⏱ 5 Minutes · B1/B2
📖 From Experience
When Vanessa and I first met, she spoke French fast and I spoke English fast — and neither of us could follow the other at full speed. Fast speech is not just quicker. The words join, change shape, and sometimes disappear. This is called connected speech, and understanding it changes everything about listening.
📚 Four Key Processes
| Process | What happens | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Linking | Final consonant joins next vowel | an_apple → /ə’næpl/ |
| Elision | Sound disappears | next day → /neks deɪ/ (t dropped) |
| Assimilation | Sound changes to match neighbour | ten boys → /tem bɔɪz/ (n→m) |
| Reduction | Unstressed words weaken | I want to → /aɪ wɒnə/; going to → gonna |
✅ Examples
- Linking: ‘turn off’ sounds like ‘tur-noff’
- Elision: ‘last night’ sounds like ‘las’ night’
- Reduction: ‘do you want a cup of tea?’ → ‘dja wanna cuppa tea?’
✏️ Your Turn
How would a native speaker say these quickly?
- ‘I have got to go.’ (reduction: have got to → ?)
- ‘What are you doing?’ (reduction: are you → ?)
- ‘It doesn’t matter.’ (elision: doesn’t → ?)
💡 Check Answers
- I’ve gotta go / I’ve gotta go
- Whatcha doing? / What’re you doing?
- It doesn’ matter (the t is dropped before consonant)
Independent project — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification.
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