AI App Schools on English Pronunciation

Isthmus. Nuclear. Anemone. Tricky English pronunciations are a challenge for many immigrants to the U.S. and native-born speakers alike. ELSA — which stands for English language speech assistant — aims to help with that. The three-year-old Silicon Valley startup offers an English-pronunciation app, dubbed ELSA Speak, that’s geared toward American English and available for Android and iOS devices. Vu Van, ELSA’s co-founder and CEO, said English pronunciations plague many seeking careers. A Vietnamese immigrant, Van picked up English early and later went to Stanford University to earn an MBA in 2011, but still struggled with certain words, leading her to start ELSA.