FOCS : Features of connected speech

Ph&ph

date

ate breakfast → ape breakfast

bad credit → bag credit
What is connected speech?
when we speak naturally we do not pronounce, stop, then say the next word in sentence. Fluent
speech flows with a rhythm and the words bump into each other. To make speech flow smoothly
the way we produce the end and beginning of some words can change depending on the sounds
at the beginning and end of those words.
These changes are described as features of connected speech.
(naturally when you speak faster)( words affects one another)
linking and sound change are naturalp parts of spoken English. the amount depends on the
speaker, the formality of the situation, and the rathe of speech.
Connected speech:
Junction (Linking):

1. consonnat to vowel

2. vowel to vowel

3. Linking

Consonant to vowel linking:

beautiful → sounds like beautifu-lies)
clean up → (sounds like clea-nup)
job offer → (sounds like jo-boffer)

when the first word begins with a vowel sound.

FOCS : Features of connected speech 1

 when you link a final consonant sound to a beginning vowel sound, it sounds like the
consonant moves to the next vord or is shared by both words.

Vowel to vowel linking:

When one word ends with a vowel sound and the next word begins with a vowel, another soud, a
/w/ or /j/ can be added depending on the particular sounds to make a smooth transition.
two eggs — three eggs

Vowel to vowel linking: LINKING J

when a word ends in /i:/ or a diphtong which finishes with /ɪ/, speakers often introduce a /j/ to
ease the transition to a following vowel sound:
I_agree, wholeheartedly /aɪjə/
I think, therefore I am. (Descartes) /aɪjæm/
I am, therefore I ought to be. /aɪjæm/ /aɪjːɔt/
They_are,_aren't they? (linking /j/,and linking r/ /ðeɪjɑː rɑːnt/
This happens because in order to form /iː/ and /ɪ/,the mouth is in more or less the same position
as it is for the start of the semi-vowel /j/
lay /j/ up
I /j/ always
Linking /w/

When a word endsin /u:/, or a diphtong which finishes with /ʊ/, speakers often a /w/ to ease the
transition to a following vowel sound:
Go_on! Go in! /gəʊnwɒn/ /gəʊwɪn/
Are you_inside, or are you_outside? /ju:wɪn/ /ju:waʊt/
Who is? /hu:wɪz/
You are. /ju:wa:/
This happens because is in order to form /u:/ and /ʊ/, the mouth is in more or less the same
position as it is for the start of the semi-vowel /w/

Go /w/ away
Go /w/ out
I want to /w/ eat.
Please do /w/ it

FOCS : Features of connected speech 2

 Joining same consonant sounds:
class_schedule
we'll_look
take_control

When a word ends in a consonant sound and the following word begins with the same consonant
sound, we don't pronounce two sounds — both sounds are pronounced together as one.
When you link two consonant sounds that are the same, say the sound once, but hold it a little
longer.
Note: When you link two consonants that are almost the same (made in the same place of art.),
make only one tongue or lip placement for two sounds:

late_dinner
come_back
face_timez

Sounds disappear

1. /t/ or /d/ consonant cluster elision

2. Schwa elision

Elision of alveolar plosives:

When the sounds /t/ or /d/ occur between two consonant sounds, they will often disappear
completely from the pronunciation

I'm going nex(t) week

That was the wors(t) job I ever had!
I can'(t) swim
The most common elision in English are /t/ and /d/when they appear within a consonant cluster.
(group of consonants: at least 3)
We arrived the next day.
(/t/ is elided between /ks/ and /d/)

When we reached Paris, we stopped for lunch.

(/t/ elided between /tʃ/ and /p/, and between /p/ and /f/
We bought a lovely carved statue.
(/d/ is elided between /v/ and /st/)

Consonant cluster (3 or more consonant sounds)

FOCS : Features of connected speech 3

 The alveolar plosive must be in the final position in a syllable or word.

It must be preceded by a consonant of the SAME voicing

The following sound must be a consonant other than /h/

So, you can have elisions in:

Exactly /ɪgzæktli/ > /ɪgzækli/ Must be → mus(t) be
Locked doo /lɒkt dɔː/ → /lɒk dɔː/ The first three → the firs(t) three
You and me → you an(d) me
We stopped for lunch → we stop(ed) f

But not in:

Built them → bɪlt ðem
Send it → send ɪt
Most horrible → məʊst hɒribəl

Exceptions: /t/ deletion is possible even though it goes against the second conditions > negative
construction

don't, didn't, and can't >> /t/ may be elided although the preceding sound /n/ is voiced.
— don't shout → /dəʊn ʃaʊt/ → /dəʊn ʃaʊt/
— can't think → /kɑːnt θiŋk/ → /kɑːn θiŋk/
But when there is a pause after the negative, the /t/ is not deleted.
I don't. /aɪ dəʊnt/

Elision schwa:
A syllable containing the unstressed ''schwa'' is often lost.
The elision of schwa results in the lost of one syllable.

