👋 Introduction
Hi everyone, Grant here from Kōjō Communication Academy.
After coaching business professionals for more than 25 years, I've seen a consistent pattern: people often feel pronunciation is impossible to change, especially if they've struggled for years. But the real issue isn't ability—it's method.
Most learners were never taught a clear, step-by-step way to improve. Without structure, pronunciation seems like "talent." With structure, it becomes trainable.
And most importantly: Pronunciation is not about copying an accent. Versant doesn't reward sounding American or British. It rewards:
- Clear articulation
- Natural pacing
- Predictable rhythm
- Easy-to-follow intonation
These are practical, learnable skills—even for busy adults.
In this guide, you'll learn:
- What pronunciation features Versant actually scores
- How to train each one effectively
- How these skills connect to the Kōjō Pronunciation Dojo
- Targeted advice for Japanese, Indian, and Filipino learners
- A simple daily plan to build lasting improvement
Let's begin.
🔍 1. Why Pronunciation Matters in Versant
Versant evaluates pronunciation through four functional dimensions:
1. Clarity
How easily each word can be recognised. When sounds shift—light → right, bit → beat—intelligibility drops quickly.
2. Word Stress
Stress signals meaning:
PRE-sent (noun)
pre-SENT (verb)
Incorrect stress is a major difficulty for learners at A2–B1.
3. Rhythm & Connected Speech
English is stress-timed, not syllable-timed. Natural rhythm uses linking and reductions:
I want to go → I wanna go
turn off → turn_off
4. Intonation
Pitch movement helps listeners follow your message—especially in Versant Parts E and F.
Kōjō Insight: Improving even one of these areas typically raises pronunciation scores within a few weeks of focused training.
🧩 2. The Core Skills Behind Clear Speech
Versant and Microsoft Azure track several linguistic components:
Segmentals (Individual Sounds)
Consonants: l/r, b/v, s/sh, final consonants
Vowels: short vs. long (ship–sheep, full–fool)
Word-Level Accuracy
Correct stress
Accurate vowel length
Releasing final consonants
Sentence-Level Structure
Linking: go_out, get_up, turn_off
Reductions: gonna, wanna, I'll
Emphasis on key information
Prosody (Advanced: B2–C2)
Narrative flow
Emotional tone
Controlled pacing
Variation in pitch and rhythm
Together, these elements form the backbone of high Versant performance.
Kōjō Insight: Most pronunciation problems aren't about individual sounds—they're about how sounds connect in natural speech patterns.
🥋 3. Training With the Kōjō Pronunciation Dojo
The Pronunciation Dojo provides a structured path from A1 to C2 through nine belt levels, from White to Black.
How It Works
Each belt contains three short scripts for:
Listening
Shadowing
Recording
Azure-based evaluation
To move up, learners simply reach the score range for the next belt.
What This System Provides
Clear, predictable progression
Measurable milestones
Focused practice at the right difficulty
Direct alignment with CEFR and Versant skills
Belt Score Ranges
| Belt | Score Range |
|---|---|
| ⚪ White | 30–44 |
| 🟡 Yellow | 45–52 |
| 🟠 Orange | 53–59 |
| 🟢 Green | 60–66 |
| 🔵 Blue | 67–73 |
| 🟣 Purple | 74–82 |
| 🟤 Brown | 83–88 |
| 🔴 Red | 89–94 |
| ⚫ Black | 95–100 |
CEFR Disclaimer (Displayed in-App)
CEFR estimates are based on pronunciation during prepared reading tasks. True C1–C2 requires adaptive prosody and spontaneous communication.
If you're scoring 83+, we recommend practising Part F (Opinion Questions) to build spontaneous speaking skills.
The result is a roadmap that makes pronunciation improvement clear and achievable.
Kōjō Insight: The Dojo's belt system ensures you're always working at the right level—not too easy, not too hard. This "zone of proximal development" is where real progress happens.
