Connected Speech
Native speakers don't speak word... by... word. They connect them like a wave of sound!
1. Assimilation
Sometimes two sounds meet and create a new sound to save energy.
2. Elision
Sometimes a sound completely disappears to make the word faster to say (usually 't' or 'd').
3. Intrusion
When two vowels meet, an extra sound (/w/, /j/, or /r/) is added to link them smoothly.
We SPEAK connected speech, but we DO NOT WRITE it.
I dunno the answer. close
I don't know the answer. check
Ear Training bolt
When a native speaker says "won't you", what does it sound like?
In fast speech, which sound is dropped in the phrase "police station"?
Which sound naturally appears between the words "go" and "out"?
Mission my_location
Mission my_location
Mission my_location
The Rhythm of English
Teacher's Note: You don't *have* to speak this way to be understood, but you MUST learn to listen to it! This video shows exactly how native speakers naturally squash words together to maintain the rhythm of English.
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Advanced Q&A
Hi Sovan! It's a common misconception that they are just speaking *fast*. What they are actually doing is being *efficient*. English is a stress-timed language, so speakers squish the unimportant grammar words together (using elision and assimilation) to get to the important content words on the beat! 🎶
Do I *have* to speak with assimilation and elision to sound good?
Not necessarily! It's much more important for you to speak clearly and accurately. However, you MUST learn these features for your *listening* skills, otherwise native speakers will sound like they are speaking a completely different language! headphones
Teacher, why do native speakers talk so fast? It's so hard to catch the words!