Three Reasons Your Accent Is Stuck (or Getting Worse) & How to Fix Them

Why Your Accent Feels Stuck (or Even Getting Worse) — and How to Fix It

Do you ever feel like your accent just isn’t improving — or worse, it seems like it’s getting stronger the more you try? You’re not alone. Many English learners experience this frustration. The good news is, there are clear reasons why this happens and practical ways to fix it.

Here are the three main reasons your accent gets stuck (or backslides) — and what you can do to overcome them.

1. You Can Say the Sound in Practice, But Not in Real Life

One of the most common problems I see with my clients is that they can pronounce a sound correctly when practicing slowly or in isolation — but when speaking naturally, their native language habits creep back in.

For example, you might pronounce “this” correctly in practice, but in daily conversation it slips back to sounding like “dis” or “vis.” That’s because the correct sound hasn’t become a habit yet.

Fix: Rebuild your muscle memory. Do short, targeted pronunciation exercises (like tongue twisters) for 5–15 minutes a day. Practice that sound in phrases and sentences (not just isolated words). Focus on the tricky sound until it becomes automatic. At first, it will feel slow and unnatural, but with consistent practice, it will blend naturally into your everyday speech.

2. You’re Practicing Incorrectly Without Feedback

Another reason your accent may not improve — or even get worse — is that you’re practicing the wrong way. You might think you’re saying a sound correctly, but if you haven’t trained your ear in American English, you could actually be reinforcing a different mistake.

This creates what I call a “new wrong accent or sound replacement.” Instead of fixing the sound, you’re building a new habit that’s still incorrect.

Fix: Get feedback. Work with an accent coach, a native speaker, or someone who has the accent you want. Accurate feedback ensures that you’re not wasting time practicing incorrectly. Even small corrections can save you months (or years) of frustration. If you are going to put in the word, make it worth it!

3. You’ve Plateaued and Don’t Know What’s Next

The third reason is one most learners eventually hit: the plateau. At first, progress is fast — a few changes make a huge difference. But over time, each improvement feels smaller and requires more effort.

There are two reasons for this plateau:

1. Natural Plateau: The closer you get to your goal, the harder it is to see big changes. That’s normal.

2. Lack of Direction: You don’t know what’s still “off” in your accent. Without knowing which sounds or intonation patterns to fix, you waste time guessing.

Fix: Keep going, and get expert guidance. An accent coach (or even a trained native speaker) can identify the subtle differences that still make your speech sound foreign — and help you target them directly. If you are already on the right track, just keep up the good work. :)

Final Thoughts

If your accent feels stuck, don’t give up. Progress comes from three things:

• Targeted practice (so you retrain your muscles correctly)

• Accurate feedback (so you’re not building the wrong habits)

• Guided focus (so you know exactly what to fix next)

Accent change isn’t about perfection — it’s about steady, intentional improvement. With the right strategy, you can move past the plateau and start sounding more natural in English.

👉 Want more tips? Get my free guide: 5 Ways to Improve Your Accent Faster.

👉 Want to get personalized feedback and guidance so you can get momentum on your accent journey? Check out my Group Coaching Program.

Anyways, take care and good luck on your accent journey!

-Jess