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Unit Seven: Sentence Focus: De-emphasizing structure words
This Online Audio Course is adopted from: Clear Speech Student's Book: Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension in American English, 3rd Edition
F: Saying common expression with contraction
listen and repeat these common friendly greetings and expressions. Each one contains a contraction.
1. What's new? 5. What's up?
2. How're you doing? 6. What'll you have? (to eat or drink)
3. How's it going? 7. It;s great to see you!
4. How've you been? 8. I don't believe it!
G: Linking in common expressions
Some of the words in these common expressions link together. For example, the final /z/ sound in "how's" connects with the vowel sound in "it" so that the two words wound like one word , " howzit."
Listen and notice how some of the words in these expressions link together.
1. How's it going? Howzit going?
2. What's up? Whatsup?
3. I don't believe it! I don't believit!
Practice saying these expressions again.
H: De- emphasizing structure words: reductions
Some structure words in English are de-emphasized b reducing the vowel in the structure word to schwa. Reducing structure words in this way makes the more important words easier to notice. Words that begin with a vowel sound like "a," "an," and "or," are often linked to the final sound of the word that comes before them.
He takesabus towork He takesə bus tə work.
listen to the way the vowels in many of the structure words are reduced to schwa. also notice how the structure words "a," "an," and "or," link to the word that comes before them.
- He takes a bus to work. He takesə bus tə work
- They wrote a letter to the president.
- I left an umbrella in your car.
- She runs or swims every day.
Note: you do not have to use reductions in your speech. However, practicing reductions will help you to understand them in other people's speech.
I: De-emphasizing structure words: Reduced "and"
The structure word "and" is de-emphasized by reducing it to /ən/. The vowel sound is reduced to schwa, and the letter -d- is silent. The schwa sound in "and" is also linked to the final sound of the word that comes before it.
When "and" is reduced, the word before it and the word after it are easier to notice.
Creamandsugar Creamən sugar
Listen to the way"and" is reduced and linked to the word that comes before it.
cream and sugar creamən sugar
men and women menən women
rock and roll rockən roll
K: De emphasizing structure words: Silent letter -h-
Pronouns like "he" and "her" that begin with the letter -h- are reduced by making the -h- silent. The vowel sound after the silent -h- links with the word that comes before it. For example, the question "is he" usually sound like "Izzy"
IsHe?Listen. Notice how the beginning -h- in each pronoun is silent. Also notice how the vowel in the pronoun links over the silent -h- to the word that comes before it.
- What's her name? Whatser name?
- Call him. Callim
- I can't reach her. I can't reacher.
- Matt lost his jacket. Matt lostiz jacket.
- Will he be there?
- Has anyone seen him?
Practice saying the sentences.
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