👄 Tim's Pronunciation Workshop: Why does the /d/ sound sometimes disappear?

Tim's back in his pronunciation workshop. 👄 This time he's finding out why English speakers sometimes don't pronounce the /d/ at the end of words like 'boiled' and 'steamed'. Find out more - and learn how Londoners prefer their potatoes!

More in this series:

Transcript:
Tim
Hi. I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation workshop. Here I'm going to show you how English is really spoken. It'll help you to become a better listener and a more fluent speaker. Are you ready? Come on, follow me. Today, we’re going to talk about one of the most important questions in contemporary Britain. The answer will also help you improve your pronunciation. So, what is this question? Well, it involves one of these, and one of these. Quite simply: do you prefer your potatoes steamed - or boiled? What’s your preference? Well this is what the people of London think.

Voxpops
I prefer steamed potatoes.
I prefer boiled potatoes.
I prefer steamed potatoes to boiled potatoes.
I prefer boiled potatoes.

Tim
So there we have it: the nation has spoken. Our completely scientific survey proves that the country is divided fifty-fifty. But what about pronunciation? Well, one of the things that happens when we speak English fluently is that we don’t always pronounce all the sounds in every word. The words steamed and boiled both end in the sound /d/, don’t they? Or do they? Watch and listen again - can you hear the sound /d/?

Voxpops
I prefer steamed potatoes.
I prefer boiled potatoes.
I prefer steamed potatoes to boiled potatoes.
I prefer boiled potatoes.

Tim
It’s very difficult to say /d/ when it comes in between two other consonants. Your mouth has to do a lot of work. So in many cases the /d/ is not pronounced. 'Boiled potatoes' becomes 'boilpotatoes'. And 'steamed potatoes' becomes 'steampotatoes'. This is called elision. Here are some more examples.

Examples
My best friend let me borrow his car.
Don’t hold back - say what you mean.
His bike rolled down the hill without him.

Tim
Right, so you’ve heard the examples, and now it’s your turn. You know the drill: listen and repeat.

Examples
My best friend let me borrow his car.
Don’t hold back - say what you mean.
His bike rolled down the hill without him.

Tim

We like receiving and reading your comments - please use English when you comment 😊

#learnenglish #pronunciation #speakenglish

[aishaos]

Thanks a lot Tim for these valuable lessons. I appreciate your work & those who are behind the camera for the effort they are putting out to help us learn in a pleasing, unique way. You're all making speaking English seems much easier & an enjoyable thing to practice. But, please, would you be more careful. Your accidents are terrible & really can stay in our minds. I do really feel bad. You are a great teacher. I aspire to be a unique English teacher just like you someday, so wish me luck ✌ 👀.

[chesshap]

Thank you, I do not get bored learning with you

[evelinpaba]

Hello Tim.
I'm from Colombia, I'm learning english, and these tips really helps me to improve my english and have a good pronunciation.
I like your videos.
keep doing it.
Thanks for your time to us.
(**Sorry If I made a mistake**)

[Oneonemeow]

Why Tim always got something bad in the end of video? Please be nice to him :)

[EXPLORINGPIPING]

tim sir concept 100% n explanation 200% . thank u

[conorlee]

l love pronunciation workshop. Tim is always so humorous and gives useful tips. Thanks a lot.

[HarshRao]

never realized that d is silent .. cool new technique learnt

[trytry]

It's useful. I wait every week for Tim's pronunciation workshop. Can't wait to see the next

[mahamedomar]

I love Tim and his pronunciation workshop

[benjaminestrada]

Great class. Thanks a lot. Greetings from Mexico.

[lcsgs]

sometimes I get confused because we have to make a difference between simple past and simple present.. and in those moments the difference is in the /d/ sound..
how could we do with them
"I use that" sounds like "I used that"

[mopham]

I love this video, however, I'm wondering that how can we distinguish the past tense and the simple tense, sometimes in a passive sentence if the 'd' or 'ed' sound disappear? Thanks in advance!

[rafaabdalla]

Thanks Tim that's really a new addition

[ShuoqinLi]

thanks, never mind the /d in pronunciation

[danielagonzalez]

Thank you BBC, It was very useful. I think Tim shouldn´t use tools or cookware.

[tranhang]

Hi Tim. I have a little question. Is there only the sound /d/ disappearing when it stands between two consonants? (What happens with other sounds like /t/, /p/, /b/, /k/, /g/, etc. whem them stand between two consonants?) Thank you!!

[toshiroh]

Hello, can you tell me if the D sound can be omitted when you say "You've saved me", please

[colen]

We nonnative always have very trouble about staccatos like "b" in the words obtain, obvious, or "p" in the word symptom, .if you have time, please make a video to help us pronounce them.

[johnynguyen]

Thank you so much! I have another question. I have struggled when I attempt to speak out /D/ and /T/ sound at the end, for example, I'd, boiled, loved and so on. How do you differ between verb present tense and verb past tense if the ending sound /D/ or /T/ is disappear?

[Denol]

what about /s/ after /θ/ as in "both sides". It's incredibly hard for me to pronounce it and I assume for native speakers it is too. How is this phrase supposed to be pronounced? "boaf sides"? "bow sides"?