Connected Speech

 

1. Work on linking consonant sounds to vowel sounds

When you have a consonant sound at the end of one word, like ‘an’, and a vowel sound at the beginning of the next, like 'apple', you link them together smoothly.

example: an-apple

Here are some examples. Try reading them out loud and linking them together:

one-afternoon

those-elephants

good-evening

come-over

this-umbrella

2. Practice linking consonants to the same consonant

When we have a consonant sound at the end of one word, like some, which is followed by a word beginning with that same consonant sound, like more, we usually join these together to make a lengthened consonant sound.

example: This-Sunday

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Here are some examples. Try reading them out loud and joining the consonant sounds at the end of the first word and the beginning of the second word, transforming them into one, longer sound:

staff-film

these-zebras

leave-very

some-more

Note - this does not work with the plosives. Instead, introduce a tiny pause between the two identical consonant sounds - you pause the articulation slightly and have a longer closure to the air before the release.

3. Use 'insertions' to link a vowel sound to another vowel sound

When a word ends with a vowel sound, and the next word starts with a vowel sound, we link the two words with an extra inserted sound - either /j/ or /w/. These are called insertions.

We use /j/ or /w/ depending completely on which vowel sound is at the end of the first word.

Look at these phrases:

we all - we /j/ all

they are - they /j/ are

I asked - I /j/ asked

Joy is - Joy /j/ is

/eɪ/ /i:/ /aɪ/ /ɔɪ/ are all vowel sounds that finish with the mouth, jaw closer together, and the highest part of the tongue close to the front of the mouth. The linking sound for all of these is /j/

Look at these phrases:

you are - you /w/ are

how is - how /w/ is

show us - show /w/ us

/ʊ/ /u:/ /aʊ/ /əʊ/ are all vowel sounds that finish with the mouth rounded and the highest part of the tongue close to the back of the mouth. The linking sound for all of these is /w/.

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