Why can't people understand my English?

Reason #1: They choose not to understand you. One major reason that some native English speakers don’t understand you doesn’t have anything to do with you. The first reason that some people might not understand you is that they choose not to understand you. Believe it or not, understanding someone with a foreign accent is actually a choice. In such a globally connected world like the one we live in today, most people have been exposed to non-native accents. Trust that you did the best you could, you spoke as clearly as possible, and don’t question your own English ability because of their attitude.

Reason #2: They’re not familiar with your particular accent. The second reason that native English speakers may not understand you is that they’re not familiar with your particular accent. Let’s talk about this. Like I said earlier, many Americans are used to hearing foreign accents from different parts of the world. There are so many immigrants and international students and visitors from all over the world that people are probably used to hearing a number of different accents. Their ability to understand these different accents depends on their exposure to its unique characteristics. If they’re living in California, they may be more used to hearing people from a wide variety of places. In places like New York City, they’re not going to have trouble understanding you because they’re used to hearing so many different accents.

Reason #3: You’re making common pronunciation mistakes. The third reason that native English speakers may not understand you is if you’re making one of these three common mistakes when pronouncing words. In my opinion, the most common reasons that people mispronounce words are the following: they’re not stressing certain syllables, they’re stressing the wrong syllable, or they’re substituting a sound from their native language that just sounds “off” in English. If you can fix these mistakes, you’ll notice that people will understand you better.

Reason #4: They’re misreading your meaning because of your tone. The fourth reason that native English speakers may not understand you is that they’re misreading your meaning because of your tone of voice. There are a number of reasons that your tone may not be consistent with the way we use intonation in American English. For example, you may end your statements with a rising tone, which can signal uncertainty or questioning, or even be condescending, depending on the context.

Reason #5: You speak English with less confidence than you do in your native language. The last reason that native English speakers might not understand you is because you speak English with less confidence than you do in your native language. We’ve all been there! As non native speakers, we often become highly sensitive to how the other person is reacting to us. We’re constantly scanning the other person’s facial expressions and body language in order to see if they understood us. We might not feel confident if we haven’t gotten a clear signal that they follow what we’re saying.

1. Lack of Confidence 2. Thick Accent 3. Sentence Fragments 4. Pronunciation 5. Intonation