How to understand native English speakers (word linking)

Even if you speak English very well, sometimes it's difficult to understand native speakers. Why is that? It's not because we speak too fast. In this video we look at "Word linking". Understanding this will help your fluency and comprehension.

#pronunciation #englishpronunciation #wordlinking #connected speech

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TRANSCRIPT
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Good morning room service Pierre speaking
Ah Pierre, This is Mr Johnson in room 4999 We are having a little party here can you bring us some more ice?
Rice ok, which rice boiled, fried.
Not rice we want some ice
Mice, you want mice Mice with rice what are you saying
No, you fool. ice, ice cube for our drinks
Oh, Ice ok I got it. Some ice not some mice. I am souris for the mice.
The ice is for the champagne for my friend. I've drunk a lot of champagne now I want to drink beer a bit. So bring me up a bottle.
What? you want a rabbit with beer.
What are you talking about "rabbit" no I just want some beer.
But I though you said beer rabbit. Ok une biere sans lapin. anything else.
Yes, I m getting hungry do you have any yeggs.
What is a yegg ? I am not familiar with this. it is an English food?
Eggs dear boy.. just Make us an omelette.
Egg, omelette ok, I;ll prepare everything, monseuir.
Oh and when you come bring us four candles.
Fork handles? don't you want to use all the fork?
Candles for the atmosphere four of them.
These English they really need to pronounce their language correctly.

In English we use word linking to join words together in order to speak more fluently and more naturally.

There are 3 patterns of word linking. Vowel to vowel, consonant to vowel and consonant to consonant.

English native speakers don't like to put too many vowel sounds together. We find it hard to pronounce but, of course it happens frequently. So what do we do? When we have 2 vowels sounds next to each other we will often add the sound of a consonant in between to make it easier to pronounce. It's like a phantom letter because it's spoken but not written. Let me give an example. Two of us....Two of us....In this phrase you have an u (ooo) followed by another vowel an o (o, hop). It's difficult for us to say it so in here we will add a "w" sound in between. Two of us. Two of us. Now "of" and "us" have weak forms "ev" and "us". So you'll often hear "two of us" pronounced "te we vus", "two we vus". We'll discuss weak forms in another video but as you can see what you see and what you hear are quite different.

Adding an extra sound is called intrusion. You can have an intrusive "r" an intrusive "w" and an intrusive "y".

In Standard British English the "r" sound at the end of words is not pronounced. For example. "Far", "door", "beer". But when words ending with an "r" precede a word that begins with a vowel An /r/ sound is inserted. For example. "Far and wide", "the door inside", "beer or wine".

After these vowel sounds you'll have an intrusive "r" /ə/ , /ɑː/ (car), or /ɔː/ door/saw .
Let's look at some more examples.
An idea of mine... /ə/
I saw a man with a dog
Where are the cookies

You might hear this "r" sound within a word with 2 vowels together. For example

draw but "drawing" which is easier to pronounce than drawing.
terror but terrorist.

The intrusive "W" you'll hear after an "ooo", an "o (go) and an "ow" sound.
Who are you?
Go upstairs
Now and then

And you'll find it in with individual words.
Do but doing.
cow but coward

The Intrusive /j/ you'll hear after these sounds

/i:/(bee) /aɪ/(I) /ei/ (they) - intrusive y

The city is far away.
We y are not alone
I can see y over the wall
I y am what I y am.
They y understand .

for the intrusive sounds, do remember that you are not obliged to use them . Even native speakers might not use them all the time. However, you should learn them as knowing them will certainly improve your understanding.

When a word ends in a consonant and the next word begins with a vowel sound we sometimes push the consonant to the beginning of the next word.
I had a ba dapple.
Ge tup
Nigh tand day.
I nee dit.
Ice or water or is it I saw water? It sounds the same.

When you have a word ending in a consonant and the next word begins with the same or a similar consonant you only need to say it once.

a bad day. just say the "d" one time. So not a bad day but a baday.

a big girl
one night.
Ice scream. Or is it Ice cream.

So there you are, by learning word linking you'll certainly improve your comprehension and you'll speak more fluently. That's the yend Now go away and have a gooday.

[johnhisoka]

I always like your videos, simple and brilliant.

[masessaqueeboa]

Thank you, I'm Brazilian and I'm learning English (US), but your videos are great and your pronunciation is easier than the US pronunciation, I'm enjoying it. Thank you!

[jorgeenriquefernandezcalde]

Wonderful!
that is called assimilation. Isn't it?
You are giving us good and useful lessons
Thank you so much

[irshikha]

😂😂😂 It's been a few days since I started watching your content. And yes, you are great at it. Be it visuals, pace, diction, music, timing - everything is fabulous. This video cracked me up 😁.

[ugoanselmi]

Thanks Gideon! Never heard about before. Very helpful for a better comprehension

[abderrahmanebelhadj]

explicitly, you are great in teaching !

[nisha]

Really!!!! You are brilliant teacher ever, thanks a

[zulkiflijamil]

"I feel too much heat. Please may i have some mice. " 🤣😂😃🤣

[dreamweaver]

I am an active English learner from China, and this series of videos really rocks, helping me much better master British English. None of my English teachers in my life have been so professional.

[jluclacour]

2:38 I am french, and I have easily understood this sentence :)

[renauxmarie-claire]

Excellent and funny!!!! Thanks a lot!!

[jeffshepherd]

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.

[АнатолійКоротких]

I appreciate Your efforts, Sir. Well done!

[imransiddiqui]

Very useful, thanks for taking so much effort

[wallyjm]

It is best video about word linking I ever watched. Could you give me some advice? How could I get a best understanding at listening Boris Johnson? One more question, please. Would you consider to make a video about BBC forecast? Thank you.

[wuodalhasani]

Becouse brtish tend to swallow words are the best your lessons amazing

[Woodman-Spare-that-tree]

🇬🇧 Sometimes we pronounce “of” as “ov” and sometimes as “uv”.

[atieks]

Almost all your videos I`ve been watching. Not only educating but also entertaining. I`m laughing though.

[Pootie_Tang]

Haha, at first I heard "some more arise" and thought that englishman ask frenchman to come join the party:-))))

[fihakhir]

thank you for this lesson but we need sirie like this