Pronunciation Reduction Can

February 11, 2015 by Bret Tutor

Pronunciation Reduction Can

He can hit the ball.

Can is a helping(auxiliary) verb which also makes it a function word. As with most function words it is reduced in the sentence. The reduction is either to a k with a schwa sound, or just a kn sound. Either way, the sound is reduced and pronounced quickly. Say kun three times. Say kn three times. Like some of the other words, the difference in the way that it is pronounced is up to the native English speaker. Many people in the southern US will pronounce it as kun. Look at these two examples:

I kun come on over. I kun cum n over. (Southern)
I kn come over. I kun cum on over. (Northern and other parts of US, but not all)

This is one of the things that makes learning English so difficult. Here are a few more examples of the reduction of can:

I kn help.
She kn work on it with me.
They kn come over later.
He kn really hit the ball!
How kn he do that?
I kn pass the test.

Exceptions When Can Is Not Reduced

Notice that can is also a noun or a main verb, depending on how it is being used. In those cases the sound is not reduced since it works as a function word. Instead, can is produced with an a sound in the middle, surround by a k and n sound. Also, when it is contracted as can’t, it is in the negative form, which is also treated as a content word. Here are a few examples of the pronunciation of can as a content word:

Yes, he kan.
Get the kan.
No, they kan’t.
Get the garbage kan.

Pronunciation Reduction Because

February 11, 2015 by Bret Tutor

Pronunciation Reduction Because

We like the dog because it is fast.

Because is a conjunction which also makes it a function word. In informal English it is also used as a preposition, which is also a function word. As with most function words it is reduced in the sentence. Because has a few different pronunciations, depending on where it is located in the sentence. To start off with the first syllable usually remains the same by making a b sound that is combined with i. The sound that is makes is bi. Say bi three times. The next syllable is stressed and sounds like kuhz, kawz or kuz. The difference is in the middle, which are three just slightly different in the way they sound. Say kuhz three times. Say kawz three times. Say kuz three times. When the two syllables are combined it sounds like bikuhz, bikawz and bikuz.

The choice of using bikuhz, bikawz bikuz is dependant on the speaker more than anything else. Another thing is that since the first syllable is so weak, there are times when it is dropped completely. When this happens the sound made is kuz. Here are a few examples of the reduction for the function word because:

I did it bikuhz I wanted to. I did it cuz I wanted to.
She needs it bikuhz it is shiny. She needs it cuz it is shiny.
They like the dog bikawz it is pretty. They like the dog cuz it is pretty.
He left bikawz he was late. He left cuz he was late. He left cuz e was late.

With the last example there is a further reduction with the h in he. As with most of the lessons, the examples is focused on the word, or words for the lesson. It is important to keep in mind that there are other types of reductions and connected speech in the examples.

Pronunciation Reduction At

February 11, 2015 by Bret Tutor

Pronunciation Reduction At

Man In His Office Working On His Computer

I am at work.

At is a preposition which also makes it a function word. As with most function words it is reduced in the sentence. The sound reduction for at is a schwa sound with either a stop t or flap t. The sound made depends on if there is a consonant, vowel sound or diphthong after at in the sentence. If the next sound is a consonant it will be a stop t at the end. If the next sound is a vowel or diphthong it will have the flap t at the end. Here are a few examples of the reduction at:

Meet me at her desk. (Stop t)
I am at work. (Stop t)
We are at the doctor’s office. (Stop t)
I am ad a baseball game. (Flap t)
They are ad a beach. (Flap t)
I am ad her house. (Flap t since the d is dropped)

Notice in the last example there is a flap t sound. The reason for this is due to the reduction of her, which becomes er. It is no longer a consonant sound. The point is to remember when the words link, they can change the sounds of the next word, which changes the sound of the first word as well.

Pronunciation Reduction Are

February 11, 2015 by Bret Tutor

Pronunciation Reduction Are

Two Teenage Friends Having A Laugh And Giggle

Why are you laughing?

The reduction of the word are is almost the same as the reduction of or. The sound reduction for are is a soft, short schwa and r sound combination. Say er three times. Keep in mind that the schwa sound is not just one particular sound. Therefore the reduction of are can sound slightly different than or. This depends on the words that are next to them. What is also similar to the or reduction is the simple reduction to a simple, short r sound. As stated before, this depends on preferred pronunciation by the native English speaker. Here are a few examples of the reduction of are:

What er you doing?
Why r you eating?
What r they saying?
They er out of the office today.
Our brothers r driving here.
Where er the kittens?

Keep in mind that there are contractions that change the sound as well. In one of the examples above, it could have started out “They’re out of”. It still makes the same reduced r sound.

In the last example, where and are are combined even further. It makes the sound wearer as if it was almost one continuous sound.

Pronunciation Reduction And

February 11, 2015 by Bret Tutor

Pronunciation Reduction And

Two Kids Outside Lying And Playing On The Grass

My brother and I are playing.

And is another conjunction which also makes it a function word. As with most function words it is reduced in the sentence. The sound reduction for and is typically just a longer n sound. Say nn three times. Other times it will make an sound. Say an three times. The last most common pronunciation is an uhn sound. Say uhn three times. The most common reductions are the an and nn sounds. Here are a few examples of the reduction and:

My brother nn I will go.
I eat cheese nn crackers.
Their colors are green an black.
Two cars nn one truck.
She needs a coke, hamburger uhn an order of fries.

The uhn sound is a typical reduction when listing out more than one thing. This can be seen in the last example. Another example would be “Give me an apple, one orange uhn a bunch of bananas”. This pronunciation also depends on the preference of the native English speaker.