2. WHAT IS CONNNECTED SPEECH?
• Spoken language as it is used in a continuous sequence, as in
normal conversations.
• There is often a significant difference between the way words
are pronounced in isolation and the way they are pronounced in the
context of connected speech.
• Language changes when we put words together.
3. STRESS PATTERNS IN
CONNECTED SPEECH
• It would be wrong to imagine that the stress pattern is always fixed and
unchanging in English words.
• Stress position may vary for one of two reasons: either as a result of the stress
on other words occurring next to the word in question, or because not all
speakers agree on the placement of stress in some words.
bad-'tempered but a bad-tempered 'teacher
half-'timbered but a half-timbered 'house
heavy-'handed but a heavy-handed 'sentence"
4. DELETION OF SOUNDS IN
CONNECTED SPEECH
• In fast, connected speech some sounds may be deleted by the speaker. For
example, the sound /t/ may be deleted between the words 'want to,'
making the pronunciation of 'want to' sound like "wənnə.'
• “I don't wənnə spend too much today.'“
• aɪ dəʊnt ˈwənə spɛnd tuː mʌʧ təˈdeɪ
• aɪ dəʊnt wɒnt tuː spɛnd tuː mʌʧ təˈdeɪ
5. • There are some important
points to remember
about connected
speech processes:
• They occur at the edges
of the words, since this is
where the words meet in
sentences.
• They are optional, the
more formal the register
the less connected
speech forms. No
connected
speech
Wanna ride
with me?
6. WEAK FORMS IN ENGLISH
• Weak forms are an essential feature of English
pronunciation, but they are difficult to recognize
unless they are in the form of a contracted form:
• I could’ve helped if you’d asked me
• aî k¨d v «helpt îf jud `å…st mi/
The contracted forms of “have” can be a challenge
to the non native speakers of English.
7. • In English are 40 words that have weak and strong forms,
and some have more than one weak form. Many of them
are more common in their weak forms than in their strong
one.
• A weak form usually contains a weak vowel mainly the
schwa for a neutralized version of i and u:
• In most contexts the use of weak forms is not optional but
compulsory. Failure to pronounce weak forms will result in a
foreign accent.
• Weak forms are structural or functions words: pronouns,
conjunctions, prepositions and a group of auxiliary verbs.
• It’s important to know when to use a weak form and when
not to.
