Speaking: Pronunciation C2 - Lesson 2: Articulating Clearly & Naturally in Rapid Speech

Speaking: Pronunciation C2

Articulating Clearly & Naturally in Rapid Speech

Listen to the "Robotic vs. Natural" examples.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to apply advanced techniques like elision, assimilation, and linking to speak English at a faster, more natural pace while maintaining clarity.

The Myth of "Speaking Fast"

At C2, fluency isn't about speaking faster; it's about speaking more efficiently. Native speakers don't say every single sound. They use "connected speech" to link words, drop sounds, and blend sounds for a smoother, faster flow. Compare:

ROBOTIC (Over-pronounced) 🤖

"I... do... not... know... what... to... do... next."

NATURAL (Connected) 🔥

"I dunno whaddə do next."

This lesson teaches you the rules behind the "natural" version.

The 4 Rules of Rapid, Connected Speech

To sound fluid and natural, you must master these four key features.

1. Elision (Dropping Sounds)

We drop sounds, especially /t/ and /d/, when they are squeezed between two other consonants.

• "next day" → "nex' day"
• "most common" → "mos' common"
• "kept quiet" → "kep' quiet"
• "and now" → "an' now"

2. Assimilation (Changing Sounds)

Sounds change to become *like* the next sound, making them easier to say together.

• /d/ + /j/ → /dʒ/ (j): "did you" → "di-joo"
• /t/ + /j/ → /tʃ/ (ch): "don't you" → "don-choo"
• /s/ + /j/ → /ʃ/ (sh): "this year" → "thi-shear"
• /v/ → /f/ (before 't'): "have to" → "haf-to"

3. Linking (Catenation)

We connect words so there is no gap between them. (Consonant to Vowel)

• "an_apple" → "a-napple"
• "stop_it" → "sto-pit"
• "look_at" → "loo-kat"

4. Weak Forms (The Schwa /ə/)

Function words (to, for, a, the, of, and) are almost always unstressed and reduced to a short /ə/ sound (like the 'a' in 'about').

• "I went to the store." → "I went /tə ðə/ store."
• "A cup of tea." → "A cup /əv/ tea."
• "It's for you." → "It's /fər/ you."

Practice Your Listening 🎯

Practice Quiz: What Did You Hear?

Listen to the *natural, rapid* phrase, then choose the correct *full, written* sentence. Click "Check Answers" when done.

1. Listen:

What is the full phrase?

• A) He must be late.
• B) He must have been late.
• C) He must of been late.

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2. Listen:

What is the full phrase?

• A) What do you want?
• B) Why do you want?
• C) What did you want?

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3. Listen:

"gonna" is a common reduction of:

• A) go to
• B) going to
• C) got to

Activity 2: Fluency Drill (Production)

Practice saying these sentences using connected speech. The natural form is written below. Click 🔊 to hear the target pronunciation.

• "I should have told him." "I should've told 'im."
• "It is the best of both worlds." "It's the best-a both worlds."
• "What are you going to do?" "Whaddaya gonna do?"
• "I don't know." "I dunno."

Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)

• Connected Speech | ការនិយាយតភ្ជាប់
  Speaking in a continuous flow, where words join together and change sounds.
• Elision (Noun) | ការជ្រុះសំឡេង
  The dropping or deletion of a sound in speech. (e.g., "next day").
• Assimilation (Noun) | ការបន្លឺសំឡេង
  When a sound changes to become more like a nearby sound (e.g., "did you" $\to$ "di-joo").
• Linking (Catenation) (Noun) | ការតសំឡេង
  Connecting the end of one word to the beginning of the next (e.g., "an_apple").
• Weak Form (Noun) | ទម្រង់ខ្សោយ
  An unstressed, reduced pronunciation of a function word (e.g., "to" becomes /tə/).
• Schwa /ə/ (Noun) | ស្វា
  The unstressed vowel sound in words like "about" or "teacher". The most common sound in English.

Your Mission: Shadowing Challenge ⭐

Your mission is to perfectly match a native speaker's connected speech.

1. Find a 30-60 second audio/video clip of a native speaker (e.g., from a TED Talk, movie, or news report).
2. Listen and transcribe (write down) exactly what they say.
3. Listen again, but this time, mark the connected speech. Where do they drop sounds (elision)? Where do sounds link? (e.g., "first of_all" $\to$ "first-a-vall").
4. Practice Shadowing: Play the clip and try to speak *at the exact same time* as the speaker. Don't wait for them to finish. Your goal is to copy their rhythm, speed, and sound connections perfectly.
5. Do this 5-10 times until your voice and the speaker's voice sound like one.