🔵 4. Belt Progression & CEFR Overview
| Belt | Meaning | CEFR Range | Score Range | Key Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⚪ WHITE | Beginning / Purity | Pre-A1 → A1 | 30-44 | Mastering basic English sounds, vowel/consonant control (cat–cut, light–right), single-word rhythm awareness |
| 🟡 YELLOW | Elementary | A2 | 45-52 | Distinguishing short vs. long vowels; clear word separation; single stress per sentence |
| 🟠 ORANGE | Pre-Intermediate | A2+ | 53-59 | Early connected speech; practicing smooth linking (go_out, get_up); consistent timing |
| 🟢 GREEN | Intermediate | B1 | 60-66 | Stable sound production; awareness of rising/falling tones; improving sentence rhythm |
| 🔵 BLUE | Upper Intermediate | B1+ | 67-73 | Confident linking and contractions (What_do_you_mean?); smoother stress and phrasing |
| 🟣 PURPLE | Independent User | B2 | 74-82 | Fluent rhythm; balanced reductions (gonna, wanna); phrasing by thought groups |
| 🟤 BROWN | Advanced | B2+ | 83-88 | Precision under time pressure; refined intonation; stress contrasts for emphasis |
| 🔴 RED | Proficient | C1 | 89-94 | Expressive delivery; emotional tone control; fluid storytelling rhythm |
| ⚫ BLACK | Mastery | C2 | 95-100 | Near-native prosody; adaptive rhythm across contexts; flexible accent control |
Most learners gain 5–10 points per belt with regular practice.
Kōjō Insight: Most learners need 2-3 weeks of consistent practice to advance one belt level. Quality beats quantity—15 focused minutes daily beats 2 hours once a week.
🌏 5. Key Fixes for Japanese, Indian, and Filipino Learners
Pronunciation challenges aren't the same for everyone. The specific sounds and rhythm patterns you struggle with depend heavily on your linguistic background. That's why the Kōjō Pronunciation Dojo and Azure/OpenAI feedback system adapt to common patterns seen among Japanese, Indian, and Filipino learners.
Below are the highest-impact fixes for each group—based on thousands of learner assessments and the errors most frequently detected by Azure's speech engine.
🇯🇵 Japanese Learners
1. /r/ vs. /l/
Japanese has one sound between English /r/ and /l/.
Fix: Practice minimal pairs with tongue awareness:
• /l/: tongue tip touches alveolar ridge
• /r/: tongue curls back slightly
• Practice: light-right, long-wrong, collect-correct
2. Final Consonants
Japanese syllables typically end in vowels, causing vowel addition.
Fix: Hold the final sound briefly:
• cat (not cato), desk (not desuku)
• Practice: "cat" → "cat" → "cat" (short, sharp ending)
3. Linking Practice
Tendency to clearly separate each word.
Fix: Focus on smooth connections:
• go_out, take_it, turn_off
• Start with 2-word phrases, build to sentences
🇮🇳 Indian Learners
1. /v/ vs. /w/
Fix: Focus on lip position:
• /v/: teeth lightly on lower lip
• /w/: rounded lips, no teeth contact
• Practice: vine-wine, very-wery, vest-west
2. Syllable Stress
Shift from even stress to stressed-timed rhythm:
• TAble, INcrease (noun), inCREASE (verb)
• Practice with content words: nouns, verbs, adjectives
3. Speed Control
Fix: Record at 80% speed, then return to normal pace.
• Focus on clear articulation over speed
• Use pauses between thought groups
🇵🇭 Filipino Learners
1. Short vs. Long Vowels
Key pairs: bit–beat, full–fool, ship–sheep
• Practice minimal pairs with exaggerated length difference
• Record and compare with native speaker models
2. Th-Sounds
Voiceless /θ/: think, path, three
Voiced /ð/: this, mother, brother
• Practice: tongue between teeth, air flow continuous
3. Intonation Range
Fix: Practice bigger rises/falls for clearer messaging.
