Improve your American English: Using In, on, And

In order to sound more natural when speaking English, it can be helpful to learn about linking and reducing.  Americans reduce and link words, leaving off sounds and adding them to the next word to create a more flowing style.  For example, rather than saying “I’m on a call” with clear breaks between words, we tend to say something that sounds more like “Imahna call.”

Look at the phrases below.  Listen to the recording, and try pronouncing them with the American style linking and reducing.

In:  Link the “n” to the next word,
like “ina, inthe.”  

in a meeting
in the room
in a place

Link the word before “in,”

He’s in there sounds like he zin there
I’m in sounds like I min
Head in sounds like heh din

On:  Link the “n” to the next word,
like “ona, onthe.”

on a trip
on the web
on a tight timeline

Link the word before “on,”

I’m on it sounds like I mah nit
Get on that sounds like ge don that
Who’s on now? sounds like who zah now?

And:  Reduce “and” to sound more like “en.”

she and I sounds like she ennai
this and that sounds like this en that
in and out sounds like ineh nout

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