Name: Summer Vacation: American English pronunciation
Uploaded: 2018-01-28T08:22:33.000Z
Duration: 9 min 35 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

In this American English pronunciation video,
you're going to come on vacation with me and

my family, where we play games, water ski,
and go to the beach. We'll also study some

American English pronunciation by taking a
look at various reductions, and linking consonant

Uncle Frank brings his boat every year so
that we can try skiing.

Did you notice the reductions of the word 'that'
and 'can'? These two function words will often

reduce. 'That' becomes thut, with either a
flap or a stop T, depending on the next sound.

And 'can', when not the main verb in the sentence,
becomes kn, kn. So that we can. So that we

can. So that we can try skiing. 'Try' and
'skiing', the two content words in this sentence,

are clearly much longer than 'so that we can'.
[3x] These four function words are low in

So that we can try skiing. [3x]
Sure appreciate that uncle Frank.

>> Well, I'm glad to bring it.
Glad to bring it. Here, Frank reduced the

word 'to' to the flap T and the schwa sound: de
de, de, glad de, Glad to bring it. Listen again.

>> Well, I'm glad to bring it. [3x] This boat
is 17 years old, and I was beginning to wonder

earlier in the week if I was going to bring
it back again.

Here Frank reduced the phrase 'going to' to
'gonna'. A very common reduction in American

English. If I was going to bring it back,
gonna, gonna. If I was going to bring it back.

>> I was beginning to wonder earlier in the
week if I was going to bring it back again, [3x]

but it seems like people are still kind
of interested in skiing, so.

Love it. Did you hear how I connected the
V sound to the word it? One of the easiest

ways to link in American English pronunciation,
is the case when one word ends in a consonant

and the next word begins with a vowel or diphthong.
You can practice the connection between words

by putting the ending consonant on the next
word: vit, vit, vit, love it, love it, love it.

This will help to eliminate gaps between
words. In American English, we want to link

all the words in one thought group. Listen
again.

>> We love it. [3x]
>> We'll see if it'll go a couple more years.

>> So Jace, you going to go skiing today?
Another 'gonna'.

>> Mmm, a little. Yeah.
>> It might take a couple tries, so don't

be discouraged if it doesn't happen right
away.

Right away. Did you notice how I linked the
ending T of 'right' to the beginning vowel

sound of 'away'. This means that the T comes
between two vowels, so it becomes a flap T,

or, a D sound. So, 'right away' sounds just
like 'ride away'. Listen again.

>> If it doesn't happen right away. [3x]
>> Ok, ok, ok. Ok.

>> Meg, are you going to try skiing?
Another 'gonna'. Also notice, I've reduced

the word 'are' to er, er, er. Listen again.

>> Meg, are you going to try skiing? [3x]
>> I don't think so. I tried it when I was

ten, and I was traumatized because I felt,
and it hurt.

>> Oh, yeah.
>> So, I think I'm just going to stick to

a bystander.
>> Haley, have you skiied before?

>> I've done sit skiing before, when I was,
like, six.

What is. Just like with 'right away', we're
connecting the ending T in 'what' to the beginning

vowel of the word 'is'. So the T turns into a flap
T, or D sound. What is, what is. Listen again.

>> What is that? [3x]
>> It's got the skis

>> Yeah?
>> And there's a chair in the middle and you

>> Yeah.
>> I've never even heard of that.

Heard of. Another linking consonant to vowel
heard of, heard of. Notice that I am reducing

the word 'of' to the schwa-V sound: uv, uv,
duv, duv, heard of.

>> I've never even heard of that. [3x]
>> I haven't either.

Done it. Another great example of linking
ending consonant to beginning vowel. Done

>> I've done it. [3x] So, I'm nervous to do this.
>> I think you'll be just fine.

Here, Haley reduced the contraction 'I'm',
to simply the M consonant. I'm ready. Of course,

with that reduction, she linked it to the
next word, mmready. Listen again.

This is my cousin Brooke.
>> Brooke, how are you enjoying your vacation?

>> I'm having a great time on my vacation.
It's a lot of fun.

>> What's the highlight of your vacation so
far?

>> I think the highlight of vacation so far
is spending time with you, Rachel.

>> Ani, did you make that necklace?
>> Yeah.

Another reduction of 'can': kn, can you, can
you.

>> Can you hold it up for me? [3x]
>> This?

It's really pretty. A reduction of 'it's'
to the TS sound. It's really, it's really.

>> It's really pretty. [3x]
>> Where'd you make that?

>> At the craft shop.
>> The craft shop? Let me see?

Have you ever heard someone say 'lemme'? I've
dropped the T in 'let', and connected it to

>> Giggle. Giggle.
>> Giggle? Oh, it does say giggle. That's

a hard word. It has those gg sounds, and a
dark L. Giggle.

>> Hey Brad.
>> What are you doing? Doing some advertising?

>> We're doing a little advertising, yeah.
>> Hey, Rach, I love that shirt. Where did

Made it. Linking ending consonant to beginning
vowel. Made it.

>> Well, I made it. [3x]
>> Oh, now, what is this?

>> It says 'I love English' in the International
Phonetic Alphabet.

>> Oh my gosh, that's so great. Where can
I get one?

>> Actually, you can get one right here.
>> RachelsEnglish.com!

>> Yeah, do you want to be on my website,
Brad?

Wanna. Here, I use the 'wanna' reduction for
'want to'. Do you wanna.

>> Yeah, do you want to be on my website,
Brad? [3x]   >> Kinda.

Kinda. Here, Brad reduced 'kind of' to kinda.
So the word 'of' is pronounced with just the

>> Kinda. [3x]
>> Ok! This is my cousin Brad.

>> Hi!
>> Brad, B-R-A-D, it has the 'aa' as in 'bat'