Teaching for Intelligibility in Pronunciation: A Practical Approach for Teachers

What is intelligibility, and why does it matter?

In pronunciation teaching, intelligibility means being understood by others. It’s not about sounding like a native speaker or achieving “perfect” pronunciation—it’s about communicating successfully.

Focusing on intelligibility shifts the goal from perfection to clear communication. This means we help students improve their pronunciation so others can understand them, not so they lose their accent entirely.

Rethinking Traditional Pronunciation Teaching

Pronunciation should not be taught in isolation through dry repetition and drills. Instead, teach pronunciation in communicative contexts. This makes learning more meaningful and enjoyable, while reinforcing that pronunciation serves a purpose: being understood in real conversations. Therefore, the Pronunciation for Teachers course shares a variety of communicative activities, not only drilling exercises.

Encourage students to value their own accent—as long as it is intelligible. Every speaker has an accent. Think of the range of accents in your first language. All accents are valid, and regional or international diversity should be respected in the classroom and society. This perspective builds student confidence, which is key to successful international communication.

Do I need perfect pronunciation to teach it?

Absolutely not. You don’t need to speak like a native speaker to teach pronunciation well. With effective teaching strategies and solid materials, you can make a big difference in helping your students become more intelligible speakers.

Remember pronunciation is only one piece of communication

Pronunciation is one part of effective communication. Other key elements include:

• Fluency

• Appropriateness

• Interactional skills

Keep the big picture in mind. Pronunciation supports communication—it’s not the end goal.

What pronunciation features matter most for intelligibility?

Focus your teaching on features that most impact how easily others can understand your students:

✅ Important for Intelligibility

• Most consonant sounds (e.g., /p/, /t/, /k/). Note: /θ/ and /ð/ (“th” sounds) are difficult for many learners but not critical.

• Vowel length and vowel quality although variants are acceptable as long as the pronunciation is consistent.

• Word and sentence stress are important to help listeners identify key words and intended meaning.

• Consonant clusters are important especially at the beginning and middle of words.

⚠️ Features that are less critical for intelligibility (can be taught for listening purposes)

• Vowel reduction and schwa

• Weak forms and assimilation

• Elision and coalescence

• Stress-timed rhythm and pitch variation

You can teach these “nice-to-have” features once the core intelligibility features are in place, or when students want to refine their speech further.

Final tip for teachers

Start with what matters most. Guide your students toward being clearly understood—then build from there based on their goals, interests, and language needs. Remember: pronunciation teaching is not about eliminating accents—it’s about empowering learners to speak confidently and effectively.

Learn more about English pronunciation and pronunciation teaching in the Pronunciation for Teachers in the Eduling Speak app.