Hi and welcome to this video. Next time you listen to an native speaker talking in English, try to focus on how they sage word. I'm sure you won't hear them sage word separately, like a robot would do. Instead, words will bump into each other as the speaker tries to keep a constant rhythm of speech. Because of the speed, they will make some changes to the pronunciation of the words, usually concerning the beginning and ending sounds of the words. Check this example. Life is like a box of chocolates. We don't say it like this. Life is like a box of chocolates, but we articulate that in a constant flow without stopping between words with sounds disappearing and word limits reorganizing. These changes are features of what we call connected speech. The main features are linking, assimilation, elision and reduction. Let's get started with the first feature, linking. When we link to words, they are pronounced as if they were joined together. However, depending on the type of the sound of the context, the linking will be of one type or another. Here are the three possible cases. A consonant sound at the end of a word plus a vowel sound at the beginning of the following one. A final vowel sound plus an initial vowel sound or a final consonant sound plus an initial consonant sound. In the first case, when a consonant sound and a vowel sound are linked, there is a reorganization of the syllables. This means that the final consonant sound jumps forward and is pronounced together with the initial vowel sound of the next word as if they formed one syllable. For example, in an apple, the in of the article forms a syllable with the initial a of apple, so we would pronounce it an apple. An apple. Or take this example, not at all. Look what happens with the T sounds. We jump forward to the next word. Not at all. Not at all. In varieties like British English, ours are not pronounced in final position. However, if there is an actual aurest belt at the end of a word and then we have a vowel sound, we do pronounce the aurest influence speech. This is called Lincoln R, as it helps link one word with the next one and so that is no need for us to pronounce two vowel sounds in a row, which is more difficult and lengthy. For example, take the phrase butter and jam. In isolation, we wouldn't say the final are in butter, but as we have a vowel right after in the spelling, we actually say it to connect both words more easily. Butter and jam. Butter and jam. Now the second case. A final vowel sound plus an initial vowel sound. Following the logic from the Lincoln R, we will introduce a sound to make the transition easier from one word ending in a vowel to the other beginning with another vowel. These are called intrusive sounds. Sometimes this is done by introducing an R sound. For example, the idea of inviting him. To make it easier, we will say the idea of inviting him. Idea of. The idea of inviting him. Or I saw a film yesterday. We will have instead I saw a film yesterday. Sora. I saw a film yesterday. The difference between a Lincoln R and this intrusive R is that there was an actual R in the spelling in the first case while there is none here. We also used other sounds to link words in this case. The W and the Year sounds. We will have a W when there is an U involved. For example, I'll go out in a minute. Go out. Go out. I'll go out in a minute. We will have a Year when there is an E sound. For instance, I am in the office. I am. I am. I am in the office. The third case happens when we have a final consonant sound and an initial consonant sound. Here, they have to be the same sound. They are pronounced like long consonant sound. It sounds as if the first consonant sound was not released, but the second one was. Look at the examples. Nice summer. Nice summer. Nice summer. Some money. Some money. Some money. The second feature we will cover is assimilation. Assimilation happens when a consonant sound at the beginning or end of a word is influenced and transformed by another sound next to it. Three are the types of assimilation. Regressive or backwards. Progressive or forwards. And coalescence. This is in both directions. As we said, regressive assimilation is that which happens backwards. This is an initial consonant sound affects the final consonant sound of the previous word. Some examples will do. In the phrase, this shop, the shop of shop, influences the way we pronounce the final of this. And we end up saying, this shop, as if we had two sounds. However, whereas the first is retained, the second is released. So they sound as if they were one long shop. This shop. The same happens in the phrase, eight cakes, that in eight, pronounced at the front or from out, is affected by the place the first in cakes is said and then that becomes a as well. Listen, eight cakes. Eight cakes. Again, it sounds like a double sound. The first of which is not released, while the second one is eight cakes. One more example. Ten pens. Here's something different happens. We don't end up having the same sound in each word, but different ones. In ten pens, the sound in pens, which is pronounced by getting our lips together, influences the way we say the sound of ten. And this becomes an mmm. Also pronounced by getting our lips together. So we have ten pens, not ten pens, but ten pens. Ten pens. The direction of influence is the opposite in progressive assimilation. Here, it is forward. This is a final consonant sound influences how we pronounce the initial consonant sound of the following word. This usually happens with the plural and the regular past endings. For example, when we say dogs, because the final good in dog is a voiced sound, this is our vocal chords vibrate, the plural ends up vibrating as well. Becoming a z sound. Dogs. Dogs. Don't take the case of kissed. The ED ending would be pronounced like a d- sound, which is a voiced sound as well. However, as the final sound of the verb kiss is a s and voiced, this means our vocal chords don't vibrate, the regular past ending doesn't vibrate anymore. So we have kissed. KISSED The third type of assimilation is a special one called koalescence, where there is a simulation in both directions. This is each consonant sound influences each other and a new sound is created with features of both. It usually happens when we have any of these sounds you can see on the screen, followed by a year sound, creating one of these four palatal sounds. Let's clear this out with some examples again. Influenced speech sequences like did you this year or won't you would be said did you this year and won't you did you this year and won't you