How I fell in Love with Color Vowels ๐
How I Discovered and Fell in Love With the Color Vowel System
Hey there! I’m Rex, founder and director of https://AccentCoach.online, and if you know me, you know I’m passionate about helping people speak English with clarity and confidence. My journey has taken me from the sun-soaked beaches of California to the vibrant classrooms of Hawaii, and then across the globe—Japan, Korea, Singapore, China (three times!), and Thailand. Along the way, I’ve taught students from every walk of life: ambitious professionals, eager college students, and everyday folks just wanting to connect in English.
But here’s the thing: No matter where I went or who I taught, I kept running into the same frustrating wall. My students were bright, hardworking, and could function impressively well in English—yet when it came to sounding natural and speaking spontaneously, something was missing. Despite all the grammar drills, vocabulary lists, and even specialized pronunciation courses I’d taken (hello, CELTA and Masters in Educational Psychology!), my students still struggled to shed their accents and speak with that elusive “neutral” sound.
That’s when I decided to pivot. I shifted my focus from general English to pronunciation, accent reduction, and communication. It was encouraging, but honestly, the tools I had just weren’t cutting it. I wanted more for my students—and for myself as a teacher.
Then, by pure happenstance (remind me to tell you the story over coffee sometime!), I stumbled upon the Color Vowel Method®, created by the amazing Karen Taylor and Shirley Thompson. After immersing myself into their Level 1 courses, I became a certified Color Vowel instructor—and let me tell you, it was a game changer. The Color Vowel System was unlike anything I’d ever seen: fun, fast, and incredibly effective. These days, not only am I a more effective coach, but my students and I are having way more fun than in the old “non-color vowel days.”
What Makes the Color Vowel System So Special?
So, what exactly is the Color Vowel System, and why am I such a fan? Let me break it down for you.
A Visual, Brain-Based Approach
The Color Vowel Chart is a revolutionary pronunciation tool that helps both teachers and learners talk about the sounds of English—without the headache of phonetic symbols. Instead, it uses colors and key words (think BLUE MOON, GREEN TEA, BROWN COW) to represent each of the 16 main vowel sounds in English. Every word has a “color,” which corresponds to the vowel sound in its main syllable. For example, “canoe” is a BLUE MOON word, while “teacher” is a GREEN TEA word.
This approach isn’t just clever—it’s brain-based. Instead of relying on the traditional language centers of the brain, the Color Vowel System taps into the areas responsible for music, rhythm, color, imagery, and movement. That means students learn pronunciation the way the brain naturally wants to learn: through multisensory engagement, not just rote memorization.
Why Is This Better Than Traditional Methods?
Let’s be real: Most pronunciation systems expect students to decode complicated phonetic symbols or memorize endless rules. Not only is that intimidating, but it also doesn’t stick. The Color Vowel System, on the other hand, is intuitive and practical. Here’s why it stands out:
No Phonetic Symbols Needed: Students don’t need to learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (e.g., ษช ส รฐ ล ษก ษ ส ฮธ ษฒ ษฏ ส รฆ ษน ษฝ ษค) to talk about sounds. Colors and key phrases do the heavy lifting.
Immediate Engagement: The system uses visual cues, gestures, and rhythm, making it accessible to learners of all ages and backgrounds.
Self-Correction: Instead of constantly correcting students, Color Vowel teachers prompt students to notice and adjust their own pronunciation using gestures and images. This builds independence and confidence.
Brain-Based Learning: ๐คฏBy activating the areas of the brain that process music, rhythm, and imagery (including the Broca’s area, which is key for language production), students internalize new sounds more quickly and deeply.
How Does It Work in Practice?
The Color Vowel System gives each vowel sound an “anchor phrase” that combines a color and an object, both using the same vowel sound. For example:
|
THE COLOR VOWELS in AMERICAN ENGLISH |
||
|
ANCHOR PHRASE |
VOWEL SOUND (IPA) |
EXAMPLE |
|
a CUP of MUSTARD |
/ษ/ (schwa) |
hush,
rust, combustion |
|
AUBURN DOG* |
/ษ/ |
dog,
caught, law |
|
BLACK CAT |
/รฆ/ |
cat,
map, apple |
|
BLUE MOON |
/uห/ |
moon,
blue, canoe |
|
BROWN COW |
/aส/ |
cow,
house, now |
|
GRAY DAY |
/eษช/ |
day,
gray, play |
|
GREEN TEA |
/iห/ |
tea,
see, teacher |
|
OLIVE SOCK |
/ษ/ |
sock,
hot, father |
|
ORANGE DOOR |
/ษหr/ or /ษr/ |
door,
more, floor |
|
PURPLE SHIRT |
/ษ/ or /ษหr/ |
shirt,
bird, word |
|
RED PEPPER |
/ษ/ |
red,
bed, egg |
|
ROSE BOAT |
/oส/ |
boat,
rose, go |
|
|
/ษช/ |
pin,
sit, give |
|
TURQUOISE TOY |
/ษษช/ |
toy,
boy, choice |
|
WHITE TIE |
/aษช/ |
tie,
white, my |
|
|
/ส/ |
hook,
book, good |
|
These are the color vowels based
on the Color Vowel Method ® developed by Karen Taylor and Shirley Thompson. What you are looking at is not the Color
Vowel Chart © which we cannot show you publicly. It is a description of the
components which make up the Color Vowel Chart. |
Results That Speak for Themselves
The Color Vowel System isn’t just a cool idea—it’s proven. It’s used by top institutions like the U.S. Department of State, Harvard, Yale, and Georgetown, and has helped more than a million learners worldwide. It bridges the gap between spoken and written English, builds phonemic awareness, and gives learners a clear, memorable pathway to mastery.
A Community of Learners and Teachers
One of my favorite things about the Color Vowel System is the vibrant community it’s built. As a certified instructor, I’m connected with educators around the world who are passionate about helping students succeed. There are workshops, free events, and ongoing support—so both teachers and students are always learning and growing.
Ready to Color Your English?
If you’re tired of the same old pronunciation drills and want to experience a smarter, more engaging way to master English sounds, the Color Vowel System might just be your new best
friend. It’s transformed my teaching—and my students’ lives. Want to see how it can work for you? Let’s get started and add some color to your English!
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