English Words Lean on Each Other When You Talk Fast
Turkish keeps words fairly separate, but fluent English links consonants and vowels across word boundaries.
Turkish tends to keep words fairly distinct from each other in speech, but American English constantly links words together across boundaries, especially when one word ends in a consonant and the next starts with a vowel. 'Turn it off' often sounds like 'turn-i-toff,' and 'pick it up' can blend into 'pi-ki-tup.' This isn't careless speech — it's simply how fluent English flows, and missing these links can make your speech sound choppier than intended, even if every sound is technically correct. Try this: take the phrase 'check it out' and say it slowly as separate words first. Then speed up, letting the final consonant of each word slide smoothly into the vowel that follows, almost like the words are holding hands. Try the same with 'turn it off' and 'put it on.' At first it may feel like you're slurring, but that's exactly the natural rhythm English listeners expect. Practicing short phrases like this daily will quickly smooth out your overall flow.
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Sources (1)
- English Phonetics and Phonology (Peter Roach)