Speak More Clearly Review: An Honest Look

Emma Miller
7 min readOct 19, 2022

--

Thinking about using Speak More Clearly to improve your American accent? Curious if this program might be your shortcut to fluent English. Stick with me as we explore every corner of the Speak More Clearly program, and I’ll reveal just how effective it can be for your English fluency journey.

Program Overview

Esther Bruhl, the founder and CEO of Speak More Clearly, has worked as a speech and language therapist for over 30 years. She has helped non-native English speakers modify their pronunciation and American English accent. “Speak More Clearly” is one of the most extensive accent reduction programs available, with over 40,000 alumni.

Esther Bruhl, the founder and CEO of “Speak More Clearly”

Alright, let’s dive in! According to the Speak More Clearly website, you could start sounding natural in American English and speaking fluently within 12 months. I’ve signed up for their premium membership to give you an insider look. As for the cost, It offers three options:

Timeline of the Speak More Clearly program.

Plans and Prices

Speak More Clearly’ Plans and Prices
  • Monthly plan at $29,
  • Quarterly membership for $75,
  • Annual plan at $278.

In addition to the main plans, “Speak More Clearly” offers private coaching services. Here is the detail:

Speak More clearly prices and plans

Program Special Method

Esther Bruhl developed the course using the Auditory Immersion Technique, a method that reorganizes students’ neurology to hasten the accent reduction process. The method involves listening to the exercise and repeating the words or phrases, trying to mimic the native English speaker. Students’ accents will naturally improve with enough repetitions over time if they listen to the exercise and repeat the words or phrases with attention. Video tutoring is also available that explains how to correctly place your tongue and mouth along with how to use your vocal cords. All lessons will be delivered through the “Speak More Clearly” website, and there is no app for this program.

Speak More Clearly Course Structure

The membership area is structured into three levels focusing on mastering the American accent, enriched with live sessions and weekly feedback segments to support your learning progress.

Now, let’s dive into the American accent course, starting with level 1. This level is divided into 6 modules, each packed with educational videos, audio clips, and text materials. The focus is on teaching the precise pronunciation of consonants and vowel sounds. The lessons guide you on producing these sounds correctly by showing the right positions for your tongue, jaw, and lips. Additionally, there are ‘Learners List’ and ‘Discussion’ sections where you can connect with other students, view their profiles, and join conversations on various topics.

The layout and teaching approach of levels 2 and 3 in the American accent course follow a similar pattern to level 1, ensuring a consistent learning experience across the program.

Speak More Clearly Coaching Method

The coaching approach at Speak More Clearly is centered around group sessions conducted live on Zoom. These live lessons take place on the first Wednesday of every month at 7 PM EST. Also, there is a weekly live session similar to the monthly sessions. If you miss a live session, don’t worry — recordings of past lessons are available for you to watch.

The Program’s Major Drawback

Although “Speak More Clearly” is among the most extensive accent correction programs in the market, it has two major weaknesses. First, it doesn’t include coaching and feedback. Every American Accent Training program should include a human accent coach to monitor, correct, and motivate students. Second, the program only includes video lessons, which is insufficient. There are some alternatives that provide thousands of AI-based pieces of practice.

Author Recommendation

So, back to our starting question: “Is the Speak More Clearly course worth it? Can it really take your English fluency to the next level?” well, there aren’t any verified reviews and testimonials on the Internet. Let’s review its strengths and weaknesses. One of Speak More Clearly’s major strengths lies in its high-quality video lessons, which comprehensively cover all English sounds, offering a complete learning experience. Additionally, the program provides coaching options that are reasonably priced, making it an accessible choice for learners seeking extra guidance.

However, the program and its coaching approach have significant shortcomings. The Speak More Clearly course is primarily limited to video lessons and offers only restricted coaching sessions. This results in a lack of sufficient practice opportunities for learners. Moreover, there are more comprehensive programs available that feature interactive exercises and AI feedback, enabling students to engage in unlimited practice sessions.

