Connected Speech
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Assimilation, Elision & Intrusion in English Pronunciation
The video lesson provides an overview of three features in spoken English connected speech: assimilation, elision, and intrusion. Assimilation involves a sound changing to become more similar to a neighboring sound, while elision refers to the loss of a sound, often at the end of a word. Intrusion introduces a new sound, also known as… Read more
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Stress-timed vs. syllable-timed languages
The video discusses the difference between stress-timed and syllable-timed languages, using English as an example of a stress-timed language. In stress-timed languages, the timing between stressed syllables remains consistent, leading to weak forms and other speech phenomena. In contrast, syllable-timed languages feature more consistent syllable lengths. Watch the video for further explanation and examples. Read more
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What is gemination? – Consonant lengthening & Twinning in Connected Speech
The video discusses consonant lengthening in English, contrasting it with the more common long and short vowel sounds. In English, consonant length is generally not a distinguishing feature, meaning it does not change the meaning of words. However, longer consonant sounds can occur across word boundaries and morphemes when the adjacent sounds are the same… Read more
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What is Aspiration in English Pronunciation?
The video teaches about the three aspirated sounds in English: /p/, /t/, and /k/, which are always aspirated in the onset of a stressed syllable. Despite a bit of nasal pronunciation due to a cold, the explanation is clear with diverse examples for better understanding. The video also demonstrates how to indicate aspiration in phonemic… Read more
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What is Linking R & Intrusive R in Connected Speech
Linking R is something that often occurs when non-rhotic speakers speak naturally. But wait! Didn’t we just learn last week that non-rhotic speakers do not pronounce their Rs? Yes, that’s right, only that they do on certain occasions! Intrusive R is the occurrence of the sound /r/ when it is not even represented through the… Read more
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What are weak forms?
In this video we are going to look at weak forms. You learn what weak forms are compared to full forms and why they occur in English. You might have asked yourself why it is sometimes so difficult to understand spoken English because words all seem to run together into one long word – other… Read more
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Linking Sounds Part 2 – Consonant to Consonant & Vowel to Vowel
The video teaches how to speak fluently by linking sounds, allowing words to flow together for faster, more natural speech. It illustrates how consonant sounds join between words and demonstrates linking between consonants and near consonants, as well as between vowels over word boundaries. This is part 2 of the series; for linking from consonant… Read more
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Dropped Consonants in English Pronunciation
In English, speaking quickly can lead to the loss of sounds, particularly at the end of words such as /t/ and /d/. This phenomenon, known as elision or dropped consonants, is common in connected speech. The linked video provides an overview of this topic and offers examples of dropped consonants. Read more
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Connected Speech: Vowel reduction, weak forms & the schwa sound /ə/
In this informative video, we explore how vowels change, uncover the schwa sound, and grasp weak forms in English. Understanding how sounds shift in unstressed parts of words is crucial for natural pronunciation. The guide breaks down the schwa sound’s role and introduces weak forms Whether you love languages or aim to improve, this video… Read more
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