Connected speech is used when you're speaking quickly and casually,

and it helps your American English sound more natural.

Today, we'll discuss linking.

Linking means combining the sounds from the end of one word to the beginning of the next word.

American English speakers naturally link sounds together to avoid pauses in fluid speech,

so practicing linking can help your American English sound more fluent.

There are two main types of linking: consonant-vowel linking and vowel-vowel linking.

Consonant-vowel linking occurs when one word ends with a consonant sound and the next word begins with a vowel sound.

When this happens, we pronounce the words as if the consonant sound has moved from the end of the first word to the beginning of the next word.

For example, look up is pronounced "lookup," turn on the light becomes "turnon the light."

That's an umbrella becomes thatsanumbrella.

Vowel-vowel linking occurs when one word ends in a vowel sound and the next word begins with a vowel.

You add a "yuh" sound or "wuh" sound in between the vowel sound at the end of the first word and the vowel at the beginning of the second word.

So how do you know whether to add a "yuh" or a wuh"?

Let's find out.

If a word ends in the sounds "ee," "ih," ay," "eye," or "oy" and the next word begins with a vowel, the two words are linked with a "yuh" sound.

For example, "stay out" is pronounced like "stay yout."

Linking words with "yuh" happens even if there isn't a "Y" in the spelling.

"He asked" is pronounced like "he yasked."

"Sigh of relief" is a "sighyof relief."

If a word ends in the sounds "uh," "oo," oh," or "ow" and the next word begins with a vowel, then the two words are linked with "wuh."

For example, "how are you" is pronounced like "howare you."

Again, linking words with the "wuh" sound happens even if there isn't a "W" letter in the spelling.

For example, "go inside" is pronounced like "gowinside."

"Two other people" becomes "twowother people."

Let's practice! Pay attention to the underlined words in the following story,

and practice using consonant-vowel linking and vowel-vowel linking.

Press pause at each screen to go at your own pace.

(Soft music playing.)

That's it for now. Next time, we'll practice T&D tapping.

This is when the T sound gets pronounced like a D, like in the word butter.

This is American English. Thanks for watching.