Have you ever listened to a native English speaker and realised that they blend their words together when they speak? You’re not alone! If English sounds way faster than what you learnt in school, that is because of something called ‘connected speech’.
Native speakers are a bit lazy (or efficient, depending on how you look at it). Instead of pronouncing each word separately, we blend, link, and sometimes even drop sounds altogether. The result? A smooth, natural flow that makes English sound less like a collection of words and more like a song.
So, if you want to stop sounding like a robot and start speaking naturally and fluently, you need to master connected speech. We’re going to go through everything – what is connected speech, why it happens, and how you can start using connected speech when you speak English. I’ll also share some quirky examples along the way to keep it fun!
What is Connected Speech in English?
Imagine there is a delicious cake sitting in front of you while you are hungry and you wish to tell someone “I want to eat it”.
Now, if you pronounce every word perfectly, it might sound like this:
I – want – to – eat – it.
/aɪ wɒnt tuː iːt ɪt/
But no one actually speaks like that unless they’re a robot… or a very dramatic actor.
Instead, a native or fluent English speaker would say:
I wanna eat it! → /aɪ wɒnə iːtɪt/
See what happened? The words connected and transformed into something much smoother.
Connected speech is what happens when words blend together in fast, natural conversation. Instead of pausing between words, we link them so that everything flows effortlessly.
The good news is that learning connected speech will make you sound instantly more natural. The even better news? It will also help you understand native speakers more easily! Win-win!
Why does Connected Speech Happen?
Pronouncing every single sound takes effort, and when we’re speaking quickly, we naturally start dropping, linking, or changing certain sounds to make speech flow better – you probably do this in your native language without even realising.
Connected speech makes spoken English faster and smoother, but it can be a nightmare for learners. That’s why so many students say, “I understand English when I read it, but when people talk, it’s too fast!”
But don’t worry, I’m going to break it all down so it finally makes sense!
1. Linking Sounds
You can link words together in a number of ways. For example, you can link two vowels together by adding another sound (intrusion), for example:
Go on → /ɡəʊ‿wɒn/
How are → /haʊ‿wɑː/
My English → /maɪ‿jɪŋɡlɪʃ/
You can also link consonants to vowels by shifting the consonant over to the start of the next word (catenation).
Make up → /meɪ kʌp/
Come on → /kʌ mɒn/
And lastly, you can change the sounds completely (assimilation) to make it easier to transition between certain sounds.
Handbag → /hænd bæg/ becomes /hæmbæg/
Then my → /ðen maɪ/ becomes /ðem maɪ/
There are a few other ways to use connected speech too. Let’s look at them together.
2. Intrusion
Sometimes, we add an extra sound between words to make pronunciation easier. This happens a lot with the sounds /w/, /j/, and /r/.
Go on → /ɡəʊ wɒn/ (intrusive /w/)
She asked → /ʃiː jɑːskt/ (intrusive /j/)
I saw it → /aɪ sɔː rɪt/ (intrusive /r/)
Order all of them → /ˈɔːdərɔːl ɒv ðəm/ (linking /r/)
Why do we do this? Because it makes speaking easier! Try saying “I saw it” without the /r/ sound. Sounds weird, right? That’s why native speakers naturally add an extra sound to keep things flowing.
Let’s look at the rules for linking with /j/, /w/, and /r/.
Linking with /j/
When a word ends with what I call a “smiley vowel” and the next word starts with any other vowel sound, we link them together with a /j/ sound.
For example:
the apple /ði ˈæpəl/ → the yapple /ðiˈjæpəl/
The “y” sound is inserted between the two words to make the transition smoother between the two vowels.
Linking with /w/
This time, instead of using a smiley vowel, we use a rounded vowel. Your mouth should be in an “oo” shape (like when you say “two”). When a word ends with a rounded vowel and the next word starts with any other vowel sound, we link them with a /w/ sound.
For example:
two apples /tuː ˈæpəlz/ → two wapples /tuː ˈwæpəlz/
Notice how the /w/ sound connects the two words so it sounds like one word.
Linking with /r/ – Linking R and Intrusive R
Lastly, let’s look at two ways we can link with the sound /r/.
We connect with a linking R when a word ends with what I call an “in-between vowel” (a relaxed vowel sound that’s not as smiley as “ee” and not as rounded as “oo”) and the next word starts with any vowel sound. These vowels are often diphthongs or schwa sounds.
For example:
car alarm /kɑː əˈlɑːrm/ → /kɑːrəˈlɑːrm/
If this phrase was said without linking, the /r/ in ‘car’ would be silent.
The /r/ sound links the words together. When I say the words individually, the /r/ is silent in “car”, but when spoken together, we connect the words together using the /r/ sound.
The intrusive R works the same way, however, it is called the ‘intrusive R’ because there is not actually an R in the spelling of the word. Instead, it just added to make the transition between the vowel sounds smoother.
For example:
The law is clear. /ðə lɔː ɪz klɪə/ → /ðə lɔːrɪz klɪə/
Notice that /lɔː/ has no ‘R’ in the spelling, however, we add the intrusive R to link it to the next word.
To listen to more examples of linking words and connected speech, I highly recommend you check out this Youtube video.
3. Elision (when sounds disappear)
Sometimes, we’re in such a rush that we just drop sounds completely. This is called elision, and it’s super common in fast speech.
