How to easily understand connected speech in English

Difficulties in language perception are often attributed to either a limited range of vocabulary or the speaker's pace. Even if speed serves as a significant factor, then the number of words with which we can skillfully operate in English only partially improves the listening comprehension. So, being at any intermediate level of English is the best time to finally "hear" fast connected speech.

Linking is a speaking technique that allows connecting and smoothly pronouncing two or more English words. When connected, we hear these words as one long unit, notably due to the absence of any gaps or pauses between them. Without the Linking technique, achieving connected speech, which is the natural sound of English we aspire to, is impossible. You may choose not to use this technique in your speech, but understanding others' spoken language is significantly better with it.

Linking sounds, or how to easily understand connected speech in English (photo 1)

Of course, the pronunciation and sound of an individual word outside of context (isolated from a sentence) can differ from how it sounds within a phrase or collocation. It is within the phrase or combination of words. The interaction between sounds begins within the phrase or combination of words, thus influencing each other.

some, weaker, or awkward, bends and yields to a stronger sound (similar consonant sound linking);
somewhere, at the junction of two words, two identical sounds meet and merge into one (consonant to consonant linking);
other sounds, driven by the desire to be closer, cluster together, obtaining auxiliary bridges for this purpose (consonant to vowel linking, vowel to vowel linking).

Consonant to Vowel Linking

An apple, an elephant, an egg – some of the first words and phrases we learn are at the Beginner level (A1). Then, for the first time, we are encouraged to connect words, which are pronounced without a pause:

an umbrella [anumbrella]
an accent [anaccent]
He bought an orange. [He boughta–norange]

It is one of the basic rules: connect the first word ending in a consonant sound with the second if it begins with a vowel.

Consonant to Consonant Linking

Try to read the following phrases without making any pauses between the two words:

feel lucky
quiet teacher
pink car
nice scarf

When one word ends in a consonant, and the next one begins with the same consonant sound, these two sounds merge into one (meaning we pronounce this sound only once).

feel lucky [feelucky]
quiet teacher [quieteacher]
*pink car [pinkar]
*nice scarf [niscarf]

NB: these must be the same sounds, not letters.

Exception: The merging of two consonant sounds does not occur if the first word ends in a vowel sound, and the next one begins with, the sounds /ʧ/ or /ʤ/:

orange juice /ˈɒrɪnʤ ʤuːs/

Vowel to Vowel Linking: /w/, /j/, /r/

Let's try to understand the logic behind the next transformation. For this, we will need a mirror. Read the following phrases out loud with pauses between the words. During the pause, look at your reflection: in what position are your lips, jaw, tongue when pronouncing the last sound of the first word? Notice when you start pronouncing the next? (the focus is put on the first sound):

go on
how about
few others
so old

Hopefully, you have noticed that you have to significantly change the position of your lips, jaw, or tongue to pronounce the first sound of the second word. Once again, these additional efforts, adding to the pause, can become quite a hassle! That is why, to make life easier, we can add the /w/ sound and build a bridge between the first and second words.

Linking sounds, or how to easily understand connected speech in English (photo 2)

*go on /ɡəʊ ɒn/ in the first photo we finish pronouncing the /əʊ/ sound, as opposed to the second, where we start /ɒ/. Without a pause, it would be too challenging because the jaw and the position of our lips for these sounds differ. That is why it is easier to connect them with /w/:

go on -- go/w/on
how about -- how/w/about
few others -- few/w/others
so old -- so/w/old

When the first word ends with vowel sounds /i/, /aɪ/, /eɪ/, or /ɔɪ/, bridge to the next word by adding the sound /j/:

the oldest -- the/j/oldest
stay in -- stay/j/in
the end -- the/j/end

Finally, a life jacket you have been using for a long time is adding (or not avoiding) the /r/ sound, when the first word ends in it and the next starts with a vowel.

for ages -- fo-rages
a matter of opinion -- a matte-rof opinion
for example -- fo-rexample
over eighty -- ove-reighty

You nailed it! The first step towards improving your pronunciation and listening skills has just been done! Conscious and regular practice is of utmost importance afterwards.

Linking sounds, or how to easily understand connected speech in English

Consonant to Vowel Linking

Consonant to Consonant Linking

Similar Consonant Sound Linking

Vowel to Vowel Linking: /w/, /j/, /r/