Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • Hi, I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation workshop.

  • Here, I'm gonna show you how English is really spoken. It'll help you become a better listener

  • and a more fluent speaker. Come on, let's go inside.

  • Now, when we speak English fluently, the sounds in words can join together, change or even

  • disappear entirely. Sometimes more than one of these can happen. Take this, for example.

  • Now, I'm sure you know what it is, but let's ask the people of London:

  • Now, the word 'sandwich' has an /n/ followed

  • by a /d/, doesn't it? Or does it? Listen again: what sound can you hear?

  • Instead of 'sandwich', we hear 'samwich'.

  • That's pretty crazy, right! So, what is going on? Well, first the /d/ disappears in between

  • two consonants. You might remember this from our video on elision. So 'sandwich' becomes

  • 'sanwich'. Now, we have an /n/ followed by a /w/, and /n/ changes to /m/ before /w/.

  • You might remember this from our video on assimilation. So 'sandwich' becomes 'samwich'.

  • Have another look, this time in slow motion. Watch the shape of the mouth. Can you see

  • /nd/ or /m/?

  • Pretty cool, huh? Here are some more examples:

  • Ok, so you've heard the examples, and now

  • it's your turn. Are you ready? Listen and repeat.

  • Well done. Remember if you want to see more

  • on pronunciation please visit our website: bbclearningenglish.com. That's about it from

  • the pronunciation workshop for now. I'll see you soon. Bye. Now, where did I put that sandwich?

  • It was handmade, just for me.

Hi, I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation workshop.

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it