• Use questions (rising) and statements (falling)
• Emphasize key information with pitch variation
Kōjō Insight: The Pronunciation Dojo automatically identifies your most common error patterns and provides targeted exercises for your specific needs.
📅 6. A Daily Pronunciation Plan
The most effective pronunciation training is short, focused, and measurable. The Pronunciation Dojo and Practice Section work together to give you daily feedback, personalised corrections, and even AI-generated tongue twisters that target your exact weak points.
Here's a simple weekly plan built entirely around features inside the app:
Dojo Script Practice (Core Accuracy)
📋 Process:
- • Choose your belt script
- • Listen → Shadow → Record
- • Get Azure scores for Pronunciation, Accuracy, Fluency, Completeness
- • Review OpenAI feedback and phoneme corrections
🎯 Goal:
Build clarity and fix individual sound issues before moving to rhythm work.
💡 Focus: Individual sound precision and clear articulation
Dojo Rhythm & Linking Work
📋 Process:
- • Use the same belt scripts with focus on:
- • Linking and reductions (wanna, gonna, I'll)
- • Natural pacing and stress on key units
- • Azure's Natural Rhythm & Melody score tracking
🎯 Goal:
Improve connected speech and overall intelligibility.
💡 Focus: Natural flow and connected speech patterns
Part A / Part B Practice (Low Stress Mode)
📋 Process:
- • Move from reading → to responding
- • Replay questions up to 3 times
- • Get instant Azure + OpenAI analysis
- • Receive targeted drills (stress practice, transitions)
🎯 Goal:
Apply pronunciation skills to real Versant-style listening tasks.
💡 Focus: Real-time application and listening comprehension
Part E or F (Spontaneous Speaking)
📋 Process:
- • Record one Part F (Opinion) or Part E (Story)
- • Get OpenAI structure and organisation feedback
- • Review grammar, vocabulary, and pacing commentary
- • Practice advanced personalised tongue twisters
🎯 Goal:
Strengthen spontaneous prosody—the key for B2–C1.
💡 Focus: Expressive delivery and spontaneous communication
Weekly Review
📋 Process:
- • Use the dashboard to check belt progression
- • Review Azure metric trends and CEFR estimates
- • Analyze speech vs. content quality
- • Plan improvement path for next week
🎯 Goal:
Adjust training based on objective data—not guesswork.
💡 Focus: Data-driven progress tracking and optimization
🔧 Why This Plan Works
It matches how pronunciation actually improves:
- Repetition of controlled scripts (Dojo)
- Gradual increase in task complexity
- Instant, highly specific feedback (Azure + OpenAI)
- Clear milestones (belts, scores, CEFR estimates)
- Reinforcement through personalised drills (tongue twisters + phrase training)
This structure is exactly what accelerates progress for A2–B2 learners.
Kōjō Insight: Track your progress in the app. Most learners see measurable improvement in their Versant pronunciation scores within 3-4 weeks of consistent practice.
🌟 7. Final Thoughts
Pronunciation isn't about perfection—or imitation. It's about clarity, confidence, and listener comfort, the exact qualities Versant rewards.
With a structured path like the Pronunciation Dojo and consistent Azure feedback, learners from Japan, India, the Philippines, and beyond can make measurable, meaningful progress.
If you haven't tried the Dojo yet, start with the first belt. You'll hear the improvement—and so will Versant.
Ready to begin? Take your free pronunciation assessment and discover your starting belt level in the Kōjō Pronunciation Dojo.
Ready to master your pronunciation?
Start with the Kōjō Pronunciation Dojo and discover your starting belt level.
Listen. Shadow. Record. Improve.
See you in the Dojo — one step closer to clear, confident English.
— Grant Prentice
Grant Prentice
Founder, Kōjō Communication Academy
Grant is a native English speaker from the UK with over 25 years of experience in business English training and Versant test preparation. He's helped thousands of professionals improve their communication skills and achieve their career goals through structured, evidence-based pronunciation training.
🌏 日本語でも読めます — This article is also available in Japanese
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