Liaisons (Part 1)

(The word liaison is borrowed from French. It means a link or a

connection. In pronunciation, liaisons are the connection between two
words.)

In American English, words are not pronounced one by one. Usually,

the end of one word attaches to the beginning of the next word. This is
also true for initials, numbers, and spelling. Part of the glue that
connects sentences is an underlying hum or drone that only breaks
when you come to a period, and sometimes not even then. You have
this underlying hum in your own language and it helps a great deal
toward making you sound like a native speaker.

Once you have a strong intonation, you need to connect all those stair
steps together so that each sentence sounds like one long word.

The dime.
The dime easier.
They tell me the dime easier.
They tell me the dime easier to understand.
They tell me that I'm easier to understand.

The last two sentences above should be pronounced exactly the

same, no matter how they are written. It is the sound that is
important, not the spelling.

Linking Words Together

When you learn English by reading (as most people do) you tend to
speak it word by word. But real English is connected together and
pronounced sound by sound. Here are some examples of one kind of
liaison (connection.)

Consonant to Vowel Connections

Words are connected when a word ends in a consonant sound (b, c,

d, f, etc.) and the next word starts with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u),
including the semivowels W, Y and R.

Listen to the following. I will read it very slowly at first so you can
hear the connection. Then I will read it at normal speed.
Spelling Pronunciation

My name is Ann. [my nay mi zæn]

American accent [amer'k' næksent]

You also use liaisons (connections) in spelling and numbers.

Spelling Pronunciation

LA [eh lay]

909-5068 [näi nou näin, fäi vo sick sate]

Liaisons (Part 4)
Combining T, D, S or Z + Y

When the letter or sound of T, D, S or Z is followed by a word that

starts with Y, or its sound, both sounds are connected. These letters
and sounds connect not only with Y, but they do so as well with the
initial unwritten [y] sound of syllables and words. They form a
combination that changes the pronunciation.

T + Y = CH

Spelling Pronunciation

What's your name? [Whacher name?]

Can't you do it? [Canchoo do it?]

Don't you like it? [Donchoo like it?]

actually [achully]

D+Y=J

Spelling Pronunciation
What did you do? [Whajoo do?]

Would you help me? [Wüjoo help me?]

Did you like it? [Didja like it?]

graduation [graju(w)ation]

S + Y = SH

Spelling Pronunciation

insurance [inshurance]

sugar [shüg'r]

Z + Y = ZH

Spelling Pronunciation

How's your family? [howzher family?]

Who's your friend? [hoozhier friend?]

casual [kazhyoow'l]

usual [yuzhoow'l]

Check Your Understanding

Can you find the liaisons that connect T, D, S, or Z with Y? Say them
out loud to yourself, then listen to the sentences below.

1. Where's your mom?

2. I'll let you know.

3. Bless you!

4. It's gradual.

5. Haven't you done it?

6. Let me guess your age.

7. Could you tell?

8. Who's your friend?

Answers- Click the sentence to hear it.

Using / æ / and / ä / and / uh /

æ
Let's start with the [æ] sound. Although it's not a common sound, [æ]
is very distinctive to the ear, and is typically American. As its phonetic
symbol indicates, [æ] is a combination of [ä] + [e].

To pronounce it, drop your jaw down as if you were going to say [ä];
then from that position, try to say eh. The final sound is not two
separate vowels, but rather the end result of the combination. It is
very close to the sound that a goat makes: ma-a-a-ah!

If you find yourself getting too nasal with [æ], pinch your nose as you
say it. If you include the (oo) sound with it, you will have [æu] as in
down or out.

ä
The [ä] sound is a more common sound than [æ]. To pronounce [ä],
relax your tongue and drop your jaw as far down as it will go. As a
matter of fact, put your hand under your chin and say [mä], [pä], [tä],
[sä]. Your hand should be pushed down by your jaw as it opens.
Remember, it's the sound that you make when the doctor wants to see
your throat.

uh
Last is the schwa, the most common sound in American English. It is a
neutral vowel sound, [uh]. It is usually in an unstressed syllable,
though it can be stressed as well.

Silent or Neutral?
A schwa is neutral, but it is not silent. By comparison, the silent E at
the end of a word is a signal for pronunciation, but it is not
pronounced itself: code is [kod]. The E tells you to say an [o]. If you
leave the E off, you have cod, [käd]. The schwa, on the other hand, is
neutral, but it is an actual sound, uh. For example, you could also
write photography as phuh-tah-gruh-fee.

The schwa is a neutral sound, (no distinctive characteristics), but it is

the most common sound in the English language. To make the uh
sound, put your hand on your diaphragm and push until a grunt
escapes. Don't move your jaw, tongue or lips, just allow the sound to
flow past your vocal cords. It should sound like uh, not ah.

Once you master the two sounds [æ] and uh, you will have an easier
time pronouncing 'can' and 'can't'. In a sentence, the simple positive
'can' sound like [k'n]. The simple negative 'can't' sounds like [kæn(t)].

Intention Spelling Pronunciation

Positive I can do it. I k'n do it.

Negative I can't do it. I kæn(t) do it.

Extra Positive I can do it. I kææn do it.

Extra Negative I can't do it. I kænt do it.

Pronunciation of "T"
The American T

The American T is influenced very strongly by intonation and its

position in a word or phrase. It can be a little tricky if you try to base
your pronunciation on spelling alone.

There are, however, 4 basic rules: [T is T], [T is D], [T is Silent], [T is

Held].

1 Beginning of a Word [T is T]
If the T is at the beginning of a word (or the top of the staircase), it is
a strong, clear T sound.

