Hi everyone. In this video, you'll learn about vowel to vowel linking in American English. I'm
going to say a sentence two different ways - which one sounds more natural?
I owe him 20 bucks. I owe him 20 bucks. Most of you should hear that the first sentence sounded
much more natural than the second sentence, but why? I pronounced each sound correctly,
so why did the first sentence sound better than the second sentence? It's because of linking.
In the first sentence, I connected the words together so the sentence sounded like one long
word. That is how American English is spoken. Native speakers will link words together to
smooth out the transitions between words. Linking happens as often as it can in spoken English,
both between words and within words. Here is an example of word to word linking. I miss someone.
Listen to how I linked the words miss and someone by extending the S sound. I miss someone. Here is
an example of linking within a word. Triathlon. Notice how I smooth out the transition from AI
in "tri" to the AA in "ath". Triathlon. I did that by adding a small Y sound. Listen again.
Triathlon. I can't discuss all the linking that occurs in spoken English in this video,
so today I want to discuss the type of linking that happens between vowels, like in the word
triathlon. When one word or syllable ends in a vowel and the next word or syllable begins with
a vowel, we insert a glide sound to connect the words together, either Y or W. Which glide sound
will depend on the position of your lips. If your lips are spread out like in the EE and AI vowels,
you use the Y sound to connect the words together. For example, listen to how I linked the words the
and end with a Y glide. The end. My vocal cords vibrate the entire time, so there is a smooth
connection between the words. The end. This is what it sounds like if I don't use a glide. The
end. The end. You can hear a distinct break in the vibration between the words. The end. Here it is
again with the linking glide. The end. If your lips are rounded like in the OH and OO vowels,
then you use a W sound to connect the words together. For example, listen to how I connect the
words go and away with the W sound. Go away. Go away. Again, there is a smooth connection between
the words because my vocal cords are vibrating the entire time. Go away. This is what it sounds like
if I don't use a glide. Go away. Go away. Now with the glide. Go away. Let's practice vowel
to vowel linking, and first I'll use the Y glide. The apple. The apple. I understand. I understand.
Triangle. Triangle. Tie it down. Tie it down. Reaction. Reaction.
Now let's practice vowel to vowel linking using the W glide. You ate. You ate. How are you? How
are you? Doing. Doing. Two hours. Two hours. No one. No one. Thanks so much for watching,
and let me know if you'd like some help with vowel to vowel linking in American English.