You’ve probably noticed that English isn’t always pronounced the way it’s written. When we speak, the sounds in English sometimes change because we speak in streams of speech, not word by word. Here are two different pronunciations of the same question:
(Natural stream of speech) “Coujoogimmethabookonaccounting?”
Nonstandard spellings can help us represent streams of speech.
This type of speech is called connected speech. Some people think that speaking this way is lazy or sloppy; but actually, connected speech is a completely natural and normal phenomenon! We may slow down and use less of it in formal situations, but even then, it still happens–and that’s perfectly normal[1].
In this section, we’ll look at some rules for recognizing and using connected speech. Not only can it help you speak more fluidly and efficiently, it can also help you keep the beat and rhythm of English, which will help you be better understood. Learning about this is a great way to improve your listening comprehension and your fluency in English.
[1]Brown, J.D. (Ed.). (2012). New Ways in Teaching Connected Speech. Alexandria: TESOL International Association.