Reducing Unstressed Words
Stressing content words (usually by saying them louder, longer, and at a different pitch) is only half of how spoken English rhythm is created. Reducing words is equally important. There are five different strategies for reducing words:
- Pronounce the word faster and more quietly than stressed words
- Change the vowel sound to a schwa or other reduced sound
- to: /tu/ → /tə/ or ‘tuh’
- you: /yu/ → /yə/ or ‘yuh’
- do: /du/ → /də/ or ‘duh’
- can: /kæn/ → /kɪn/ or ‘kin’
- your: /yɔr/ → /yɚ/ or ‘yer’ (Learn to pronounce /ɚ/)
- Use common contractions
- I have → I’ve
- do not → don’t
- Use informal contractions
- want to → ‘wanna’
- could you → ‘couldja’
- Omit sounds from the beginning of words (See video)
- omit /h/ from ‘he, him, her’
- omit ‘th’ from ‘them’