35.Connected Speech

 In English, words bump into each other. We reduce words when we’re speaking, contract them, and then mash them together. That’s what connected speech is: it’s continuous spoken language like you’d hear in a normal conversation. It’s called connected speech because the words are all connected, with sounds from one running into the next.

Here are some common types and examples of connected speech.

1.Catenation or linking

Catenation happens when a consonant sound at the end of one word gets attached to the first vowel sound at the beginning of the following word.

Here are some examples:

i) “trip over” often sounds like “trip over”

ii) “hang out” often sounds like “hangout”

2.Intrusion

Intrusion happens when an extra sound squishes in between two words. The intruding sound is often a “i”, “w”, or “r”.

For example, we often say:

i) “he asked” more like “heyasked”

ii) “do it” more like “dewit”

3.Elision

Elision happens when the last sound of a word disappears. This often happens with “t” and “d” sounds. For example:

i) “next door” often gets shortened to “next door”

ii) “most common” often gets shortened to “most common”

4.Assimilation

Assimilation happens when sounds blend together to make an entirely new sound. Some examples include:

i) “don’t you” getting blended into “don-chu”

ii) “meet you” getting blended into “mee-chu

   

-Submitted by: Salma Hussain Malinge

 

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 The dance of pronunciation

Connected speech is the vibrant tapestry of real language. Unlike the neat rows of words on a page, connected speech paints our thoughts with fluidity, weaving sounds together in a dance of pronunciation. Words blur and morph, endings melt into beginnings, and syllables vanish like fleeting brushstrokes. "Good morning" becomes a breezy "gmornin'," consonants tango in "let's go," and "gonna see you" transforms into a single, mellifluous phrase. This intricate choreography, far from sloppy, imbues language with rhythm, nuance, and the very essence of human interaction. Connected speech is the whisper of secrets, the lilt of laughter, the pulse of emotions woven into the fabric of our everyday conversations. It's the magic that takes us beyond rote words and into the heart of meaning, where the speaker's true essence shines through.

 

References

BBC Learning English. Pronunciation tips

https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/features/connected.shtml

Quora.com   What is the meaning of connected speech?

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-meaning-of-connected-discourse#:~:text=Connected%20discourse%20

Wikipedia. Connected  speech

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connected_speech

 -Submitted  by  Amalnath  PV.