Common Reductions

Another item that can be a source of confusion and frustration for beginning learners of English are reductions. Reductions occur when sounds are reduced or completely eliminated in words when spoken. Reductions are very common in speech and some of the more common reductions are described below.

Reductions of 'of' There are three changes the can occur with the word 'of'. A. The 'o' in of is often pronounced using the schwa sound- uh. (see section on vowels) some of becomes some uh 'He likes some of the books' becomes He likes some uh the books. B. If a vowel follows 'of' it is often pronounced with a schwa + v (uhv) most of becomes most uhv 'Most of all, you can't drink' becomes Most uhv all, you can't drink. C. If the sound of the letter before 'of' is a 't' there is a flap in addition to the reduction. ouf of becomes oud dah 'He's out of money' becomes He's oud dah money. Reductions of 'and' And is often reduced to 'n'.

movies and books becomes movies n books 'I like movies and books' becomes Reductions of 'or' Or is often reduced to 'r'. I like movies n books.

pencil or pen becomes a pencil r pen. 'Either a pencil or pen' becomes

Either a pencil r a pen will do.

Reductions of 'for' For is often reduced and changed to fer for lunch becomes what's fer lunch. What's for lunch' becomes What's fer lunch.

Other Reduction Pages Page 2 'h', 'going to', 'want to', 'have to', 'has to'

Linking Words in Phrases & Sentences -by: Susan Ryan Summary :

Many people think that good pronunciation means pronouncing every word distinctly and clearly but this is not always the case. In spoken English the words within a sentence do not always sound the same as when you say them individually. That's because English speakers link words together in phrases and sentences.

In order to improve your spoken American English you need to link words to each other like native speakers do. Linking helps create a smooth transition between the words in a sentence and makes your speech sound less choppy. American English speakers will link most words in a sentence or phrase. However, there are some guidelines that I teach my students to follow when they are first learning about linking. In this article I will describe three of these guidelines.

Linking Guidelines for Accent Reduction

The C+ C rule When the same consonant sound is found at the end of one word and the beginning of the next, don't break your speech, simply hold the consonant sound for a longer time. For example, hold the /t/ sound between these words and pronounce them as one long word instead of breaking the words apart.

went to

what time

Try linking these words in the following sentences.

1. I went to the beach. 2. What time is he coming?

Hold the /s/ sound between these words.

was so is so

Now try linking them in the following sentences.

1. That was so nice of her! 2. James is so intelligent.

The C+ V rule When the first word ends in a consonant sound and the next word begins with a vowel sound carry the consonant sound over to the following word.

take it leave it some of look alike

Try linking the final consonant sound to the following vowel sound in these two sentences.

1. You can take it or leave it. 2. Some of them look alike.

The V + V rule When the first word ends in a vowel sound and the following word begins with a vowel sound insert a /y/ sound for front vowels and a /w/ sound for back vowels.

Insert a /y/ sound between these words.

say it may I

Insert a /w/ sound between these words.

do it

Now try to use V + V linking in these sentences.

1. Can you say it again? 2. May I help you? 3. Can you do it for me?

Linking is a very important part of spoken English because it makes your speech sound

more natural. Using linking will significantly improve the rhythm of your speech and help you reduce your accent by making your speech smoother and less choppy. Understanding linking will also allow you to understand English speakers more easily.

Common Reduced forms in American English

Reduced forms usually use during native speakers conversations. Non-native English speakers can use these reduced forms during their conversations in order to improve their speaking skills. In the context bellow we tried to explain the most common reduced forms in American English.

Going to is pronounced GONNA when it is used to show the future. But it is never reduced when it means going from one place to another. Were going to grab a bite to eat. = Were gonna grab a bite to eat. Im going to the office tonight. = Im going to the office tonight.

Want to and want a are both pronounced WANNA and wants to is pronounced WANSTA. Do you want to can also be reduced to WANNA. I want to go for a spin. = I wanna go for a spin. Do you want a piece of cake? = Wanna piece of cake? He wants to avoid rush hour. = He wansta avoid rush hour.

Have to is pronounced HAFTA and has to is pronounced HASTA. Sorry, I have to leave now. = Sorry, I hafta leave now. She has to go to work soon. = She hasta go to work soon.

Have reduces to AV or A in positive and negative phrases. must have = mustav or musta must not have = mustnav or mustna

would have = wouldav or woulda would not have = wouldnav or wouldna could have = couldav or coulda could not have = couldnav or couldna should have = shouldav or shoulda should not have = shouldnav or shouldna

You is almost always pronounced YA, youre and your are pronounced YER, and yours is pronounced YERS. Do you feel under the weather? = Do ya feel under the weather? Youre completely right. = Yer completely right. Your brother will be fine. = Yer brother will be fine. Is this book yours? = Is this book yers?

To is pronounced TA after voiceless sounds and DA after voiced sounds. She wants to invite us to the party. = She wants ta invite us ta the party. I need to go to bed now. = I need da go da bed now.

And and in both reduce to N. Karen and Steve are coming to visit. = Karen n Steve are coming to visit. Tim is in Paris this week. = Tom is n Paris this week.

D + Y = J T + Y = CH did you = didju or didja let you = letchu or letcha would you = wouldju or wouldja what you = whatchu or whatcha could you = couldju or couldja dont you = donchu or doncha should you = shouldju or shouldja didnt you = didnchu or didncha

T is pronounced as D when it is between two vowels. Thats a great idea. = Thats a gread idea. What a great car! = What a great car.

T is not pronounced when it is between N and E. center = cener counted = couned

The past tense form -ED is pronounced T after voiceless sounds, D after voiced sounds, and ID after T and D. T- D ID talked played decided dressed ordered wanted wished happened needed Similarly, the plural form S is pronounced S after voiceless sounds, Z after voiced sounds, and IZ after S, Z, SH, and CH.

S- Z -IZ desks sisters horses cats legs peaches tops eyes offices The h sound in the pronouns he, him, his, and her and the th sound in them are not pronounced in fast speech when they are unstressed; however, they are pronounced when they are stressed. I think he flunked bio class. = I think e flunked bio class. I told him to study more. = I told im to study more. He got an A on his final. = He got an A on is final. She thinks her teacher is crazy. = She thinks er teacher is crazy. Pop quizzes I hate them! = Pop quizzes I hate em If there is anything more to be added, Join us (register) and edit this article