Exercise 1-53: Reduced Sounds CD 2 Track 26
Read aloud from the right-hand column. The intonation is marked for you.
To Looks Like... Sounds Like...
today [t'day]
The preposition to tonight [t'night]
usually reduces so tomorrow [t'mrou]
much that it's like to work [t'wrk]
dropping the vowel. to school [t' school]
Use a t' or t to the store [t' th' store]
sound to replace We have to go now. [we hft go no]
to. He went to work [he went work]
They hope to find it. [they houpt fine dit]
I can't wait to find out. [i cn(t)wai(t)t fine dot]
We don't know what to do. [we dont know w'(t)t' do]
Don't jump to conclusions. [dont j'm t' c'ncloozh'nz]
To be or not to be... [t'bee(y)r nt t' bee]
He didn't get to go. [he din ge(t)t gou]
If that same to He told me to help. [he told meed help]
follows a vowel
sound, it will She told you to get it. [she tol jood geddit]
become d' or d. I go to work [ai goud wrk]
at a quarter to two [d kworder d two]
The only way to get it is... [thee(y)only wayd geddidiz]
You've got to pay to get it. [yoov gdd payd geddit]
We plan to do it. [we pln d do it]
Let's go to lunch. [lets goud lunch]
The score was 4 ~ 6 [th' score w'z for d six]
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Exercise 1-53: Reduced Sounds continued CD 2 Track 26
To Looks Like... Sounds Like...
It's the only way to do it. [its thee(y)ounly weid do
(w) 't]
So to speak... [soda speak]
I don't know how to say it. [i don(t)know hwd say(y)
it]
Go to page 8. [goud pay jate]
Show me how to get it. [show me hod geddit]
You need to know when to do [you nee(d)d nou wend do
it. (w) it]
Who's to blame? [hooz d blame]
At We're at home. [wirt home]
At is just the I'll see you at lunch. [iyl see you(w)t
opposite of to. It's a lunch]
small grunt followed Dinner's at five. [d'nnerz (t) five]
by a reduced [t]. Leave them at the door. [leevm th door] (t)
The meeting's at one. [th' meeding z't w'n]
He's at the post office. [heez the poussdffs]
(t)
They're at the bank. [thεr th' bnk]
(t)
I'm at school. [im school] (t)
If at is followed by a I'll see you at eleven. [iyl see you(w)d
vowel sound, it will lεv'n]
become 'd or d. He's at a meeting. [heez' d meeding]
She laughed at his idea. [she lf ddi zy deey]
One at a time [wnd time]
We got it at an auction. [we gdidd nksh'n]
The show started at eight. [th' show stardd date]
The dog jumped out at us. [th' dg jump do dds]
I was at a friend's house. [i w'z'd' frenz hos]
It Can you do it? [k'niu do(w)'t]
It and at sound the Give it to me. [g'v'(t)t' me]
same in context — Buy it tomorrow. [bi(y) (t) t' mrrow]
['t] It can wait. ['t c' n wait]
Read it twice. [ree d'(t)twice]
Forget about it! [frgedd' bodit]
...and they both turn Give it a try. [givid try]
to 'd or d between
vowels or voiced Let it alone. [ledid lone]
consonants. Take it away. [tay kida way]
I got it in London. [i gdidin l'nd'n]
What is it about? [w'd'z'd'bot]
Let's try it again. [lets try'd' gen]
Look! There it is! [lük there'd'z]
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Exercise 1-53; Reduced Sounds continued CD 2 Track 26
For Looks Like... Sounds Like...
This is for you. [th's'z fr you]
It's for my friend. [ts fr my friend]
A table for four, please. [ table fr four, pleeze]
We planned it for later. [we plan dit fr layd'r]
For example, for instance [fregg zmple] [frin st'nss]
What is this for? [w'd'z this for] (for is not reduced at
What did you do it for? [w'j' do(w)it for] the end of a sentence)
Who did you get it for? [hoojya geddit for]
From It's from the IRS. [ts frm thee(y)i(y) ress]
I'm from Arkansas. [im fr'm rk' ns]
There's a call from Bob. [therz cll fr'm Bb]
This letter's from Alaska! [this ledderz frm lsk]
Who's it from? [hoozit frm]
Where are you from? [wher'r you frm]
In It's in the bag. [tsin th bg]
What's in it? [w'ts'n't]
I'll be back in a minute. [iyl be bk'n m'n't]
This movie? Who's in it? [this movie ... hooz'n't]
Come in. [c 'min]
He's in America. [heez'n n mεrk]
An He's an American. [heez'n mεrkn]
I got an A in English. [i gdd nay ih ninglish]
He got an F in Algebra. [hee gdd neffinl jbr]
He had an accident. [he hd nksd'nt]
We want an orange. [we want'n nornj]
He didn't have an excuse. [he didnt hv neks kyooss]
I'll be there in an instant. [i(y)'l be there in ninstnt]
It's an easy mistake to make. [its neezee m' stake t' make]
And ham and eggs [hm neggz]
bread and butter [bredn buddr]
Coffee? With cream and sugar? [kffee ... with creem'n sh'g'r]
No, lemon and sugar. [nou ... lem'n'n sh'g'r]
... And some more cookies? ['n smore cükeez]
They kept going back and forth. [they kep going bkn forth]
We watched it again and again. [we wch did gen'n' gen]
He did it over and over. [he di di dover nover]
We learned by trial and error. [we lrnd by trytnerr]
Exercise 1-53: Reduced Sounds continued CD 2 Track 26
Or Looks Like... Sounds Like...
