Connected speech
When you first hear an unfamiliar language, you don’t really hear individual words but rather a flow of sound.
As you learn and become more familiar with the language, you begin to hear individual words, partly because your teacher and your learning materials are often slower than natural speech.
The problem is when you get better at speaking, you need to learn how to connect the words the way you hear native speakers doing so.
This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to ‘neutralise’ an accent as it can help you build the same speech patterns as native speakers.
Here are some tips to help you!
Rule #1 for better pronunciation
If a word ends on a consonant and the next word begins on a vowel, the consonant moves on to the vowel of the 2nd word.
Example:
| word ends | sounds like | wor dends |
| green apples | gree nappples |
Listen to this sentence in different forms:
“If a word ends on a consonant and the next word begins on a vowel, the consonant moves on to the vowel of the 2nd word.”
INCORRECT:
CORRECT:
Now listen to sections of the sentence flowing into one another, as they should in good pronunciation:
If a word > I fa word
Ends on a consonant > End-so-na consonant
Begins on a vowel > Begin-so-na vowel
Rule #2 for better pronunciation
If a word ends on an ‘ee’ sound and is followed by a word beginning with a vowel sound, we put both words together and add the letter ‘y’ in the middle.
| three eggs | sounds like | threeyeggs |
| He asked | Heeyasked |
Now listen to this good and bad example:
INCORRECT: The exam was very difficult
CORRECT: TheYexam was very difficult
Rule #3 for better pronunciation
If a word ends on an ‘oo’ sound and is followed by a word beginning with a vowel sound, we put both words together and add the letter ‘w’ in the middle.
| blue eyes | sounds like | blooweyes |
| Two onions | Toowonions |
Now listen to this good and bad example:
INCORRECT: Did you ask what his name was?
CORRECT: Did youWask what his name was?