1. In the beginning of a word: table, take, tomorrow, teach, ten,

turn Thomas tried two times.
2. With a stressed T and ST, TS, TR, CT, LT and sometimes NT
combinations: They control the contents.
3. In the past tense, D sounds like T, after an unvoiced consonant
sound — f, k, p, s, ch, sh, th (but not T).
picked [pikt], hoped [houpt], raced [rast], watched [wächt],
washed [wäsht]

It took Tim ten times to try the telephone.

2 Middle of a Word [T is D]
If the T is in the middle of the word, intonation changes the sound to a
soft D.
Letter sounds like [ledder].
Water, daughter, bought a, caught a, lot of, got a, later, meeting,
better

Practice these sentences:

What a good idea. [w'd' güdäi deey']

Put it in a bottle. [pü di di n' bäd'l]

Get a better water heater. [gedda bedder wäder heeder]

Put all the data in the computer. [püdall the dayd' in the k'mpyuder]

Patty ought to write a better

[pædy äd' ride a bedder ledder]
letter.

3 [T is Silent]
T and N are so close in the mouth that the [t] can disappear.

interview [innerview]
international [innernational]
advantage [ædvæn'j]
percentage [percen'j]

If the T is at the end of a word, you almost don't hear it at all.

put, what, lot, set, hot, sit, shot, brought.

That's quite right, isn't it?

4 End of a Word [T is Held]

With -tain, -tten and some TN combinations, the T is held. The "held
T" is, strictly speaking, not really a T at all. Remember, [t] and [n] are
very close in the mouth. If you have [n] immediately after [t], you
don't pop the [t]—the tongue is in the [t] position, but your release
the air for the [n] not the [t]. Make sure you don't put a schwa before
the [n]. An important point to remember is that you need a sharp
upward sliding intonation up to the "held T," then a quick drop for the
N.

Written, certain, forgotten, sentence:

He's forgotten the carton of satin mittens.

She's certain that he has written it.
Martin has gotten a kitten.

Pronouncing Contractions
Many people who speak English as a second language feel
uncomfortable making contractions. But to really sound natural in
English, it's important to say these words correctly. Can you do a
good job?

Listen to these...

I am = I'm /aim/

you are = you're /yur/

he is = he's /heez/

she is = she's /sheez/

we are = we're /weer/

they are = they're /ther/

And now these...

I will = I'll /ail/ (also sounds like aisle)

you will = you'll /yul/

he will = he'll /hil/ or /heel/

she will = she'll /shil/ or /sheel/

we will = we'll /wil/ or /weel/ (also sounds like wheel)

they will = they'll /thel/

Pronouncing -ed at the ends of
words
There are 3 ways to pronounce the final -ed in a word.

1. -ed = /id/
2. -ed = /d/
3. -ed = /t/

How do you know which sound goes with which word? Look at these
verbs:

kissed
hoped
learned
played
wanted
sounded

Which sound goes with which word?

Here are the rules...

If the last sound of the word is unvoiced* (uses no only air to make
the sound) except t, the -ed will sound like /t/.

Look at the words kiss and hope. The last sound of kiss is /s/. It
doesn't use the voice to make the sound. So the -ed will not use a
voice to make a sound either. The word sounds like /kist/. The word
hope ends with /p/. It doesn't use the voice so /t/ is at the end. It
sounds like /hopt/.

If the last sound of the word is voiced* (uses some noise to make the
sound) except d, the -ed will sound like /d/.

Look at the words learned and played. The last sound of learn is /n/.
It uses the voice. The -ed will also have a voice sound like /d/. So
learned sounds like /lernd/. Play also has a voiced sound at the end.
Played is pronounced /pleid/.

If the last sound to the word is /d/ or /t/, the -ed will sound like
/id/.
Look at the words wanted and mended. They end with a /t/ or /d/.
Wanted sounds like /wantid/ and mended sounds like /mendid/.

Note: Don't think about the spelling, only think about the final sound.
For example, cough sounds like /kaf/. /f/ is unvoiced. Coughed is
/kaft/.

*If you are not sure if a sound is voiced or unvoiced, put your hand on
your throat when you say the sound. If it is voiced, you will feel a
vibration, or movement, in your throat. If it is unvoiced, you will feel
nothing in your throat.

Homonyms and similar

sounding words
Homonyms are two words that sound like each other but have
different meanings. Many people make mistakes with them. Here are
some common homonyms (and 4 word that are not homonyms but are
very similar.) Check the meanings and the spelling. Be careful when
you read and write these words.

1a. here- in this place. Please come here.

1b. hear- using your ears to listen. Do you hear that?

2a. capital- this has a few different meanings. One means a big
letter in the alphabet. (Example- ABC, not abc) Don't forget that
Chicago begins with a capital letter.

2b. capitol- the place where the government resides. The capitol of
the United States is Washington, D.C

3a. they're- they + are. They're from Canada.

3b. their- something belongs to "them." This is their car.

3c. there- in that place. The park is over there.

4a. won- past tense of win. We won the basketball game.

4b. one- the number 1. I have one son.

5a. two- the number 2. I'll have two hamburgers, please.

5b. to- this has many meanings. One means "in the direction of."
I'm going to South America.

5c. too- also. I want to go, too.

6a. lose /looz/*- a verb. When you can't find something. Did you
lose your money?

6b. loose /loos/*- an adjective. A few different meanings. One is

when clothing is too big. These pants are really loose on me.

7a. dessert /de 'zert/*- food that is eaten after a meal, usually
sweet. We are going to have apple pie for dessert.

7b. desert /'de zert/*- a place with few plants and animals. It
usually has sand or dirt. Have you ever been to the Sahara desert in
Northern Africa?

* These words are not homonyms. They do not sound exactly alike. Check your
English dictionary if you are not sure