Linking, Reduction and Assimilation

Huh Whaddr ya talkin about? Wouldja please explain whatcha mean?

As you read a page of printed words, you can easily identify individual words because you can see the spaces between words. But in conversation, words often run together, and its difficult to know exactly where one word ends and the next word begin. But with a bit of practice, you can understand street talk and informal conversation.

Linking
1) Consonant to Vowel
If one word ends with a consonant and the next word begins with a vowel, link the sounds.

Two pencils are available. Five or six apples are over there. What a bad day this is!
2) Consonant to Consonant

Two types of consonant sounds:

Continuant: SOFT Call bus Dont suddenly stop the sound. Let your voice fade away. one five less some

Stop:

HARD Stop the sound by blocking the air-flow (by closing your lips, or blocking the air-flow with your tongue). Air is released to finish the sound. Dark cap cab cat big red

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Linking, Reduction and Assimilation

A) Stop to Stop

Same stop sounds

Dont pronounce both stop sounds. Form the stop sound at the end of the first word, hold it for a fraction of a second, then release it as you say the next word. A red dress a big gun my sick cat the right time

B)

Different stop sounds

Form the stop sound at the end of the first word, but dont release it. No air comes out. Release the air when you begin the second word. The right day a cheap car dark blue some cab drivers

Reduction
There are many types of reduction. We will only look at the most common example:

ing suffix

Reduced style: /In/ Unreduced style /i/

In street talk, the g is often dropped, or half-dropped (so that you can hardly hear it). In formal English, you should never reduce ing. Its raining heavily today. When are you going home?

Think of five other examples of ing in common conversation, and practice with your classmate. Whats the difference between formal and informal pronunciation? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

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Linking, Reduction and Assimilation Assimilation

The word assimilation means to join, and become part of, a different large group. When certain sounds are followed by the word you, linking and reduction occurs together, and a completely different sound is produced. This is called assimilation. t & you cant you meet you ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ /tu/ (tchou) or /t/ (tcha)

& you did you would you

/du/ (djou)

or

/d/ (dja)

___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

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Linking, Reduction and Assimilation

Instructions: for each of the examples below you will 1) Practice the un-linked (slow, careful) style with your partner. 2) Practice the linked, reduced or assimilated style with your partner. Say the examples: 1st: careful style, 2nd: linked, reduced or assimilated style. Example: Say Two pencils are available, then say Two pencilzaravailable 1) Linking Consonant to Vowel Two pencils are available. Five or six apples are over there. What a bad day this is! 2) Same Stop Sounds She has a red dress. He has a big gun. My sick cat is blue. 3) Different Stop Sounds Today is the right day to begin. I bought a cheap car. My shirt is dark blue. I like cab drivers. 4) Reduced ~ing Its raining heavily today. When are you going home? Whats happening? I like fishing, and swimming and golfing. Im bringing a friend to sing. 5) Assimilation Pleased to meet you. Cant you meet me? What did you do? Would you like a drink? Why did you do that? When did you go there? Where did you meet her? Two pencilzaravailable. Fivor sixapplezareover there. Whada bad day thisiz. She has a redress. He has a bigun. My sikat is blue. Today is the rightday to begin. I bought a cheapcar. My shirt is darkblue. I like cabdrivers. Its rainin heavily today. When are you goin home? Whats happenin? I like fishin and swimmin and golfin. Im bringin a friend to sing. Pleased to mitchou. Cantcha meet me? Wha dja do? Wouldjou like a drink? Whydja do that? Whendja go there? Wheredja meed her?

Write an informal dialogue with your partner. Use at least one example of each of the 5 types of linking, reduction or assimilation. Then Write it, Check it with the teacher, Memorize it, Present it to the class or tape it.

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Linking, Reduction and Assimilation

Name ______________________________________ Score___/22 ________%

Linking Consonant to Vowel 1 Two pencilzaravailable. 2 3 Fivor sixapplezareover there. Whata bad day thisiz.

________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

Same Stop Sounds 4 She has a redress. ________________________________ 5 6 He has a bigun. My sikat is blue. ________________________________ ________________________________

Different Stop Sounds 7 Today is the rightday to begin. 8 9 10 I bought a cheapcar. My shirt is darkblue. I like cabdrivers.

________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

Reduced ~ing 11 Its rainin heavily today. 12 13 14 15 When are you goin home? Whats happenin? I like fishin and swimmin and golfin. Im bringin a friend to sing.

________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

Assimilation 16 Pleased to mitchou. 17 18 19 20 21 22 Cantcha meet me? Wha dja do? Wouldjou like a drink? Whydja do that? Whendja go there? Wheredja meet her?

________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

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Linking, Reduction and Assimilation

Class-wide trends Average______________

Linking Consonant to Vowel 1 Two pencilzaravailable. 2 3 Fivor sixapplezareover there. Whata bad day thisiz.

missing middle schwa d for th in there d for th, missed flap

Same Stop Sounds 4 She has a redress. 5 6 He has a bigun. My sikat is blue.

no pausing, no rise in intonation, no anticipatory tongue position she for he

Different Stop Sounds 7 Today is the rightday to begin. 8 9 10 I bought a cheapcar. My shirt is darkblue. I like cabdrivers.

d for th, to for tuh no pausing, no rise in intonation, no anticipatory tongue position, no flap on bought skirt for shirt cob for cab

Reduced ~ing 11 Its rainin heavily today. 12 13 14 15 When are you goin home? Whats happenin?

use of /i/ for /I/ equal stress on modal and pronouns, you for ya fission for fishin bringink, bring-nin, to for tuh

I like fishin and swimmin and golfin. Im bringin a friend to sing.

Assimilation 16 Pleased to mitchou. 17 18 19 20 21 22 Cantcha meet me? Wha dja do? Wouldjou like a drink? Whydja do that? Whendja go there? Wheredja meet her?

to for tuh stress on cha instead of Cant not linked incorrect stress on jou, zha for djza what for why, zha for djza incorrect stress on dja, zha for djza zha for djza, fail to flap, fail to drop /h/

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