Speaking American English
Like Duolingo, but for Speaking American English. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
Free during early access · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Speaking American English
- Equal emphasis hides the word's natural rhythm
- Listeners rely on stress patterns to recognize words
- Why over-pronouncing vowels makes speech harder to follow
- The schwa sounds like a short, neutral 'uh'
- Unstressed syllables often collapse into this sound
- Identifying the 'lazy' schwa sound in common words
- The schwa requires minimal muscle effort
- The mouth stays in a neutral, resting position
- Full vowels require more tongue and jaw movement
- The physical process of creating a schwa sound
- Reducing effort on weak syllables prevents vocal fatigue
- The relationship between schwa and physical stamina
- Small grammar words like 'to' and 'the' are usually unstressed
- Weakening small words makes the important nouns and verbs pop
- The first syllable in 'photograph' is the strongest
- How schwa creates the 'bouncing' rhythm of English
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Speaking American English the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
What do native speakers listen for most to help them identify a word quickly?
Get it right to open this lesson and 174 more in the app.
Where Speaking American English takes you
Master the rhythm and flow of natural American speech. Move beyond textbook grammar to sound more relaxed, confident, and culturally fluent in everyday conversations.
- 1
Sounding More Natural Right Away
- The 'Schwa': The Secret to Relaxed Speech
- Linking Words Together for Better Flow
- When 'T' Sounds Like 'D'
- Dropping Sounds in Common Phrases
- 2
Mastering the American Rhythm
- Stressing the Right Words in a Sentence
- The Musicality of American Intonation
- Using Pitch to Show Emotion
- Slowing Down for Emphasis
- Contractions You Won't Find in Textbooks
- The Rhythm of Lists and Choices
- 3
Navigating Social Situations
- Polite Ways to Disagree
- Small Talk Starters for Any Occasion
- How to Interrupt Gracefully
- 4
Using Idioms and Slang Correctly
- Common Workplace Expressions
- Phrasal Verbs for Daily Life
- Slang That is Actually Used Today
- Avoiding Overused Cliches
- Understanding Sarcasm and Irony
- 5
Professional Communication Styles
- The Art of the Softened Request
- Sounding Confident in Meetings
- Giving Feedback Without Offending
- Summarizing Complex Ideas Simply
- 6
Regional Flavors and Accents
- The Difference Between East and West Coast Speech
- Southern Hospitality in Language
- Midwestern Clarity and Vowels
- Understanding Fast-Paced City Talk
- Vocabulary That Changes by State
- 7
The Mechanics of Difficult Sounds
- The American 'R' Deep Dive
- The Two Different 'TH' Sounds
- Vowel Pairs That Sound Similar
- 8
Cultural Nuances and Context
- High-Context vs. Low-Context Speaking
- The Role of Humor in Conversation
- Taboo Topics and Sensitive Language
- Body Language and Personal Space
- Ending Conversations Naturally
8 sections · 35 units · 175 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
Speaking American English is taught in the Explain Like I'm 5 style: no big words. promise.. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start Speaking American English today.
Download Tomo, search Speaking American English, and play your first lesson in under a minute.