English Teaching

ELT365 · Day 164 — Elision and assimilation

📚60-Day ELT Masterclass — This post is part of an ongoing series. View full index →

Idea — Elision means sounds drop out (next door → /neks dɔː/). Assimilation means a sound changes to match its neighbour (ten minutes → /tem mɪnɪts/). Both are normal spoken English, not lazy speech.

Example — “Good morning” → /gʊm mɔːnɪŋ/ — the /d/ assimilates to the following /m/.

Try — Find three examples of assimilation in a course-book dialogue. Mark them for learners before they listen.

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