For this to happen, shwa must be:

In unstressed syllables.

Followed by /n, r, l/ and another unstressed syllable

Not be preceded by an approximant. / w,j/

For example,

inter(e)rest → ɪntərəst / > /ɪntrəst/

travelling → /trævəlɪŋ/ > /trævlɪŋ

libr(a)ry → //laɪbrəri/ > /laɪbri/

FOCS : Features of connected speech 4

 diff(e)rent →/dɪfərənt/ > /dɪfrənt/

hist(o)ry → /histəri/ > /histri/

I think we should call the police (/ə/ can disappear)
That's an interesting idea. (/ə/ is not pronounced by many speakers, reducing the number of
syllables in the word)
I like that strawberry. (/ə/ is not pronounced)

Sounds change:
Assimilation:
When a sound at the end of a word takes on the quality of the sound at the beginning of the next
word.
Good girl. She's a good girl → (goog girl) g → place: velar
Good boy. He's a good boy. (goob boy)

White paper. I only use white paper. (whipe paper)

Speed boat. I've never been in speed boat. (speeb boat)

Because of the place in the mouth where certain sounds are made, sometimes the soud at the end
of the first word changes to a completely different sound.

Can go. We can go now. (Cang go)

Can buy, We can buy it. (cam buy)
Green park. I walked through Green Park (greem park)
On Monday. He arrives on Monday. (om Monday) → bilabial

Assimilation: alveolar stop

Alveolar stops /t, d, n/ may become bilabial when followed by a bilabial consonant
WITHOUT altering their voicing.

— /t/ → /p/
— /d/ → /m/
— /n/ → /m/
Examples: that man /ðæt mæn/ → /ðæp mæn/
Bad boy /bæd bɔɪ/ → /bæb bɔɪ/
Ten pens /ten penz/ → /tem penz/
Alveolar stops /t, d, n/ may become velar stops when followed by velars WITHOUT altering
their voicing.

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 — /t/ → /k/
— /d/ → /g/
— /n/ → /ŋ/
Examples:
That car /ðæt kɑː/→ /ðæk kɑː/
Bad girl /bæd gɜːl/ → /bæg gɜːl/
Ten keys /ten kiːz/ → /teŋ kiːz/
Devoicing (Voice assimilation)

This sort of voicing assimilation only affects /v/ and /z/

The feautre which is borrowed is VOICELESSNESS.

Assimilation of voicelessto voiced sounds DOES NOT OCCUR in present day RP English.

Examples:
Have to /hæv tu/ → /hæf tu/
Of course /əv kɔːs/ → /əf kɔːs/
Newspaper /njuːzpeɪpə/ → /njuːspeɪpə/

Coalescence:
There is another common form of assimilation when both the last sound of the first word and the
first sound of the following change to a third sound.

Would you. Would you like some tea?

Did you. Did you see it?
Do you. Do you want to get a cuppa?

Linking /t/ to /j/ Linking /d/ to /j/

Don't_you know? Did_you know?

Haven't_you heard?
Can't_you go?
When a worde ends in /t/ and
the next word begins with /y/,
the resulting sound is /tʃ/,
in choose.
Would_you help?
made_your bed
When a word ends in /d/ and
the next word begins with /y/,
as the resulting sound is /dʒ/,
as in job.

/t/ and /j/ coalesce to form /tʃ/ :

You went to France last_year, didn't_you?

FOCS : Features of connected speech 6

 /d/and /j/ coalesce to form /dʒ/:
Would_you like a cup of tea? → wudya

Linking r

In non-rhotic accents, the sound /r/ is only pronounced when it is followed by a vowel
sound.

When the spelling of a word ends in 'r' or 're', the /r/ is usually pronounced if the nest word
begins with a vowel soud.

Bar and pub /ba:r __ ənd pʌb

Bear it /beər_ɪt/
Her_English is excellent. (/r/ is pronounced)
Her_German is absolutely awful, though! (/r/ is not pronounced)
My brother_lives in London. (/r/ is not pronounced)
My brother_always phones at the wrong time. (/r/ is pronounced)
In /linking r/, you see the /r/ graphically, but in /intrusive r/, you will not see it.

Intrusive r

Some speakers pronounce /r/ after certain vowels when the next word begins with a vowel,
even though there is no 'r' in the spelling.

Where two vowel sounds meet and there is no written letter 'r' speakers with non-rhotic
accents will still often introduce the /r/ phoneme in order to ease the transition.

Can only be found after those vowels which can be followed by an orthographically
motivated /r/ > not after high vowels.

The idea of /ði aɪdɪər — əv/

It can happen when there is an /ɔː/ /ə/
Princess Diana was a victim of media exploitation /əre/
The media_are to blame. /əraː
It's a question of law_and order. /ɔːrən/
I saw it happen. /ɔːrɪ/

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