The Post-it Note Exercise (word-specific exercises)
What if fixing your pronunciation was as easy as sticking a Post-it note on your door?
In the past, students often kept tripping over the same word even though we’d practice the word and sounds in class pronunciation a few times, they’d feel good about it, and then a few days later, the old way of saying it would creep right back in.
It wasn't that my students don’t try. The environment and their habits weren't set up to help them remember! In addition, as they say, especially with certain words, old habits die hard. The key would have to be to rewire their habits, especially with common words that have been so embedded in one’s speech through common use.
As a teacher, I wanted to give them a smarter way to practice, one that worked with their daily routines instead of adding to his to-do list. So I started asking myself a simple question: what if the problem isn't how hard you study a word, but how often that word actually crosses your mind? Indeed, consistency has been proven to be the key to habit change across multiple domains, whether it’s physical (like the gym) or mental (like learning).
That's when I introduced them to the Post-it Note Exercise.
We all have habits working against us
Almost everyone learning a new accent or language carries a few bad habits without realizing it. Maybe you expect quick results and get discouraged when they don't come. Maybe your practice is inconsistent, a burst of effort one week and nothing the next. Maybe you're afraid of making mistakes, so you avoid saying the word out loud at all.
These habits aren't your fault. They just build up quietly over time, and they make learning feel harder than it needs to be.
The truth is, consistency is what actually moves the needle. The more regularly you practice a word, the faster it sticks. But building that consistency is the hard part, especially when you're juggling a dozen other words, rules, and sounds at once. That's exactly the problem the Post-it Note Exercise solves.
What is the Post-it Note Exercise?
It's a simple way to build better pronunciation habits by focusing on just one word at a time.
I've explained the full exercise in this video:
Instead of trying to remember a long list of rules, you write a single word on a Post-it note and stick it somewhere you pass every day. Your bathroom mirror, your bedroom door, your fridge, anywhere you can't avoid. Every time you see it, you say the word out loud and practice it correctly. Do this for several days in a row, and the old pronunciation starts getting replaced by the new one.
Why it actually works
It narrows your focus. Instead of juggling several pronunciation rules at once, you're only thinking about one word. That makes it much easier to give it your full attention and get it right.
It rewires old habits. Saying the same word correctly, over and over, across several days, is what breaks a habit that might have been fossilized for years. Repetition in a short window is what makes the new pronunciation stick.
It removes the guesswork. You don't have to remember to practice. Placing the note somewhere you can't avoid means the habit triggers itself. You see it, you say it, you move on. No mental effort required.
How to try it yourself
Pick one word you keep getting wrong, ideally one you use often.
Write it on a Post-it note, in plain letters or with a simple phonetic spelling if that helps you.
Stick it somewhere you pass multiple times a day.
Every time you see it, say the word out loud, slowly and correctly, at least once.
Leave it there for about a week before swapping in a new word.
Improving your pronunciation doesn't always require long study sessions. Sometimes, a simple change in your environment is enough to build a better habit.
Over time, those small repetitions can make a big difference. Sometimes the simplest exercises are the ones that stick the longest.
