FAST ENGLISH The 1 Secret is REDUCTIONS
How do Americans do it?
How do they speak so quickly but still sound natural and are still easily understood by other native speakers?
Well, it’s because of something
called reductions.
American English is full of them, and today, we’ve invited standout Rachel’s English teacher, Tom Kelly,
to teach you and show you some reductions,
and not just a single reduction, but
several reductions in a row.
For example, how does the phrase ‘because it was a’ become: because it was a–?
How does it become that?
How does that sound natural? How does
that work in American English?
That’s what we’re going to study today.
Now first, I want to make sure you know
this is not lazy English,
this is not only conversational English,
this is even English that you might use in
a more formal setting.
All of the examples that Tom is going to use today are from either a TED Talk or an interview.
So a more formal situation, then just a
conversation with a friend.
We’re going to have Tom take it over in just a second,
but before we do, please subscribe with notifications if you haven’t already.
We make new videos on the English language every Tuesday and we love to see you back here again.
Okay, Tom. Take it away.
Hi! I’m Tom Kelly, a Rachel’s English teacher with Rachel’s English Academy.
Here at Rachel’s English, we talk about the rhythm and intonation of English all the time.
We hope non-native speakers hear the
music of English
so they can speak the language with
more accuracy and consistency,
helping them sound more like native speakers of the language.
If you’re someone who wants to know how to speak faster English but still be understood
and sound natural, this is a video for you.
One aspect of creating the music of American English
is making sure you have unstressed and stressed syllables in your speech
and that there is a clear contrast
between the two.
The unstressed syllables will be short and quick and produced with less vocal energy,
and the stressed syllables will be longer.
They’ll use the shape of stress and are produced with more vocal energy.
One of the things that helps create
better contrast
between your stressed and
unstressed syllables
is using reductions.
Now, Rachel has lots of
videos on reduction.
reduction is when we reduce the sounds
of a function word, words like:
the, of, for, your, and others, and don’t say them fully.
for example, ‘the’ is often pronounced as:
the, the, as in: she’s the best.
the, the. she’s the best.
‘Of’ is pronounced: of– or even just: uh,
uh– with a dropped V.
here’s a sentence with both of those
reductions of the word ‘of’.
I’ll take one of all of them.
I’ll take one of all of them.
‘For’ and ‘your’, both reduced down to just
an unstressed R vowel.
For, your. This is for your birthday.
This is for your birthday.
For your, for your.
What’s amazing about reduction is that native speakers use it all the time.
But if you ask them about it, they probably
don’t even know they’re doing it.
It is such a natural part of their speech they don’t even recognize it.
In fact, Rachel has received comments from native speakers on some of her reduction videos
saying that she’s teaching incorrect English, that reductions are only used in casual, lazy English.
But we guarantee that any native speaker
of English who does not use reductions
will actually sound overly formal and may
even be harder to understand.
Today, I’m going to demonstrate how reductions are used in a variety of American English speech.
Even in formal environments.
We’re going to take a look at a few common phrases and see how we reduce the function words
in order to sound more natural and create the music of American English.
So let’s get started.
First up, the phrase: for the, or: for the, for the.
This two-word phrase, two function words, is very often pronounced as ‘for the–’
in both casual and more formal situations.
Pronounced fully, these two words would sound like: for the– for the– but reduced, they become:
for the– F consonant, unstressed R vowel, voiced TH consonant and schwa.
For the– for the–
Here are some examples from TED talks and speeches where the speakers use this reduction.
We’ve got to keep fighting for the dignity of every veteran.
Did you hear the reduction?
For the– fighting for the dignity of every veteran.
Let’s listen again.
We’ve got to keep fighting for the dignity of every veteran.
For the–
for the dignity of every veteran.
We’ve got to keep fighting for the dignity of every veteran.
And that’s the President of the United States.
Now, here’s another one.
Or do you want me to hire the best person for the job?
Best person for the job.
For the– for the–
Or do you want me to hire the best person for the job?
For the– for the job?
Or do you want me to hire the best person for the job?
Okay, here are three more.
Teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.
For the–
for the vast and endless sea.
Teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.
But a hundred and fifty, you can read over and over for the rest of your life.
For the–
for the rest of your life.
But a hundred and fifty, you can read over and over for the rest of your life.
They do fill certain gaps in skills and knowledge that are good for the overall economy.
For the–
for the overall economy.
They do fill certain gaps in skills and knowledge that are good for the overall economy.
So obviously, for the– is used very commonly in formal speech as well as casual English.
Now, let’s take a look at the three-word
phrase ‘and in the’.
Pronounced fully, it would sound like this:
and in the– and in the–
but it’s almost never spoken like this in any circumstance.
Usually, all of these words are spoken quickly,
and, reduces to a schwa sound followed
by an N consonant, and, and.
The D is usually dropped.
The in, IN, becomes just a quick N consonant.
And in, and in, and in.
Or unstressed IH as in sit vowel followed
by an N consonant.
And in, and in, and in.
And ‘the’ reduces the same way, it reduces in ‘for the’. The, the, and in the– and in the– and in the–
Let’s hear some examples of this reduction in more formal environments.
Of what we have to do to meet this challenge.
And in the years ahead we will need an all-out global commitment to clean air.
And in the years ahead–
and in the–
Do you hear those three quick unstressed syllables?
And in the– and in the–
And in the–
and in the years ahead of what we have to do to meet this challenge.
And in the years ahead we will need an all-out global commitment to clean air.
Here’s another one.
You have to find the younger rocks of the Mesozoic. And in the case of dinosaurs, between 235
and 66 million years ago.
This one is very fast.
And in the– and in the–
And in the–
and in the case of dinosaurs between 235–
You have to find the younger rocks of the Mesozoic.
