When we speak English fluently, we often link between words. There are many types of linking. We will address consonant to consonant linking first.
When the consonant sound at the end of a word is the same sound that starts the next word, we pronounce the consonant only once if it is a continuant sound. Continuants can be held, like s can be held out: sssssssss. Stopped sounds cannot be held, for example p cannot be drawn out to ppppp.
Continuant consonants include f, v, s, z, th, sh, m, n, l and r.
When the consonant sound at the end of a word is the same sound that starts the next word, we pronounce the consonant only once if it is a continuant sound. Continuants can be held, like s can be held out: sssssssss. Stopped sounds cannot be held, for example p cannot be drawn out to ppppp.
Continuant consonants include f, v, s, z, th, sh, m, n, l and r.
| examples: if friends sounds like iffriends have very sounds like havvery bus station sounds like busstation has zero sounds like hazzero with thought sounds like withought wish she sounds like wishee I’m moving sounds like I’mmoving clean knife sounds like cleannife feel like sounds like feellike or red sounds like orred |
These are not run together as one word so much as there is not a distinct stop to the ending consonant and start of the beginning consonant.
When the ending consonant is a stopped consonant, we also link to the next consonant, but instead of continuing the sound into the next sound, we stop the consonant and don’t release the air. So when we say the word “stop” by itself, the p has a puff of air following it. When we say the phrase “stop that,” we stop our p sound but don’t release the puff of air. You can listen to the recordings of the examples to hear these phrases unlinked and linked.
Stopped consonants include: p, b, t, d, k, g
When the ending consonant is a stopped consonant, we also link to the next consonant, but instead of continuing the sound into the next sound, we stop the consonant and don’t release the air. So when we say the word “stop” by itself, the p has a puff of air following it. When we say the phrase “stop that,” we stop our p sound but don’t release the puff of air. You can listen to the recordings of the examples to hear these phrases unlinked and linked.
Stopped consonants include: p, b, t, d, k, g
| examples: stop pointing web browser not today did do like candy big game |
For more practice recordings, consider purchasing a subscription to our full online practice site.
RSS Feed
