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Everything You Need to Know

About Linking
LINKING refers to how sounds flow together between words in spoken English. Spoken English
is very different from written English where there’s a nice, distinct white space between each
word.

Unless you’ve reached a point of pausing, there are not “white spaces” in spoken English. If you
speak like there are white spaces between your words you sound choppy- you don’t have that
smooth, fluent flow you’re striving for.

The good news is there are patterns you can learn as to how sounds link together between
words.

Understanding linking patterns is all about knowing what type of sound one words ends in and
what type of sound the next word begins with.

Consonant to Vowel: When a word ends in a consonant sound and the next word
begins with a vowel sound, that ending consonant sound jumps over in front of the
vowel at the start of the next word.
does it doe~sit {dʌ~zɪt}
make a ma~ka {meɪ~kə}
Does it make a difference? Doe~sit ma~ka difference?
kind of kin~da {kaɪn~də}
like it li~kit {laɪ~kɪt}
I kind of like it. I kin~da li~kit.
takes a take~sa {teɪk~sə}
lot of lo~da {la~(d)ə}
It takes a lot of practice. It take~sa lo~da practice.
hold on hol~don {hoʊl~dɔn}
on a o~na {ɔ~nə}
Can you hold on a minute? Can you hol~don~a minute?
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Vowel to Vowel: When one words ends in a vowel sound and the next word begins
with a vowel sound we glide from word to word with a slight /w/ or /y/ sound. Use /w/
with lip rounder vowels /oʊ/ as in “no”, /u/ as in “new” and /aʊ/ as in “now.”
go over go~(w)over {goʊ~(w)’oʊ-vər}
the options the~(y)options {ði~(y)’ɑp-ʃənz}
Let’s go over the options. Let’s go~(w)over the~(y)options.
they offered they~(y)offered {ðeɪ~(y)’ɔ-fərd}
buy it but~(y)it {baɪ~(y)ɪt}
They offered to buy it. They~(y)offered to buy~(y)it.
know if know~(w)if {noʊ~(w)ɪf}
show up show~(w)up {ʃoʊ~(w)ʌp}
I didn’t know if you’d show up. I didn’t know~(w)if you’d show~(w)up.
so I so~(w)I {soʊ~(w)aɪ}
stay in stay~(y)in {steɪ~(y)ɪn}
I’m tired so I decided to stay in. I’m tired so~(w)I decided to stay~(y)in.

Consonant to Consonant- Same and Similar Consonants: If a word ends in

a consonant sound and the next word begins in the same or similar consonant sound,
you keep the airflow going so you only make the sound once.
feel like feel~like
some more som~more
I feel like I need some more coffee. I feel~like I need som~more coffee.
both things both~things
this Saturday this~Saturday
We scheduled both things for this We scheduled both~things for
Saturday. this~Saturday.
he’s so he’s~so
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she’s single she’s~single

He’s so happy she’s single! He’s~so happy she’s~single!
have fun I hope you hav~fun.
love for We’d lov~for you to stay.
with that Can~I help you with~that?
worth the I’m not sure~it was worth~the trouble.

Consonant to Consonant- Stop Consonants: When a word ends in a stop

consonant (there’s only six! /p/, /b/, /t/,/d/, /k/, /g/) and the next word begins with
another consonant, you want to hold the stop. Don’t release the air. Hold the lip (/p/,
/b/) or tongue (/t/, /d/, /k/, /g/) position and just move into the next sound.
what time What| time~is~it?
that day I think~I’m busy that| day.
good time I hope you have~a good| time!
big game It’s~a really big| game.
big company It’s~a pretty big| company.
help me Can you help| me with~this?
stop sign I didn’t see the stop| sign.
grab some Want to grab| some lunch? (Want
to=Wanna)
keep going Let’s just keep| going.
big deal This~is~a really big| deal.