English, baby!

Glue It Up - Connecting Words

Date: Dec 16 2008

Author: nad1a

Lesson

Understanding how words are connected will not only make you sound more natural, but will also help you understand native speakers better. I would say that this isn't only an English language feature, but this pretty much happens in most languages. If it weren't that way, we would rather sound like robots.

What is special about the way words are connected in English is, that while doing that a lot of the connecting sounds (at the end of the previous and beginning of next word) tend to either , sort of , fade away or change into a softer sound.

Connecting a consonant with a vowel (including semivowels W, Y and R)

a beautiful actress (a-beautifu-lactress)
Connecting consonants produced from a similar position in the mouth (lips, teeth, throat).

You have to stop being so touchy. [stoBBeen]
Do you have a lot of friends? [o’frends]
I was surprised to hear that. [waSSurpriseTTohear]
I just didn't know [jussdidn't ]
Connecting vowel with a vowel

        Depending on the position of the lips, vowels are connected with a glide [w] or [y], that goes in between the two words.

Go away.         [go(w)away]
I also know him. [äi(y)älso]
Give me the other one.        [Give me the(y)other one]

Connecting Y

The combination of T, D, S or Z + Y forces a change in a pronunciation, which if not aware of, will make you wonder what is actually being said. Especially if you 're learning English mainly through reading and you're not so experienced in speaking and listening to English.

        T + Y = CH - Don't you understand?         [Donchoo ]
D + Y = J -   Did you know that?            [Didja know that?]
S + Y = SH - Cross your fingers      [krosher fingers]
Z + Y = ZH -   How's your friend doing?     [howzher friend doing?]

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Related Lessons:

More help on Pronunciation

Comments

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guanruoqi

China

When I stand on a mountain, it seems that I can touch the sky more easy. That's just a dream. I know, the sky is so far to my hand. But I still want it to come true one day.

white_lilly

Switzerland

thanks for the great lessons

nad1a

Greece

probably. as i mentioned in the lesson, this is exactly what makes us sound natural, as opposed to robot-like speech :-)

it's just that in English it's a little more different than any other language, in terms of changes in the way certain words sound when connected. and i think this is obvious from the lesson.