I don’t know → /aɪ dənəʊ/
Friendship → /frenʃɪp/ (the /d/ disappears)
I found them → /aɪ faʊn ðəm/ (the /d/ disappears)
Should have → /ʃʊdəv/ (the /h/ disappears)
If you’ve ever struggled to hear all the sounds in fast English speech, this is probably why! There are rules for when sounds disappear in English. To learn more about when to remove /t/ and /d/ at the end of words, check out this YouTube lesson.
4. Assimilation (when sounds change)
Assimilation happens when two sounds come together and one of them changes to make it easier to pronounce the next sound. Sometimes only one sound changes, but other times both sounds may change. You can hear assimilation occur within a word or between words in sentences.
Let’s look at some rules:
Rule 1: /d/ + /j/ = /dʒ/
The first case involves the combination of /d/ and /y/. When these two sounds come together, they often create a /dʒ/ or /dʒj/ sound. The role of the /dʒ/ sound is to make the transition smoother between the words.
For example:
Did you go → /dɪdʒʊ/ or /dɪdʒjʊ/
Would you like to start? → /wʊdʒə/ or /wʊdʒjə/
Rule 2: /t/ + /j/ = /ʧ/
Combining a /t/ and a /j/ produces a /ʧ/ or /ʧj/ sound, as in the “ch” sound in “cheese”.
For example:
Can’t you do it? → /kæntʃə/ or /kæntʃjə/
That dress doesn’t suit you → /ðæt ˈdres dʌznt ˈsuːʧə/ or /ðæt ˈdres dʌznt ˈsuːʧjə/
Rule 3: /s/ + /j/ = /ʃ/
In this case, we’re linking the /s/ sound with /j/, creating a /ʃ/ or /ʃj/ sound, like in the word “she”. The /ʃ/ sound links the words together and makes it easier to say quickly.
For example:
The boss makes you work a lot → /ðə bɒs meɪkʃuː wɜːk ə lɒt/ or /meɪkʃjuː/
Is this yours? → /ɪz ðɪʃɔːz/ or /ɪz ðɪʃjɔːz/
Rule 4: /z/ + /j/ = /ʒ/
Lastly, we have the combination of /z/ and /j/, which often results in a /ʒ/ or /ʒj/ sound. In this case, the /ʒ/ sound makes it easier to link the words together.
For example:
As usual → /əʒuːʒʊəl/ or /əʒjuːʒʊəl/
More examples:
Good boy → /ɡʊb bɔɪ/ (the /d/ changes to /b/)
That place → /ðæp pleɪs/ (the /t/ changes to /p/)
Black cat → /blæk kæt/ (the /k/ sound changes to a softer sound)
Handbag → /hæmbæɡ/ (the /d/ is removed in ‘hand’ and the the /n/ changes to /m/)
There are many more examples I could go into, however I highly recommend you check out this YouTube video on assimilation. I also highly recommend you check out this YouTube lesson on how final /t/, /d/ and /n/ sounds (like you saw above) change – it’s an incredibly valuable lesson!
Practical Connected Speech Exercise
Let’s now get into some practical exercises to really get you using connected speech. Here are a few of my favourite ways to practise connected speech.
- Watch videos with analyse connected speech, like this one which analyses the connected speech in a story! You will be able to listen to the story and see exactly which points connect.
- Learn the rules of connected speech and then start to observe native and fluent English speakers using it. Understanding that connected speech exists and why is the first step to understanding fast speech and native speakers. You can easily learn the basic rules of connected speech in under 2 hours with this free YouTube lesson.
- Practice by reading out loud from a book and listening to the audio. Pick a book you enjoy, something with dialogue or descriptive passages, and focus on how the words connect together when you speak. As you read, pay close attention to how the sounds blend and change – this will help you sound more natural and fluent in English. Don’t rush through it; take your time and really listen to how the words flow together. Try to mimic the rhythm and flow of the sentences just like a native speaker would. Trust me, this exercise will make a big difference in your pronunciation! Here is a collection of free stories where I analyse the connected speech in them.
What’s Next for Your Pronunciation Journey?
You’ve learnt a lot about English pronunciation rules today, and I know it might feel like a lot to take in right now!
But don’t worry, I’m here to help you move forward with a clear plan on how to practise and solidify what you’ve learnt.
The fastest way to improve your English pronunciation is by identifying your specific mistakes and getting step-by-step guidance on how to fix them. You can do all that inside Emma’s Pronunciation Hub!
Check Out These Helpful Resources For Connected Speech and Linking Sounds
Ready to level up your pronunciation? Here’s how you can keep improving:
📌 Pronunciation Hub Membership – Access exclusive lessons, personalised feedback on your pronunciation, and live coaching sessions → Join Emma’s Pronunciation Hub here.
📌 FREE English Pronunciation Pack – Get worksheets and audio exercises to help you practice → Download your free English Pronunciation Pack here.
📌 YouTube Lessons – Dive deeper into pronunciation tips → Watch my free YouTube lessons here.
📌Interactive charts: Use my clickable IPA chart with videos to hear and see each sound being pronounced.
Keep practising! Once you have understood how connected speech works in English, you’ll start to slowly apply it to your own speech – one phrase at a time!