Sounding out Vowels and Consonants
1. Soften your vowels. Many people, especially Americans, tend to harden their vowels. For example, Americans pronounce the letter A, "ay"; those with an Irish accent would pronounce it "ah" or "aw." Be very conscious of this in every word, but especially those vowels that come in the middle.The standard, "How are you?" should be pronounced, "Ha-ware-ya?" The "au" (in "how") and "oo" (in "you") of the Generalized American accent are not differentiated between. The sound in "night," "like," and "I," is pronounced similar to "oi," as in "oil." Think of "Ireland" as "Oireland."