If you have ever listened to native English speakers and felt like the words were “blended” together, you are not imagining it. This natural flow is known as connected speech, one of the most important (but often overlooked) skills in speaking English fluently.

Many learners study grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, but still sound “robotic” or too formal. Why? Because they pronounce each word separately. Native speakers rarely do this. Instead, they connect words, drop sounds, or change sounds to make speaking faster and more natural.

This blog will break down connected speech into simple, easy tricks with clear explanations and examples.

What Is Connected Speech?

Connected speech refers to the way English words change when spoken together in sentences. Instead of pronouncing each word clearly and separately, speakers naturally:

• link sounds
• reduce sounds
• remove sounds
• change sounds
  

For example, instead of saying:
“What are you doing?” (pronounced clearly)

Native speakers sound more like:
“Whatcha doing?”

This does not mean native speakers are “lazy”! Connected speech simply makes conversation faster and easier.

Understanding connected speech helps you:

• sound more natural
• understand native speakers better
• speak more smoothly
• increase fluency
  

Let’s explore the easiest connected speech tricks you can use right away.

Trick #1: Linking Consonants to Vowel Sounds

This is the simplest and most common type of connected speech. When a word ends with a consonant sound and the next word starts with a vowel sound, the sounds “connect”.

Examples

• sit + down → sitdown
• turn + it → turnit
• pick + it + up → pickitup
• look + at → lookat
  

Instead of pausing between words, let the last sound “flow” into the next one.

Sentence examples

• “Pick it up.” → Pi-ki-dup
• “Look at this.” → Lu-ka-this

Trick #2: Linking Vowel to Vowel Sounds

When one word ends with a vowel sound, and the next begins with a vowel, English speakers often add a small sound to connect them:

• /j/ (like “yes”)
• /w/ (like “we”)
  

Examples

• I + am → I-yam
• He + is → He-yis
• Go + on → Go-won
• Too + early → Too-werly
  

This prevents awkward pauses between vowel sounds and improves flow.

Trick #3: Sound Reduction (Weak Forms)

In connected speech, some words become shorter or quieter. These are usually grammatical words like:

• To
• For
• Of
• And
• At
• In
• Can
  

Instead of saying them fully, native speakers use “weak forms.”

Examples

• to → tuh
  • “I want to go.” → I wanna go.
    
• for → fer
  • “This is for you.” → This is “fer” you.
    
• and → n / ən
  • “Salt and pepper.” → Salt ‘n pepper.

Trick #4: Contractions Make Connected Speech Easier

Contractions help create natural connected speech and prevent your sentences from sounding stiff.

Examples

• I am → I’m
• You are → You’re
• He is → He’s
• They will → They’ll
• I would → I’d
  

Sentence examples

• “I am learning English.” → I’m learning English.
• “He is going to school.” → He’s going to school.
  

Trick #5: Assimilation (Sounds Changing)

Assimilation is when a sound changes to become more like the sound next to it. This is a natural part of connected speech, even if you don’t notice it.

Examples

• ten boys → tem boys
• good girl → goog girl
• in Paris → im Paris
• don’t you → donchu
  

Trick #6: Elision (Dropping Sounds)

Sometimes English speakers drop sounds to make speech faster. This is called elision.

Common dropped sounds:

• /t/
• /d/
  

Examples

• next day → nex day
• left behind → lef behind
• I don’t know → I dunno
• must be → mus be
  

Trick #7: “Wanna,” “Gonna,” “Gotta” and Casual Connected Forms

These casual forms appear everywhere in spoken English.

• want to → wanna
• going to → gonna
• got to → gotta
• what are you → whatcha
• did you → didja
  

Examples

• “I’m gonna call you.”
• “You gotta try this.”
• “Whatcha doing?”
  

Putting It All Together: How Connected Speech Works in Real Sentences

Here is how connected speech transforms normal sentences:

Slow, clear English:

“Do you want to go to the mall?”

Natural connected speech:

“D’ya wanna go-tuh the mall?”

Slow:
“What are you going to eat?”

Natural:
“Whatchu gonna eat?”

Slow:
“I will see you in a minute.”

Natural:
“I’ll see ya inaminute.”

How to Practice Connected Speech 

Learning connected speech is one of the best ways to sound natural, fluent, and confident in English. When you understand how English words blend, you will find it much easier to follow native speakers and even more fun to speak with them.

To practice connected speech effectively, ELSA Speak is the perfect tool:

• It listens to your pronunciation in real time.
  
• It shows you which sounds you need to connect or reduce.
  
• It gives instant feedback on linking, reduction, and rhythm.
  
• It includes short lessons that match real-life speaking situations.
  

With regular practice on ELSA Speak, you will quickly understand and use connected speech the way native speakers do – naturally, smoothly, and confidently.