Instructions for Recording Your Own Accent

1. Prepare a Quiet Recording Environment

  • Choose a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted. Avoid background noise from traffic, appliances, fans, or conversations.

  • Silence your phone and any other nearby devices that might make sounds.

  • Get physically comfortable—this isn’t a performance. You want to sound like yourself on a regular day.

2. Get Your Smart Phone Ready to Record

  • Set your phone to airplane mode to prevent any calls or notifications from interrupting your recording.

  • Open your phone’s voice recording app (iPhone: Voice Memos; Android: Voice Recorder, etc.).

  • Place the phone about 6–12 inches from your mouth, with the microphone facing you clearly and unobstructed. This helps capture clean, natural sound.

  • You will be recording the next two steps on the same recording.

3. Record the Elicitation Sentences (see link at the bottom of this page)

  • Read the sentences out loud to yourself once before recording them so you are comfortable with them. These are written to include a wide variety of sounds so we can preserve your full accent, as well as giving you a tool to help chart your progress on your accent of choice.

  • Read at your normal speaking pace and volume. Don’t slow down or “perform”—just speak like you usually do.

4. Answer the Interview Questions

  • After reading the passages, move on to the interview questions provided. Read each question aloud as you record so we know which question you are answering.

  • Keep it conversational. Let your natural way of speaking shine through. There’s no need to be formal—speak the way you would with a close friend.

5. Label Your Recording

Once you’ve finished:

  • Save the file right away.

  • Use this format for the filename:
    MyAccentFirstNameLastInitialYYYY-MM-DD.mp3
    For Example:     My_Accent_JaneD_2026-09-17.mp3

6. Store, Share, and Back Up Your Recording

  • Save your file somewhere safe—ideally in the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) so it won’t get lost.

  • Email a copy of your sound file to Pamela at pamela@dialectcoaches.com.

  • The file may be too big for some email systems. If you have trouble, try using a file transfer company such as WeTransfer.com, that allows free transfers.