Rhythym of Spoken English

Linking

The third feature of rhythm that we teach at Accent Master is linking.  This is how words flow together so that you don’t have a halting sound to your speech.  Many words can be linked together not just making you sound smoother but saving even more time in pronouncing words that are unstressed, an important skill for the ESL speaker

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Let’s get started with our first example of linking:

 When saying: “An easy test” you will actually say

“aneasy test” It may sound like “akneesE test”

We don’t’ say “An   Easy   Test” This can sound stiff and formal.

In this example “It’s like ashes”

Do you hear cashes when you flow the words together?

These are examples of a final consonant sound (not letter) linking to the word following that begins with the vowel.

Say these phrases using smooth linking between the consonants and the vowels

 
Try these:

  The speaker’s attitude
  To check in
   Some other ones 
   Homework assignments
  Writing essays
   One example
   In October

You can also link a final vowel to a word that begins with a vowel. Sometimes this requires that you insert a w or y sound between

Try these:
  As in    
 Go on 
  Carry out
Two algorithms    
Knew about it
 Now it’s over
Three offices

 

Another situation in which linking works is when a word ends with a stop consonant ( stop consonant is one that is made by stopping the airflow and then releasing it as in /p/,/d/, /t/, /k/, /g/, and  /b/) and the next word begins with a stop.  In these cases we stop the airflow and change the place of articulation without releasing the air in between

 For example: “Like music”

Don’t release the air after the /k/ just flow right into music “likmusic”

Try these:
  A hard night
 A good memory 
 The right moment
Stick together
Keep notes
Stop trying
 Pop quiz

 

So the three rules for linking are:

1. Final consonant sound (not letter)  linking to the word following that begins with the vowel

2. Final vowel to a word that begins with a vowel. Sometimes this requires that you insert a w or y sound between

3. A word ending with a stop and the next word begins with a stop. 

It is a lot of rules our Accent Master’s software has great videos, lessons and practice so you can really master this part of the American Accent.

Lynn founder of

Accent Master