.com/podcast/38/

Here are more episodes about the voice:

– Do you change your voice when you speak English? Here's why: https://theaccentsway.com/change-your-voice-in-english/
– A list with powerful speeches from movies for you to practice: https://theaccentsway.com/improve-your-speaking-voice-in-english
– Improve your Intonation YT playlist: https://bit.ly/35Vmc64

Join our Facebook community to practice them in conversations with real people: https://theaccentsway.com/influency-community/

If you want to improve your accent and understand spoken English better, download my free American Accent audio crash course: https://theaccentsway.com/audio-accent-course/


Hadar Shemesh hosts The InFluency Podcast, drawing from her own journey from an intermediate English speaker to a recognized pronunciation expert and fluency coach. This isn't about abstract theory; it's a practical, empathetic guide for anyone who feels stuck in their language learning. Hadar's conversations and solo episodes delve into the tangible strategies that actually work for acquiring an American accent, building unshakeable confidence, and moving beyond textbook English to authentic, fluid speech. You'll hear a blend of mindset shifts, technical pronunciation breakdowns, and stories from a global community of learners. The focus is always on the human side of fluency-how it connects to identity, courage, and communication. Each episode of this podcast feels like a direct coaching session, offering actionable steps that address the real frustrations and aspirations of students and teachers alike. Hadar's approach demystifies the process, making the path to speaking English with assurance feel not only possible but deeply personal. Tune in for a resource that understands the journey because the host has lived it, creating a space where progress is celebrated over perfection.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 508

The InFluency Podcast
Podcast Episodes
137. Reductions and TH transitions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:11
English words and phrases can be really challenging sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I'll help you with the pronunciation of challenging words and common names. This week we're going to…
135. What can we learn about language from computers? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:58
In this episode, you'll learn about language learning from AI (Artificial Intelligence) linguist and English teacher, Yazzy Ares. In this podcast we'll talk about the field of NLP (Natural Language Processing) and AI, an…
134. 11 VERY Challenging English Names to Pronounce [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:52
Are you pronouncing these names correctly? Barbara? Arthur? Siobhan? Not sure how to pronounce these names or you find it really challenging with all the R's and TH's?! This episode is for you. Join me on an 11-minute jo…
133. How to Find the Stress in Long Words [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:35
Long words can be really challenging to pronounce and we sometimes find ourselves trying to avoid them, especially if we're not sure how to stress them. But there's actually a good way to know where to place the primary…
132. Who Moved My Word Stress?!?! ? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:10
In this episode, I'll talk about phrases and how the stress and rhythm in a phrase may CHANGE based on the function of the phrase in the sentence. For example, if you take a phrase like 'last minute', then in a simple se…
131. How to pronounce 'Recipe' vs. 'Receipt' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:29
English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I'll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we're going to talk about how…
129. How to pronounce Angry, Hungry & Hangry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:49
English words can be really confusing sometimes. In these how-to-pronounce episodes published on Fridays, I'll help you with the pronunciation of confusing words and common names. This week we're going to talk about how…