Well, hey there!

I knew you were the type of student to *go above and

beyond* with you pronunciation practice! This
worksheet will help you to review the connected
speech and help you understand more fast-talking
native English speakers!
Let's practise!

Connected Speech (3 Ways!)

FAST ENGLISH | CONNECTED SPEECH

In this YouTube lesson, I explained the three most common ways that words are
connected in spoken English (& why it's so difficult to understand fast-talking
native speakers!) When English is spoken quickly and naturally, words connect,
change, or merge together. They can sound quite different from the way you
practised pronouncing them in English class!

Let's review some of the ways English words link together in spoken English:

CONSONANT to VOWEL
A word that ends in a consonant sound can link to the following word if it starts
with a vowel sound. For example:

this afternoon clean up

CONSONANT to CONSONANT
A word that ends in a consonant sound can link to the following word if it starts
with the same consonant sound (& you only pronounce it once!) For example:

social life tennis skirt

VOWEL to VOWEL
A word that ends in a vowel sound can connect to the following word if it starts
with a vowel sound (but you need to add a sound!) There are 3 linking sounds:

blue/w/ eyes eye /j/ opening her/r/ idea

*Australian English pronunciation

YouTube lesson:
Understand Fast English
Practice:
Look at each sentence on this page and try to identify where words can link
together when spoken. The first one has been done for you!
I recommend printing this page and taking notes on it, or, writing these sentences
into your notebook. Don't forget to practise SAYING them out loud too!

FAST ENGLISH | CONNECTED SPEECH

HINT! You are connecting the SOUNDS not the letters - don't get caught out! It will help to
say these sentences out loud so you hear the sounds (particularly at the end of words).

Example Paul ate Sam's sandwich by/j/ accident.

1 She accepted my apology.

2 How long until our apple cake is ready?

3 I live in an apartment by the ocean.

4 I wish it would warm up.

5 Don't take it all out on me!

6 How about I pick you up at eight?

7 My daughter is about to turn eleven.

8 The flowers are about to bloom.

YouTube lesson:
Understand Fast English
 Don't
Answers: peek!

1 She/j/ accepted my/j/ apology.

2 How long until our/r/ apple cake is ready?

FAST ENGLISH | CONNECTED SPEECH

3 I live in an apartment by the/j/ ocean.

4 I wish it would warm up.

5 Don't take it all out on me!

6 How about I pick you/w/ up at eight?

7 My daughter/r/is about to turn eleven.

8 The flowers are/r/about to bloom.

NOTE: The way native English speakers link words together in spoken English changes
between accents. The three linking "rules" are generally true, but can be broken by different
English accents and dialects. The examples provided here are based on my Australian accent.

YouTube lesson:
Understand Fast English