The monthly live sessions of Speak More Clearly don’t address the individual levels and specific needs of students. Coaching and feedback are most effective when they are customized and personalized. As such, the program’s monthly group live sessions fall short in providing effective learning support. A viable alternative to Speak More Clearly is ChatterFox, which provides video lessons, advanced speech recognition, AI-powered feedback, and importantly, certified accent coaches for personalized feedback. ChatterFox’s coaching method addresses and overcomes the limitations found in Speak More Clearly.

Best Alternatives for the “Speak More Clearly” Program

ChatterFox, Elsa Speak, and Accent Advisor are good alternatives for Speak More Clearly. If you don’t want human coaching, I recommend you subscribe to the ChatterFox Visa plan or Elsa speak. Because they both provide the same services as the Speak More Clearly Program but at a lower price. Moreover, they both include AI-driven practices, a study plan, and an initial assessment within their programs.
However, if you need a program with human coaching and feedback, ChatterFox (Green Card plan) and Accent Advisor are the best options. ChatterFox uses the AMP (Advance Monitoring Progress) method which is affordable, but Accent Advisor provides tutoring which is expensive, but it’s still cheaper than Speak More Clearly.

Currently, ChatterFox is offering an attractive deal with a 33% discount, plus a 7-day trial, making it an opportune time to explore their services. This promotion is a great chance for those curious about ChatterFox to try it out.

https://chatterfox.com/

A Short Comparison with other English Programs

“Speak More Clearly” VS ChatterFox:

These two programs teach pronunciation and accent reduction. ChatterFox focuses only on American accent and pronunciation, but “Speak More Clearly” provides services for British, Australian, and American accents. ChatterFox program is available on mobile applications and the web, but “Speak More Clearly” is available only on the web. The ChatterFox program offers two plans, with coaching ($47/Mo) and without coaching ($17/Mo). Speak More Clearly’s main plans don’t include coaching, but they offer private coaching services in addition to the main plans. The “Speak More Clearly” program’s content is mostly video lessons, but the ChatterFox program includes Video lessons, AI-driven exercises, assessments, and a study plan.

“Speak More Clearly” VS Accent Advisor:

These two programs teach pronunciation and accent reduction. Both are well-known in the industry. Accent Advisor doesn’t offer a self-study program. They only provide private tutoring of American Accent training by native English coaches. But, “Speak More Clearly” offers both private tutoring and self-study course. “Speak More Clearly”’s self-study program is affordable ($29/Mo), but their private tutoring is expensive ($130 per hour).

“Speak More Clearly” vs EnglishClass101:

There are a variety of language learning skills taught in EnglishClass101’s videos, including vocabulary, grammar, listening, and speaking. ELSA Speak focuses exclusively on pronunciation. But “Speak More Clearly” only focus on spoken English and pronunciation.

“Speak More Clearly” vs Pronunciation Pro

If you’re exploring alternatives to “Speak More Clearly” you might consider Pronunciation Proas it shares many similarities. The only significant disparity between the two programs lies in their pricing structure. If you’re seeking a thorough understanding, I recommend diving into a Pronunciation Pro review.

FAQ for Speak More Clearly program

Who is the founder of “Speak More Clearly”?

Esther Bruhl is the founder and CEO of “Speak More Clearly.”

Does “Speak More Clearly” offer an app for their program?

No, all lessons are delivered through their website. There is no app available.

What are the major drawbacks of the “Speak More Clearly” main program?

The program does not include coaching and feedback and relies only on video lessons. There is a lack of interactive, AI-based practice materials.

Are there any alternatives to the “Speak More Clearly” program?

Yes, ChatterFox, Elsa Speak, and Accent Advisor are noted as viable alternatives, each with their unique offerings and pricing structures.

If I am looking for human coaching and feedback, which programs should I consider?

ChatterFox (Green Card plan) and Accent Advisor are recommended for their comprehensive offerings, including human coaching.

Is “Speak More Clearly” limited to American English accent training?

No, it offers training for British, Australian, and American accents.

--

--

Emma Miller

English As a Second Language Teacher, Accent Coach, American Pronunciation and Fluency Training