And in the case of dinosaurs, between 235 and 66 million years ago.
Okay, here are a few more examples of ‘and in the’ reduction in formal speech.
And in the fight against poverty, we’re treating governments–
And in the— And in the fight against poverty–
And in the fight against poverty, we’re treating governments–
So I was always gone a lot and in the book, I actually say that my youngest son drew me as a laptop.
And in the–
and in the book, I actually say that my youngest son drew me as a laptop.
So I was always gone a lot and in the book, I actually say that my youngest son drew me as a laptop.
And that is a really useful practice in
small and in the big.
And in the– and in the big.
And that is a really useful practice in
small and in the big.
Let’s take a listen to a few commonly
reduced and combined words.
Very often, ‘going to’ reduces to: gonna, gonna.
‘Want to’ reduces to: wanna, wanna.
And ‘got to’ reduces to: gotta, gotta.
This doesn’t just happen in casual speech.
Let’s take a look at some examples from
formal situations.
Here is ‘going to’ pronounced as: gonna, gonna.
Then they’re probably not going to want to
listen to me doing breathe.
Notice in that one we actually have
‘gonna’ and ‘wanna’.
Then they’re probably not going to want to
listen to me doing breathe.
Gonna–
Wanna–
Going to want to listen to me–
Then they’re probably not going to want to listen to me doing breathe.
Now here’s a few more.
We’re going to see more cancer.
Gonna–
we’re going to see more cancer.
That all of those people who had adored eat, pray, love,
were going to be incredibly disappointed in whatever i wrote next.
Gonna–
were going to be incredibly disappointed in whatever i wrote next.
That all of those people who had adored eat, pray, love,
were going to be incredibly disappointed in whatever i wrote next.
Now let’s listen to examples of the
reduction of ‘want to’, wanna.
There are some in Washington who want
to shut them down.
Wanna– wanna shut them down.
There are some in Washington who want
to shut them down.
Connected to all the different places they want to be.
Wanna– want to be.
Connected to all the different places they want to be.
In order to live the lives that we say we want to live.
Wanna– wanna live.
In order to live the lives that we say we want to live.
And now ‘got to’ as ‘gotta’.
In this environment today, we’ve got to
think of it all as one piece.
Gotta–
gotta think of it all as one piece.
In this environment today, we’ve got to think of it all as one piece.
If you want exponential growth, then you’ve got to be able to experience exponential productivity.
Gotta–got to be able to experience exponential productivity.
If you want exponential growth, then you’ve got to be able to experience exponential productivity.
And what can be accomplished in business, but we’ve got to have leadership.
Gotta–
And what can be accomplished in business, but we’ve got to have leadership.
And what can be accomplished in business, but we’ve got to have leadership.
Okay so hopefully by now it’s clear that reductions are not just used in casual conversations.
They’re a part of the music of American
English in all situations.
From the boardroom, to interviews, to
speeches, to offices, and on and on.
They’re a part of American English.
Just for fun, here are a few more examples.
Here’s the phrase: because it was a. Or reduced: because it was a– because it was a–
And when I was in business school I’d asked my
instructors because it was a big business school and there was, it was always about big business.
Notice she reduces each of these function words and links them all together,
saying them very quickly.
Because it was a– because it was a–
Because it was a–
because it was a big business school.
And when I was in business school I’d asked my instructors because it was a big business school
and there was, it was always about big business.
Here’s another example of: because it was a– being reduced.
Remember the TV show that was shot down by NBC because it was a show about nothing?
Because it was a–
because it was a a show about nothing?
Remember the TV show that was shot down by NBC because it was a show about nothing?
Here’s one more and see if you can hear how this one reduces even further.
But the reason she was unavailable to speak with me is that she was out for a hike
because it was a beautiful spring morning.
In this one, the word ‘because’ reduces all the way down to just: cuz, cuz– The first syllable is completely dropped.
And this is on stage, in front of an audience, and everyone still understands her.
Because it was a– because it was a–
But the reason she was unavailable to speak with me is that she was out for a hike
because it was a beautiful spring morning.
Because it was a–
because it was a beautiful spring morning.
But the reason she was unavailable to speak with me is that she was out for a hike
because it was a beautiful spring morning.
Okay, this is actually very fun for me.
I love reductions. Let’s do a couple more.
Here are examples of the phrase: that it was a–
reduced down to: that it was a– that it was a–
And concluded that it was a match.
That it was a– that it was a match.
And concluded that it was a match.
Well, they explained to me that it was a new Department
that had just been formed at Harvard where you could get a phd in the history of science.
That it was a– that it was a new Department–
Well, they explained to me that it was a new Department
that had just been formed at Harvard where you could get a phd in the history of science.
You know the historians tell us that it was a uniquely American idea.
That it was a– that it was a uniquely American idea.
You know the historians tell us that it was a uniquely American idea.
This is incredible.
We just heard so many examples of reductions and all of them were in more formal environments.
It really does happen all the time in American English.
Start listening for this in the English you
hear around you.
Listen for it in TV shows and movies and
office meetings.
The more you start hearing it,
the more you’ll be able to start using it
in your own speech to enhance the musicality of your American English.
I used Youglish.com to pull these clips
that I used in this video.
It’s a great resource to use when practicing your pronunciation.
Rachel actually made a video a while ago
on how to use Youglish.com
and I’m going to link to that video at the
end of this video.
That’s it for now. Happy reducing!
And thank you for using Rachel’s English.
Tom, thank you so much. Here’s that
video he mentioned on how to use Youglish
Please subscribe if you haven’t already.
We make new videos on the English language every Tuesday, and we’d love to have you back.
That’s it and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.