Index (Connected speech)
What is connected speech?
“When my English teacher speaks to me, I understand 95%. When I’m on the bus, I can’t understand anything.” Have you ever felt this way? Chances are, your problem is connected speech.
Connected speech refers to the way words are pronounced in sentences and linked together in order to maintain a smooth flow of speech. Sounds are made with our vocal apparatus: the voice box, teeth, lips, tongue and other parts of the mouth and throat to control the flow or air and produce different sounds. However, because different sounds require our vocal apparatus to be in very different positions. we sometimes struggle to quickly move from producing one sound to producing the next. As a result, individual sounds vary, depending on the sounds around them (before and after). For example, a b followed by an r will be different to a b followed by a vowel. Just as sounds within a word are influenced by other sounds in that word, words are influenced by the word before and the word after.
“Connected speech refers to the way words are pronounced in sentences and linked together in order to maintain a smooth flow of speech.”
Furthermore, English has a natural rhythm in which words carrying key meaning are stressed more, and other words which have only a grammatical function, are stressed less. Connected speech refers to the different ways we unconsciously manipulate the pronunciation of words in a sentence in order to maintain the flow of speech and the correct rhythm. A particular word may be stressed in on sentence and unstressed in another. This will affect its pronunciation and whether it links to the word before or the word after. The particular word may be pronounced one way in one sentence and another way in a different sentence.
“connected speech allows us to maintain rhythm.”
Is connected speech informal?
Connected speech is part of both formal and informal spoken English. You are probably already familiar with a few examples of connected speech that have become part of informal writing such as gimme, wanna and gonna. You will have heard other, more accepted written examples of connected speech, such as don’t, won’t and can’t. You may think of connected speech as being informal and perhaps a bit uneducated. However, although connected speech is most obvious in informal speech, it is also a feature of formal speech.
“Connected speech isn’t only informal – aspects of connected speech can be found in formal speech.”
Part of the reason why you might understand your English teacher better than others is that they probably speak slowly and choose their words carefully when speaking to you. Another reason is that they probably unconsciously try to help you by greatly reducing the level of connected speech they use. Let’s watch a video to find out more about this very important part of English pronunciation:
Why do I need to learn about connected speech?
There is often a belief among learners of English that connected speech is uneducated. However, every speaker of most native dialects of English* uses connected speech frequently and unconsciously, including the Queen of England! A sentence spoken without connected speech will sound robotic and very unnatural. Connected speech allows us to speak smoothly and fluently, and this means it makes our speech easier to understand. In addition, some features of connected speech such as the appropriate use of weak and strong forms are crucial for communicating precise meaning, and are therefore not optional.
“some features of connected speech are crucial for communicating precise meaning, and are therefore not optional”
You may have noticed that you understand other non-natives of English better than you understand natives – Why do you think this is? Probably part of this is because you and that other native speaker speak slowly and in separate words, rather than a connected stream of words. It’s easier for you to pick out and recognise individual words. However, the failure to use connected speech will probably make it harder for native speakers to understand you. In addition, if you don’t use connected speech yourself, you will be less aware of it and your listening is likely to be poor. Therefore, using connected speech is important if you wish to sound natural and be easily understood, but being aware of the features of connected speech is also crucial for your listening skills.
“being aware of the features of connected speech is also crucial for your listening skills.”
Listen to the following two recordings of the question “Are you going to tell her?” Which version sounds normal and natural? If you said the second recording, you are right. The first version clearly sounds awkward and unnatural and there is no rhythm. Although this is an exaggerated example, it clearly shows that if you want to speak English competently, connected speech is important.
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* NOTE: English is now spoken as a native language or official language of state and government in many countries around the world, including the Caribbean, India and many African countries. Connected speech is often not a feature of these new dialects of English.
Do native speakers of English always use connected speech?
Yes, virtually every sentence spoken in English by a native speaker will contain some degree of connected speech (see note above about newer dialects of English). However, less connected speech is used in formal situations and more connected speech is used in informal situations. Some aspects of connected speech are very informal and should only be used in very informal situations, while other features of connected speech are used in both formal and informal English.
While it would be inappropriate to use very informal connected speech in a job interview, using no connected speech would sound robotic, unnatural and possibly unfriendly or impolite. While there are situations where very informal connected speech should be avoided, there are also situations where it should be used. For example, when playing sport or having a beer with friends, informality communicates equality and friendliness and formality is likely to be seen as rudeness. While native speakers may be quite unconscious about the linguistic choices they make, nevertheless they do make them.
“in some social situations, informal connected speech is required rather than being optional”
Next page ➩ Knowledge check : Appropriate use of connected speech