“Where is my sound stuck?”

Can you produce the sound on its own — and correctly inside words?

Think about it slowly: can you make the sound by itself when you focus on mouth/tongue position, and say it correctly inside individual words?

Can you say it correctly in full sentences?

This means reading practice or prepared speech — sentences you can go slowly through and think about as you speak.

Can you pronounce it correctly, even in specific tricky word combinations?

You've got it in isolation, in words, and in sentences — but what about certain words, or certain sound combinations (like right after a particular sound)?

Can you still pronounce it correctly in spontaneous conversation?

Not reading, not prepared — just talking naturally, the way you would with a friend or in a meeting. Or does the old, foreign sound come back?

Sound Level

• 1Learn (or re-learn) how to pronounce the sound, and get feedback from a native speaker or coach to confirm you're producing it correctly.
• 2Practice it in isolation until you can do it consistently — not just once, but every time.
• 3Move into word drills and minimal pairs (e.g. "think / sink", "three / tree") to lock it into words before touching sentences.

Want to work with Jess? Check out her website

Sentence Level

• 1Do targeted sentence drills built specifically around the sound — slow and deliberate at first.
• 2Add reading practice, and gradually increase how complex the sentences are.
• 3Get feedback, repeat, get feedback again — this is a muscle memory issue, so repetition is what closes the gap.

Want to work with Jess? Check out her website

Spontaneous Conversation Level

• 1Focus on repetition, not new lessons — this is a habit-strength problem, not a knowledge problem.
• 2Keep a running note of specific words and phrases that still slip in casual speech, and read them in sentences daily.
• 3Record yourself talking naturally for a minute, listen back, and flag exactly where the sound breaks down. Add these to your running list of words and phrases that you practice.

Want to work with Jess? Check out her website

Pattern Level

• 1Record yourself speaking naturally and identify exactly which words or combinations trip you up. If you're working with an accent coach, see if they've noticed any. Note: this is usually something I bring up halfway through my private accent coaching program, once I have a better understanding of my client's pronunciation tendencies and patterns.
• 2Write those specific words/phrases down and drill them daily — sticky note, index card, whatever keeps them in front of you.
• 3Practice the exact transition, not the sound in general — that's where the fix lives now.

Want to work with Jess? Check out her website

This One's Locked In

Time to shift your focus. Pick the next sound or aspect that still pulls you back toward your native accent, and start this quiz again for that one. One sound at a time is exactly how this is supposed to work.