Elision, Assimilation, and Linking Sounds: How Native Speakers Really Talk
Have you ever listened to native English speakers and wondered: “Why do they speak so fast?” or “I understand each and every word, but not when they talk together?” That is because English speakers do not pronounce every word clearly and distinctly. They blend sounds together when speaking. These sound changes make speech smoother and more natural.
In the following blog, we will explore three of the most common features of connected speech: elision, assimilation, and linking sounds – the secret of natural English speeches!
What Is Connected Speech?
Connected speech means the way English sounds change when people talk naturally. So, instead of saying each word slowly and clearly, native speakers connect them, just like how a song flows from one note to another.
For example:
- They do not say: “What – are – you – doing?”
- They say: “Whatcha doing?”
This happens because our mouth wants to move smoothly, not stop after every word.
Connected speech includes many features, and the most common are elision, assimilation, and linking.
Elision – When Sounds Disappear
- Definition
Elision means leaving out a sound in a word or between words. It helps speech sound faster and more naturally.
- Examples
- Next day → “Nex day” (the t sound disappears)
- Friends → “Frens” (the d sound disappears)
- Camera → “Camra” (the e sound disappears)
Native speakers do not do this to be lazy! It is just how English rhythm works. Saying every sound would sound robotic!
- How to Practice
When you listen to native speakers, notice where sounds disappear. You can also record yourself reading these sentences slowly and then naturally. Compare both versions.
You can check out tools to help you practice. With ELSA Speak, you can check if you are dropping the right sounds naturally. The app gives instant pronunciation feedback and highlights where your sound doesn’t match a native speaker’s.
Assimilation – When Sounds Change
- Definition
Assimilation happens when a sound changes to become more like the sound next to it. Your mouth adapts to make pronunciation easier and smoother.
- Examples
- Green park → “Greem park” (the n changes to m)
- Good boy → “Goob boy” (the d becomes b)
- Handbag → “Ham-bag” (the n changes to m)
These small changes make speaking easier and faster. Native speakers usually don’t even realize they’re doing it!
- How to Practice
Try reading the examples slowly first, then naturally. Feel how your mouth moves differently. With ELSA Speak, you can practice similar sentences and see real-time scores for each sound. It helps you master smooth, natural speech instead of word-by-word pronunciation.
Linking Sounds – When Words Join Together
- Definition
Linking happens when the final sound of one word connects with the first sound of the next word. This makes English flow smoothly.
- Examples
- Go on → “Go-won”
- See it → “See-yit”
- Turn off → “See-yit”
- Why It Matters
If you do not link words, your English might sound choppy or unnatural. But if you link too much, it can be confusing. The key is balance – practice hearing and repeating linking patterns.
- How to Practice
A great exercise is the shadowing technique — listen to a short audio clip and repeat exactly how the speaker connects words. With ELSA Speak, you can do this easily using its speech recognition technology. The app helps you see your pronunciation score and gives feedback on every sound, including linking.
Read more: Mastering Linking Sounds: The Secret to Sounding Natural in English
Why Understanding These Features Matters
Mastering elision, assimilation, and linking sounds helps you:
- Understand native speakers more easily
- Sound smoother and more confident when speaking
- Feel more natural in conversations and presentations
When you stop focusing only on individual words and start connecting them, your English becomes more rhythmic and fluent, just like a native speaker’s.
To learn more about natural pronunciation, check out related posts from the ELSA Blog:
How ELSA Speak Helps You Master Connected Speech
Learning pronunciation rules is one thing — using them naturally is another. That is where ELSA Speak makes a difference.
ELSA uses AI speech recognition to analyze your voice, show where your pronunciation differs from a native speaker’s, and give you feedback immediately.
Here’s how ELSA can help:
- Detects your elision, assimilation, and linking patterns
- Highlights your weak sounds with color-coded feedback
- Let’s you repeat and improve instantly until you sound natural
- Tracks your pronunciation progress over time
With daily practice, you can train your mouth to move smoothly — just like native speakers.
7. Quick Practice Challenge
Try saying these sentences quickly but naturally:
- “Next door neighbors are nice.” → “Nex door neighbors are nice.”
- “Good girl” → “Goo-girl”
- “Go out” → “Go-wout”
The more you listen and repeat, the more your brain and mouth will adapt to natural English rhythm.
Final Thoughts
Elision, assimilation, and linking sounds are not “extra” pronunciation skills — they are how English really sounds in daily life. Once you understand and practice them, you will notice that English feels less like a list of words and more like a connected flow of ideas.
Whether you’re preparing for a presentation, chatting with friends, or watching your favorite show, recognizing these features will make everything clearer.
So next time you listen to a native speaker, pay attention to the sounds that disappear, change, or connect, and try them yourself with ELSA Speak.
You will be surprised how quickly your English starts to sound more natural.
And do not miss out useful English tips from ELSA: https://blog.elsaspeak.com/en/
