Connected Speech

Connected Speech

Definition

When we speak, we don´t do it separately, but continuously. That is to say, there is a significant difference between the pronunciation of words in isolation and the pronunciation of full sentences in which speech is connected. In linguistics, this sequence is called connected speech. In connected speech, there appear different processes by which sounds are linked, entwined, deleted or even changed. We can find 5 features and 7 principles to connected speech.

Assimilation

Assimilation occurs when a phoneme (sound) in one word causes a change in a sound in a neighbouring word. For example, try saying the following pairs of words: in Bath last year Hyde Park You’ll notice that the last sound of the first word changes in each case. The /n/ sound becomes /m/, /t/ becomes /tʃ/ and /d/ becomes /b/.

Elision

Elision is the loss of a phoneme, most commonly the last phoneme of a word, and most commonly the /t/ and /d/ sounds. Have a look at these examples:

• left back
• stand by
• looked back
• I must go

In each case the last phoneme of the first word is elided (lost). In the most simple terms, the reason is that the time and effort required to change the mouth position from the /t/ to the /b/ sound (as in the first example) or the /t/ to the /g/ sound (as in the last example) is too great!

Delayed plosion

Our “red dye” and “red eye” is an example of this. To articulate “red dye”, we must take a very short pause before the /d/ sound. The /d/ is an example of a plosive, consonant sounds where the vocal tract stops all airflow. Other examples are /b/,/d/, /g/, /p/, /t/ and /k/. This pause before the plosive gives us the name of this feature, delayed plosion. Another example: the right tie (delay) – the right eye (no delay)

Catenation

Intrusion

Intrusion is what you might expect from the name – an extra sound “intrudes” into the spoken utternace. Try saying the following pairs of words:

• media event
• I always
• go away

Do you hear the /r/ sound intruding after “media”, the /j/ sound intruding after “I” and the /w/ sound intruding after “go”?

In catenation the last consonant of the first word is joined to the vowel sound at the start of the second word. For example:

• pick it up – (learners will hear something like pi ki tup)
• what is it – (learners will hear something like wo ti zit)

Also...

There are 7 Principles that are exclusive to the American way of sounding words.

1. The American T between to vowel sounds.

• run out of
• cat and dog

2. Pronouns Pronouns that begin with an h sound, we drop the h sound and connect it to the previous word.

• What did he do.
• He doesn't know her.
• What is his problem.
• I'll call them.
• I don't know them.

3. N sound followed by a T sound. When a worn with an n sount is followed by a t sound, we drop the T sound. It can also hapen when the word ends on NT an the next one begins with a vowel.

• Internet, international.
• In front of, I went out, I can't even.
• Doesn't, hasn't.

4. of & 've become uh (schwa sound)

• The Queen of England.
• Cream of Wheat.
• Point of View.
• Could've, Would've, Might've.

5. Reduction with Y. t + y = ʃ d + y = ʤ

6. Same sound When we have the same consonant together, we drop the sound in one of those words. It sometimes happens with vowels. cheap prices, gas station, book club, we each had a good time.

7. When the word ends in an u sound, we will actually transform it into a w if the following letter is a vowel too.

• Who is it?
• You are the best.
• You always do that.

Thanks for you attention!