Aspects of connected
:speech
Linking
Word Linking is how we join the words
together to speak FASTER, MORE
NATURAL and MORE FLUENT.
If English is not your mother tongue, and
you cannot join the words together when
you speak, you will not be able to follow
native speakers’ natural speed.
They will also not be able to quite focus on
what you are trying to say as native
speakers (not only of English) tend to
process the language in big chunks and
could easily lose concentration when the
message being delivered to them sounds
broken or incoherent.
In order for you to produce an
uninterrupted flow of English sounds, you
must be able to understand and apply 3
speech patterns as follows:
• Linking Consonant To
C Vowel
V
• Linking Consonant To
C Consonant
C
V • Linking Vowel To Vowel
V
Linking Consonant To
Consonant
Linking is an important part of American
English . If we break between words , it
will sounds very choppy , so they link
words together for smooth speech.
First , let’s talk about linking the same
consonant , For example :
1) Gas station– gastation
2) Keep paying-- keepaying
• Second , let‘s talk about blocked
consonants or stop consonants which are
the 6 plosives :
1) /t/ 2) /d/
3)/b/ 4)/p/
5)/k/ 6) /g/
• Ex. Big table
We tend to pronounce both sounds /g/ and
/t/ in the same breath. /bɪgteɪbəl/
• Thirdly, producing similar plosive sounds
= (have the same place of articulation)
• Ex. Hot day (both /t/ and /d/ are alveolar
plosives, So pronounced as /hɒdeɪy/
• We tend to pronounce /d/ bec the voiced
sound /d/ is more dominant than the
voiceless /t/.
Linking Consonants to
Vowels
To link a consonant to a vowel, move the
consonant sound to the next word
beginning with a vowel.
Examples:-
'Just a moment...' is said, “ʤəs tə ˈməʊmənt...”
'Take a...' is said, “teɪ kə
'Line up...' is said, “laɪ nʌp...”
'Get away...' is said, “gɛ tə weɪ...”
‘
Can I...' is said, “kə naɪ...”
'But I...' is said, “bə taɪ...”
'Come in...' is said, “kʌ mɪn...”
'Come on...' is said, " kʌ mɒn..."
Linking Vowel-to-Vowel
To create a smooth link from a word ending
in a vowel sound into a word beginning
with a vowel sound, a very small /j/ or /w/
or /r/ is added between the words,
connecting one word to the next.
/Link with /j
if the vowel of the first word is:
• /eɪ/
• /ɪ:/
• /ɪ/
• /aɪ/
• /ɔɪ/
/j/ examples
• They're going to buy‿energy‿efficient
appliances.
• Let's take a break, then try‿again after
lunch.
• It finally allows email. = finally-allows
first
word
ends
we write with we say
pay all /eɪ/ Pay j all
the end /i:/ The j end
lie on /aɪ/ Lie j on
/Link with /w
If the vowel of the first word is:
• /əʊ/
• /aʊ/
• /ʊ:/
• /ʊ/
/w/ examples
• New errand /njʊ: w erənd/
• Let's go‿over the documents
• tomorrow‿afternoon
first
word
ends
we write with we say
go out /əʊ/ gowout
too often /u:/ toowoften
You all go out too often.
write
youwall gowout toowoften
say
Linking /r/ examples
• There were eight dogs
• Is this gold pure or not ?
• Her eyes are brown
The “r” consonant
It may occur at the initial position
e.g: Rain , Rabbit , Run.
-It may occur in the middle position
e.g: turn , party , learn , birth.
-It may occur at the final position
e.g: other ,brother ,clever ,director
In pronouncing British English we can
DROP the “r” sound when:
*It occurs at the final position as in :
brother ,clever …etc
**When we find “r” sound at the end of a word
and followed by a “vowel”, we DON’T DROP
it ,but we pronounce it and link it with this
“vowel”
e.g: My brother owns that shop.
The
/intrusive /r
*We tend to insert /r/ to link two words, one
ends with a vowel and the other starts also
with a vowel but when the ending vowel of
the first word is either one of these vowels
or diphthongs:
/ɜː/
• /aː /
• /ɔ/:
• /ə/
• /ɪə/
• /ʊ ə / , / e ə /
Examples
• The spa R is open.
• The media R event.