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  • In this American English pronunciation video,

  • my uncle John is going to teach you how to make a Peach Melba.

  • In this scene, my uncle is going to be listing things.

  • He's going to be giving steps.

  • Listen to how he introduces each step.

  • Want to make peach melba? You make a raspberry currant sauce, that's what this is.

  • And you start with the currant sauce at the bottom,

  • and then you add some peaches,

  • and then you want ice cream, you add some ice cream.

  • Is that vanilla?

  • Yup vanilla.

  • And then a little more sauce.

  • Another layer.

  • And more peaches.

  • Wow! Many layers!

  • Add in the whipped cream,

  • Voila!

  • A lot ofandandand then’.

  • Let's look at the pronunciation.

  • Want to make peach melba? You make a raspberry currant sauce, that's what this is.

  • And you start with the--

  • And you startand—, ndthe wordandreduced, nd

  • Schwa N

  • And you start—, and you start—, and you start with the...

  • currant sauce at the bottom.

  • Bonus reduction, the wordat’. At the—, at the—, at the—, at the bottom

  • At the—, quick schwa, stop T.

  • Currant sauce at the bottom—, at the bottom-, at the bottom

  • And then you add

  • And then—, and then—,

  • And, and, andagain, the wordandreduced.

  • And then you add—, and then you add-, and then you add some peaches,

  • And then

  • Again, schwa N.

  • And then

  • If you want ice cream, you add some ice cream.

  • Is that vanilla?

  • Yeah, vanilla.

  • And then a little more sauce,

  • And then

  • And then a little more sauce,

  • anotherandreduction,

  • And then a little more sauce

  • Notice the wordlittleis pronounced with a Flap T.

  • Little, ra- ra- ra- ra, little.

  • This is a tricky word.

  • And I do have a video on how to pronounce this word

  • so check the description below

  • or click here.

  • And then a little more sauce

  • Another layer!

  • Then more peaches.

  • Wow! Many layers!

  • Add in the whipped cream,

  • Voila!

  • Voila is a French word but we do use it sometimes in American English.

  • Voila or voila!

  • And when we use it in American English, the pronunciation is

  • changed a little bit so it fits in more with American sounds.

  • Voila! Voila!

  • With that lower American placement.

  • And it meansthere it is’, ‘here it isand you might say that when you're

  • finished with something and you're showing it to people.

  • Voila! or as some Americans may pronounce it, voila!

  • Voila!

  • And what’s the —— in French?

  • Peach melba.

  • Voila!

  • - Wow, look at that! - Bon Appetit!

  • I had a Pêche melba in at Rick's Cafein Morocco that was to die for.

  • That was to die for.

  • Okay, ‘to die for’. This is an idiom we use when

  • something is just exceptional, so good.

  • We use it a lot with food, tastes:

  • Oh, it was to die for! It was so delicious!

  • was to die for!

  • Now she does not reduce the wordto

  • To die for. She is clearly pronouncing each word

  • stressing it, bringing even more emotion in.

  • So that we understand just how good this Peach Melba was.

  • And you can reduce that wordto’: to die forto die for

  • We usually reduce the wordforbut we don't hear

  • because it's going to be the final word in the thought.

  • So we don't want to reduce it to fur like we so often do in conversation.

  • Leave itfor’. To die for.

  • was to die for!

  • -Oh really? -It was wonderful!

  • Is that what gave you the idea to make it?

  • Is that what gave you? Is that what gave you?

  • Notice I dropped the TH inthat

  • and connected it to the word before: Is that? Is that?

  • Is that what gaveIs that what gaveIs that what gave you the idea to make it?

  • No, we've been making it got a long time.

  • Ok, well, there you go, Teresa!

  • He made a monster!

  • He made a monster!

  • What do I mean by that?

  • We can use the word monster to mean really big.

  • Have you ever heard of a monster truck?

  • When I say he made a monster, I mean he made a very big portion of peach melba.

  • He made a monster!

  • In Casablanca, in the movie, there is a Rick’s Cafe.

  • And people kept coming to Morocco

  • And—, and—, there's another wordandreduced.

  • The D is dropped. We almost never say the D in the wordand’.

  • And—, and—, and people kept coming to Morocco!

  • Coming to Morocco

  • To Moroccothe wordtoreduced: coming to Morocco.

  • Coming to Morocco

  • Coming to Morocco and asking for Rick’s Cafe!

  • There's another and reduction: —and asking, —and asking.

  • and asking, —and asking, —and asking for Rick’s Cafe.

  • -in Casablanca. -But Casablanca was filmed in the United States.

  • So a rich American woman decided she was going to make a Rick’s Cafe.

  • She was gonna make—, she was gonna make

  • Going toreduced togonna’: she was gonna make

  • she was gonna makeshe was gonna makeshe was gonna make a Rick’s Cafe.

  • And it's very nice!

  • Oh really?

  • That's fun!

  • Maybe a few more peaches,

  • actually no, no more peaches.

  • Actuallyactually—.

  • This word is supposed to be pronounced with the CH sound: actually.

  • And four syllables: ac-tu-ah-lly.

  • But you will notice that very often, the CH sound is changed to the SH sound.

  • This is because we often drop the T when it comes between two other consonants.

  • So the CH sound changes to the SH sound.

  • Actually. Actually

  • So I'm reducing it to three syllables, this is a common and an easier pronunciation.

  • I encourage you to try it: ack- shull- lee.

  • So the middle syllable is the SH sound and then the Dark L Shull: shullshullshull

  • Actually. Actually.

  • Actually noActually noActually no, no more peaches.

  • -No more peaches. -Just a little more sauce,

  • and then, a little cream.

  • Little, litte, little

  • That word’s popping up a lot in this conversation.

  • A little more, a little less, a little bit.

  • Just a little more sauce and then a little cream.

  • I'm getting pretty bossy here, aren't I?

  • Pretty with a Flap T. I'm getting pretty bossy.

  • What does that mean to be bossy?

  • Notice I'm not saying please or thank you, I'm just telling him what to do.

  • That's pretty bossy, that's pretty rude.

  • Luckily, I noticed I was doing it.

  • I'm getting pretty bossy here, aren't I?

  • Everyone, this man right here, is my cousin Ken.

  • His daughter, Luisa, and you've met Stoney before.

  • Ken, do you have anything you want to say?

  • -Voila! -You just want to make faces!

  • Wanna make faces. ‘Want toreduced towanna’.

  • You just want to make faces!

  • Also the wordjust’. I dropped the T there. Why?

  • Because it came between two other consonants.

  • Just want tojust wanna—, just wanna

  • dropping that T between two other consonants

  • makes a smoother transition between sounds

  • and we love connected speech in American English.

  • You just wannaYou just wannaYou just want to make faces!

  • Thank you so much, John!

  • - You're welcome! - That looks amazing!

  • Delicious!

  • Thanks so much to my family for being in this video.

  • If you're interested in making a Peach Melba, I noticed my good friend Hilah,

  • over at Hilah cooking, has a recipe.

  • Click here or see the description below.

In this American English pronunciation video,

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