English Pronunciation--Linking Sound

For Most Chinese students, pronunciation is their biggest headache in learning English. Some say that no matter how hard they try, they just can't make those sounds right, or can barely make themselves understood. My students also have difficulties with their pronunciation, so I decided to help them improve their pronunciation.

From my own learning and teaching experience in English, I think the reason why many student can't understand English or can't make themselves understood is that they are unfamiliar with the rules of English pronunciation, especially the rules of linking sound. Here is some detailed materials for those who want to practice their English pronunciation, speaking and listening.

连读

(一)什么是连读。

　　在连贯地说话或朗读时,在同一个意群(即短语或从句)中,如果相邻的两个词前者以辅音音素结尾,后者以元音音素开头,就要自然地将辅音和元音相拼,构成一个音节,这就是连读。连读时的音节一般不重读,只需顺其自然地一带而过,不可以加音,也不可以读得太重。如:not at all这个短语。连读时听起来就像是一个单词。注意:连读只发生在句子中的同一个意群中。在两个意群之间即使有两个相邻的辅音和元音出现,也不可连读。如:Please take a look at it.这个句子中take a look at it是同一个意群,那么take与a可连读,look与at可连读,at与it可连读。在There is a book in it.一句中book与in往往不连读,因为book与in分别在两个不同的意群中。

1. not at all

2. Please take a look at it.

3. There is a book in it.

(二)连读的详细情况

1.在同一个意群中,相邻的两个词,前者以辅音音素结尾,后者以元音音素开头,往往要拼在一起连读。如:

4. He is a student.(is与a要连读)

5. That is a right answer.(That与is, is和a, right和answer都可以连读)

6. I’ll be back in half an hour.(back和in, half和an, an与hour都可以连读)。

2. “辅音+元音”型连读

在同一个意群里，如果相邻两词中的前一个词是以辅音结尾，后一个词是以元音开头，这就要将辅音与元音拼起来连读。

7. I’m~an~English boy.

8. It~is~an~old book.

9. Let me have~a look~at~it.

10. Ms. Black worked in~an~office last~year.

11. I called~you half~an~hour~ago.

12. Put~it~on, please.

13. Please pick~it~up.

3. “r/re+元音”型连读

如果前一个词是以-r或者-re结尾，后一个词是以元音开头，这时的r或re不但要发/r/，而且还要与后面的元音拼起来连读。

14. They’re my father~and mother.

15. I looked for~it here~and there.

16. There~is a football under~it.

17. There~are some books on the desk.

18. Here~is a letter for you.

19. Here~are four~eggs.

20. But where~is my cup?

21. Where~are your brother~and sister?

但是，如果一个音节的前后都有字母r，即使后面的词以元音开头，也不能连读。

22. The black clouds are coming nearer and nearer.（nearer与and不可连读）

4. “辅音+半元音”型连读

英语语音中的/j/和/w/是半元音，如果前一个词是以辅音结尾，后一个词是以半元音，特别是/j/开头，此时也要连读。

23. Thank~you.

24. Nice to meet~you.

25. Did~you get there late~again?

26. Would~you like~a cup~of tea？

27. Could~you help me, please?

5. “元音+元音”型连读如果前一个词以元音结尾，后一个词以元音开头，这两个音往往也要自然而不间断地连读到一起。

28. I~am Chinese.

29. He~is very friendly to me.

30. She wants to study~English.

31. How~and why did you come here?

32. She can’t carry~it.

33. It’ll take you three~hours to walk there.

34. The question is too~easy for him to answer.

6. 当短语或从句之间按意群进行停顿时，意群与意群之间即使有两个相邻的辅音与元音出现，也不可连读。

35. Is~it a~hat or a cat?（hat与or之间不可以连读）

36. There~is~a good book in my desk. （book与in之间不可以连读）

37. Can you speak~English or French? （English与or之间不可以连读）

38. Shall we meet at~eight or ten tomorrow morning? （meet与 at，eight与or之间不可以连读）

39. She opened the door and walked~in. （door与and之间不可以连读）

7. 失去爆破6个爆破音有3对/p/，/b/，/t/，/d/，/k/，/g/
失去爆破，又叫不完全爆破，就是在某些情况下，只须做出发音的准备，但并不发音，稍稍停顿后就发后面的音。

1) “爆破音+爆破音”型

6个爆破音【t、d、k、g、p、b】中的任意2个相临时，前一个爆破音会失去爆破，即由相关的发音器官做好这个发音的姿势，稍做停顿后即发后面的爆破音。

40. The girl in the re(d) coat was on a bla(ck) bike jus(t) now.

41. The bi(g) bus from the fa(c) tory is full of people.

42. Wha(t) time does he get up every morning?

43. This is an ol(d) pi(c)ture of a bi(g) car.

44. The ol(d) do(c)tor has a ca(t), too.

45. We’re going to work on a farm nex(t) Tuesday.

46. What would you like, ho(t) tea or bla(ck) coffee?

47. It’s a very col(d) day, but it’s a goo(d) day.

48. You can put i(t) down in the bi(g) garden.

49. I bought a chea(p) book, but it’s a goo(d) book.

2) “爆破音+摩擦音”型如果前面是爆破音，其后紧跟着某些摩擦音（如/f/，/s/，/W/，/T/等），那么前面那个爆破音仅有十分轻微的爆破，而后面那个摩擦音则要完全爆破。

50. Goo(d) morning, Mr. Bell.

51. Goo(d) morning, dear.

52. Uncle Li’s fa(c)tory is qui(te) near to the cinema.

53. I wen(t) there alone a(t) nine las(t) night.

54. -Do you know his bi(ke) number? -Sorry, I don’(t) know. Bar / bike

55. The forty-firs(t) lesson is qui(te) difficult.

56. Goo(d) luck, Lin Tao.

To conclude, just like when we learn to drive, 'Practice makes perfect', the same principle also applies to learning English. If you want to have essential progress on your pronunciation, practice and imitation is always the best way.