UNSTRESSED AND REDUCED WORDS

Unstressed words = function words = short, short, short = less clear.

Function words = articles, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, particles, and helping verbs.

Those words are generally unstressed = faster, lower in volume, flatter in pitch.

Stressed VS Unstressed

If [ɪf] stressed, [ɪf] unstressed

on [ɑn] stressed, [ɑn] unstressed

https://rachelsenglish.com/american-english-pronunciation-book-audio/#10-1
EXAMPLES OF FUNCTION WORDS

pronouns — I, we, she, me, us, myself, herself, my, your, our, mine, theirs

prepositions — on, in, at, below, to, through, from, till, since, by

conjunctions — and, but, or, for, while

auxiliary verbs — am, are, can, will, has, have, did, do, could, should, would, might

particles — no, not, as

determiners — the, a, an, some, this, that, these, those

Going further than unstressed: words are reduced.

Something reduces: a sound will change or be dropped.

Example:
for [fɔɹ] — how the word is pronounced by itself; fully pronounced
for [fәɹ] — how the word is pronounced in a sentence, reduced

them [ðɛm] — how the word is pronounced by itself; fully pronounced

them [әm] — how the word is pronounced in a sentence, reduced

‘For’: the vowel becomes the schwa [ә]

– I’m here for a business trip.
‘Them’: the vowel changes to the schwa [ә], and the TH sound [ð] is dropped
– Give them your money.
ARE, OR, FOR, YOUR

ARE fully pronounced: [ɑɹ]; reduced [әɹ]

Example:
What are you doing?
The cookies are good.
The kids are there.
The kids were there

https://rachelsenglish.com/pronounce-word/
FOR fully pronounced: [fɔɹ]; reduced: [fәɹ]

Example:
I got it for you.
It’s for tonight.
Let’s eat out, just for fun.

https://rachelsenglish.com/english-pronunciation-reduction-word-for/

ARE, OR, FOR, YOUR

are, are you there? [әɹ jә ðɛəәɹ]
or, small or large? [smɔl әɹ lɑɹʤ]
for, for school [fәɹ skul]
your, your paper [jәɹ ˈpeɪ pәɹ]
AT, THAT

AT fully pronounced: [æt]; reduced: [әt]

THAT fully pronounced: [ðæt]; reduced: [ðәt]

Example:
That [ðәt]
that it (Flap T to link!) [ðә‿dɪt]
We thought that it would work. [wi θɔt| ðә‿dɪt| wʊd wɜɹk]

at [әt]
We’re at the movies. [wɪә‿ɹәt| ðә ˈmu viz]
I’ll be at school
Dropping the H, THEM

This applies to function words that begin with H that are pronouns (him, her, his, he),
function words that begin with H that are helping verbs (have, has, had), and the word them.

The words them and him will sound the same in reduction, both reducing to [əm]:

I made him a card. [aɪˈmeɪd‿әm әˈkɑɹd]

I made them a card. [aɪˈmeɪd‿әm әˈkɑɹd]

Notice that many of vowels reduce to the schwa [ә] sound

Other examples:
“Give her” [ˈgɪv әɹ].

if it ends with a T, it will make a Flap T:

got her [ˈgɑ‿dәɹ]
met them [ˈmɛ‿dәm]
Practice these:
OF
I’ll tell her we’re leaving; tell ‘er sort of [sɔɹd‿әv]
Was he there? sort of [sɔɹd‿ә]
What have you done? kind of [kaɪnd‿әv]
kind of [kaɪnd‿ә]
THEM
gave them [geɪv‿әm] CAN
need them [nid‿әm] I can
I can do it
we can stay
they can have it
DO and DOES

Do: do you [dә jә],

Do you want to go? [dә jә ˈwʌn ә goʊ]
Does: does she [dәz ʃi], Does she know? [dәz ʃi noʊ]

Helping verb does/do is reduced:

Why does he do that?
How do you feel?

THE
The [ði], the other [ði‿ˈjʌʒ әɹ], the earth [ði‿jɜɹθ]
The [ðә], the best [ðә‿bεst], the worst [ðә‿wɜɹst]
BECAUSE

Because – I missed the train because I overslept

https://rachelsenglish.com/pronounce-word-3/

because, because I’m [bɪˈkәz‿aɪm], because I’m tired, I don’t go to school

Other Reductions:
as, as I [әz‿aɪ], as I thought.
was, was he [wәz‿i], Was he there?
was, was good [wәz gʊd], It was good.