Linking sounds

Dear sirs,

I am writing to ask some English pronounciation about the linking sounds. Say for example, "What's your name" the sound of "what's" and "your" link together and pronounce [wha tchyoor], I wander to know if there is a rule for forming the linking sounds?

Also is the word "New York" pronounced [noo yoork] or [nyoo yoork]? I was just told that New York was pronounced [noo yoork]. Could someone help me to clear my confusion.

Thanks!

Emily

[Casiopea]

Welcome, Emily.

Originally Posted by Emily

I am writing to ask some English pronounciation about the linking sounds. Say for example, "What's your name" the sound of "what's" and "your" link together and pronounce [wha tchyoor], I wonder to know if there is a rule for forming the linking sounds?

What's your name? => wha[chur] name?

Process
[t] combines with [y] and produces [ch], giving [chur], as in church. That sound process is called Palatalization, pa-la-tal-i-za-tion. That term comes from the name of the sound [ch], which is a voiceless palatal fricative.

Another example of Palatalization is the greeting, Nice to meet you:

Nice to meet you => Nice to mee[ch]u. (Palatalization)

Originally Posted by Emily

Also is the word "New York" pronounced [noo yoork] or [nyoo yoork]? I was just told that New York was pronounced [noo yoork]. Could someone help me to clear my confusion.

New York => [nu:] york or [nyu:] york ([ny] is called a palatal nasal sound)

The sound change whereby [n] is pronounced as [ny] is called Palatalization. In this case, however, [n] doesn't combine with [y]--rather, [n] assimilates to the quality of the vowel [u], which is a high front vowel. Both [u] and [ch] are classified as [+high]. That is, in order to produce those sounds, you need to raise your tongue upward to the palate or roof of your mouth, and so that's why they are classifies as [+high].

Russian is an example of a language that has palatalized sounds, as are native American languages, as well as the languages spoken in Brazil.