Lesson 1: The Four Rules of Real-World Pronunciation

Many students of English as a foreign language feel frustrated with their listening skills. They often say, “I can read English just fine—so why can’t I understand it when I hear it?”

Teachers feel frustrated too:

“My students have good reading skills, but they can’t follow spoken English!”

In response, educators often try to help in ways they believe are kind. They speak slowly, carefully, and clearly—what’s often called “teacher talk.” Listening tests are designed the same way: slowed-down speech that sounds clear but isn’t natural.

The idea is: If we present real spoken English, students won’t be able to understand it. So we need to help by making it more accessible.

But in my view, that “help” has the same effect as cracking open a chick’s eggshell because it’s struggling to hatch. Yes, it looks painful to watch… but that struggle is what develops its muscles. Remove the struggle, and the chick might not survive.

This over-assistance is well-meaning, but harmful. It denies students the chance to grow strong.

Teachers also tend to over-focus on “difficult” sounds like R, TH, or V. They create minimal pair quizzes like “ship vs sheep” or “right vs light.” The belief is: If we expose students to these differences enough, they’ll eventually hear them.

Another common belief: Some students just “get” listening. Others don’t. It’s hard. That’s life.

But there’s a better way.

If we help students use what they already have, we unlock powerful potential. Every learner has already struggled through learning their native language. They already know what it means to master sound through repetition, rhythm, and trial.

So instead of forcing unfamiliar sounds, we start with sounds they already know—close approximations. Let them pronounce English using familiar Japanese sounds in creative, flexible ways. Over time, their listening improves—not because they “trained their ears”… but because they learned to say the sounds themselves.

And when you can say it—you can hear it.

Dictionary Form vs. Spoken Form

Every language has two kinds of pronunciation:

• Dictionary Form: The isolated pronunciation found in dictionaries. Precise, clean, and artificial.
• Spoken Form: How the word sounds in real speech—connected to other words, reduced, reshaped.

This book teaches Spoken Form. If you want the dictionary version, go check the dictionary.

Spoken Form: The Real Rules

When spoken in real life, many sounds disappear or change. This happens in every language—including Japanese. You already do it, even if you’ve never noticed.

So don’t panic. You don’t need to “re-learn” pronunciation. Just remember the Four Rules below—and you’ll be hearing English differently by the end of lunch.

Rule 1: “Good Morning” – Every Word Has Two Pronunciations

• One in the dictionary
• One in real life, shaped by rhythm and nearby sounds

Good morning often sounds like: Goo’ mornin’

This isn’t wrong—it’s normal.

Rule 2: “Good Afternoon” – Consonants Cling to the Next Vowel

Example: Goo-dafta-noon

Rule 3: “Good Day” – Double Sounds Collapse

We don’t say: “Good-d-day”
We say: Goo-っday

Rule 4: “Good Night” – Final Hard Sounds Disappear

You’ll hear: Goo-nai