Linking Sounds
Native English speakers connect words smoothly. Learning to link sounds will make your English flow more naturally!
Why Linking?
When English speakers talk naturally, words flow together. This can make it hard for learners to understand where one word ends and another begins!
Example: “Can I have a cup of tea?” sounds like “Canihava cupoftea?”
Consonant to Vowel Linking
When a word ends in a consonant and the next word starts with a vowel, they connect smoothly.
Examples:
- turn off → “turnoff” /tɜːˈnɒf/
- pick it up → “pickitup” /ˈpɪkɪˈtʌp/
- an apple → “anapple” /əˈnæpl/
- sit on → “siton” /ˈsɪtɒn/
- come in → “comin” /ˈkʌmɪn/
- look at it → “lookatit” /ˈlʊkætɪt/
Practice Sentences:
- Turn_it_off. (turnit off)
- Pick_it_up. (pickit up)
- What_are you doing? (whatare you doing)
- Put_it_on the table. (putit on)
- I’d like_an_apple. (likean apple)
Vowel to Vowel Linking
When a word ends in a vowel and the next starts with a vowel, we often add a small connecting sound.
Linking with /j/ (sounds like “y”)
When the first vowel is /iː/, /ɪ/, /eɪ/, or /aɪ/:
- I am → “I yam” /aɪ jæm/
- she is → “she yis” /ʃiː jɪz/
- see it → “see yit” /siː jɪt/
- my own → “my yown” /maɪ jəʊn/
- say it → “say yit” /seɪ jɪt/
Linking with /w/
When the first vowel is /uː/, /ʊ/, /əʊ/, or /aʊ/:
- do it → “do wit” /duː wɪt/
- go away → “go waway” /ɡəʊ wəˈweɪ/
- you are → “you ware” /juː wɑː/
- how are you → “how ware you” /haʊ wɑː juː/
- so I → “so wI” /səʊ waɪ/
Note: These linking sounds happen naturally and shouldn’t be forced or exaggerated.
Linking R (British English)
In British English, the letter R at the end of a word is usually silent - unless the next word starts with a vowel!
Silent R:
- car /kɑː/
- here /hɪə/
- more /mɔː/
Linked R:
- car is → “caris” /ˈkɑːrɪz/
- here it is → “herit is” /ˈhɪərɪtɪz/
- more and more → “morand more” /ˈmɔːrənˈmɔː/
Intrusive R:
Sometimes British speakers add an R that isn’t even in the spelling!
- idea of → “idear of” /aɪˈdɪərəv/
- China and → “Chinar and” /ˈtʃaɪnərənd/
American English: American speakers usually pronounce all R’s, so linking R is less noticeable.
Same Consonant Linking
When a word ends and the next begins with the same consonant, hold the sound (don’t say it twice).
- bad day → one long /d/
- stop playing → one long /p/
- big girl → one long /ɡ/
- some more → one long /m/
- tell Lisa → one long /l/
Practice:
- I wantto go. (not “want to go”)
- Thattime. (not “that time”)
- It’sso good. (not “its so”)
Elision (Dropping Sounds)
In fast speech, some sounds disappear completely.
Common Elisions:
- next day → “nex day” (T dropped)
- last night → “las night” (T dropped)
- handbag → “hanbag” (D dropped)
- friendship → “frienship” (D dropped)
- I don’t know → “I dunno”
- going to → “gonna”
- want to → “wanna”
- give me → “gimme”
Caution: “Gonna,” “wanna,” etc. are very informal. Use them in casual speech only!