English Linking Words Pronunciation

• Gina, an instructor from Oxford Online English, explains the importance of linking words for reading fluency and natural pronunciation in English.
• Linking is the way to connect words with shared sounds when speaking, reducing pauses between words.
• Consonant-consonant linking: when one word ends with a consonant sound and the next word starts with the same consonant sound, they share the sound. Examples: "red dress," "cheap places," and "feel lucky."
• Consonant-vowel linking: when one word ends with a consonant sound, and the next word begins with a vowel sound, link the consonant to the vowel. Examples: "Do you remember that time when Anna and Amy fell in the swimming pool?"
• Vowel-vowel linking: link two vowel sounds by adding a consonant sound between them. Examples: "He asked for a glass of water," "He asked" and "a glass of water" share the /j/ sound.
• Exceptions in linking: we do not link /tʃ/ or /dʒ/ sounds. Examples: "each choice," "orange juice."
• Similar consonant sounds can be linked, such as "/d/" and "/t/," "/k/" and "/g/," "/p/" and "/b/," and "/f/" and "/v/." Examples: "I need two kilos of shrimp," "The water was a kind of dark green colour," and "I sleep better if the room’s really dark."
• Practice pronouncing the links by focusing on the sounds, not the spelling, and imagining the consonant belongs to the second word.
• English learners might find it helpful to imagine the consonant at the start of the second word when struggling with consonant-vowel links.
• The text also includes a review of the three basic ways to link words: consonant-consonant, consonant-vowel, and vowel-vowel.

Learn about the importance of linking words for reading fluency and natural pronunciation in English. Understand the three basic ways to link words: consonant-consonant, consonant-vowel, and vowel-vowel, along with exceptions. Practice pronouncing the links by focusing on sounds and imagining the consonant belonging to the second word.