Linking Sounds Connecting Sounds

[PROESL]

It's important to connect, or link, sounds - syllables and words - in order to achieve speech that flows in a natural sounding way. However, stop sounds can present a challenge to learners.

The stop sounds are p, b, k, g, t, and d.

Stop sounds do not link, or connect, very well to the next sound - syllable or word - unless the next sound is a vowel sound. Also, if a stop sound is followed by the same sound, linking or connecting is not challenging.

Examples of this challenge:

They went shopping at the new supermarket. - It's more challenging to link, or connect the "t" sound to "sh" because t is a stop sound. A stop sound requires a complete closing of the throat - the oral passage - in order to produce the next sound. Stop sounds are also called plosives.

By contrast, sounds called continuants more easily allow one sound to glide to the next sound. Linking sounds, or connecting sounds, is easier when a sound is preceded by a continuant instead of a stop sound. Continuants are produced without a complete closure of the throat - breath passage or oral passage.

Linking, or connecting sounds together, is also facilitated by using either a quick y sound or a quick w sound to connect vowel sounds.

An "ee" sound and an "i" sound connect to another vowel sound with a quick "y". An "o" sound and a "u" sound connect to another vowel sound with a quick "w" sound.

I'll see_y_Andre next week.

We're going to modify this power supply_y_again.

Can you_w_offer us something that's more in our price range?

Linking, or connecting, sounds together is easier with two of the same consonant sounds.

Can you tell me where this bus_stops, please?

Linking, or connecting, sounds together is easier when a vowel sound is followed by a consonant sound.

We should go_now, or we'll miss the bus.

Of course, there are natural pauses and hesitations in our speech. However, very quick and very short pauses between syllables and words contribute to a foreign accent, or English speech that does not sound natural. One may always have an accent, and, of course, there's nothing wrong with that at all. However, speech that sounds choppy and disconnected can contribute to unintelligible speech patterns.

[Ab Techno]

Great post. Thank you very much.

Abdullah

[PROESL]

Originally Posted by Ab Techno

Great post. Thank you very much.

Abdullah

You're very welcome.

[realxandspeak]

The Lessac system of speech breaks down linking into related, unrelated, and semi-related linking. I really don't see the need for unrelated linking except in dramatic texts, hightened language contained in classic literature, or British English. The consonant to vowel linking and related consonant to consonant linking makes much more of a colloquial (sp?) sound, that people in everyday America are used to hearing.
Accent reduction, American pronunciation, American accent training classes.