Name: 第8天--減少that，than，them--理解英語中的快速言語。 (Day 8 - Reducing THAT, THAN, THEM - Understanding Fast Speech in English)
Uploaded: 2021-01-14T07:10:18.000Z
Duration: 4 min 48 s
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動名詞

Would you agree that listening is sometimes harder than speaking?

情態助動詞 A2

I know that it can be a challenge when people talk really fast.

THAN and THAT are two more function words.

They're small words and don't carry a lot of content,

so we usually reduce those vowel sounds to a weaker sound.

The schwa sound is that relaxed "uh" /ə/.

I asked you if listening is sometimes harder than speaking.

Instead of THAN...in fast speech I can say /ðən/.

THAT can also be reduced when it's fast an unstressed.

I said, "I know that it can be a challenge."

Note the word THAT could be stressed, so it's not always reduced.

For example, I could suggest, "Let's buy that one, not this one. That one."

And when it's stressed, we use that full short A sound.

THEM in fast speech could sound more like /ðəm/.

We're reducing the vowel sounds again to a weaker schwa.

Here are some examples I can read for you.

Note when we use THAT as a demonstrative,

There’s another way THEM can change in fast speech.

Not only can we reduce the vowel to a schwa,