Soup or salad? [super salad]
now or later [n(w)r laydr]
more or less [mor'r less]
left or right [lefter right]
For here or to go? [f'r hir'r d'go]
Are you going up or down? [are you going úpper dwn]
This is an either / or question (Up? Down?) Notice how the intonation is different from
"Cream and sugar?", which is a yes / no question.
Are What are you doing? [w'dr you doing]
Where are you going? [wer'r you going]
What're you planning on doing? [w'dr yü planning n doing]
How are you? [hwr you]
Those are no good. [thozer no good]
How are you doing? [hwer you doing]
The kids are still asleep. [the kidzer still sleep]
Your How's your family? [hozhier fmlee]
Where're your keys? [wher'r y'r keez]
You're American, aren't you? [yr mer'k'n, arn choo]
Tell me when you're ready. [tell me wen yr reddy]
Is this your car? [izzis y'r cr]
You're late again, Bob. [yer lay d gen, Bb]
Which one is yours? [which w'n'z y'rz]
One Which one is better? [which w'n'z bedder]
One of them is broken. [w'n'v'm'z brok'n]
I'll use the other one. [l yuz thee(y)ther w'n]
I like the red one, Edwin. [i like the redw'n, edw'n]
That's the last one. [thts th' lass dw'n]
The next one'll be better. [the necks dw'n'll be bedd'r]
Here's one for you. [hir zw'n f'r you]
Let them go one by one. [led'm gou w'n by w'n]
The It's the best. [ts th' best]
What's the matter? [w'ts th' madder]
What's the problem? [w'ts prbl'm]
I have to go to the bathroom. [i hf t' go d' th' bthroom]
Who's the boss around here? [hooz bss srond hir]
Give it to the dog. [g'v'(t)t th' dg]
Put it in the drawer. [püdidin th' dror]
Exercise 1-53: Reduced Sounds continued CD 2 Track 26
A Looks Like... Sounds Like...
It's a present. [ts preznt]
You need a break. [you need break]
Give him a chance. [g'v'm chns]
Let's get a new pair of shoes. [lets gedd new per shooz]
Can I have a Coke, please? [c'nai hv kouk, pleez]
Is that a computer? [izzd k'mpyoodr]
Where's a public telephone? [wherz pblic telfoun]
Of It's the top of the line. [ts tp'v th' line]
It's a state of the art printer. [ts stay d thee(y)rt prinner]
As a matter of fact, ... [z'mdder fkt]
Get out of here. [geddow d hir]
Practice all of the time. [prkt'sll'v th' time]
Today's the first of May. [t'dayz th' frss d'v May]
What's the name of that movie? [w'ts th' nay m'v tht movie]
That's the best of all! [thts th' bess d'vll]
some of them [smvm]
all of them [llvm]
most of them [mosdvm]
none of them [nnvm]
any of them [ennyvm]
the rest of them [th' resdvm]
Can Can you speak English? [k'new spee kinglish]
I can only do it on Wednesday. [i k'nonly du(w)idn wenzday]
A can opener can open cans. [ knopener k'nopen knz]
Can I help you? [k'ni hel piu]
Can you do it? [k'niu do(w)'t]
We can try it later. [we k'n try it layder]
I hope you can sell it. [i hou piu k'n sell't]
No one can fix it. [nou w'n k'n fick sit]
Let me know if you can find it. [lemme no(w)'few k'n fine dit]
Had Jack had had enough. [jk'd hd' n'f]
Bill had forgotten again. [bil'd frga(t)n n gen]
What had he done to deserve it? [w'd'dee d'nd'd' zr vit]
We'd already seen it. [weedl reddy see nit]
He'd never been there. [heed never bin there]
Had you ever had one? [h'jou(w)ever hdw'n]
Where had he hidden it? [wer dee hidn●nit]
Bob said he'd looked into it. [bb sedeed lükdin tu(w)it]
Exercise 1 -53: Reduced Sounds continued CD 2 Track 26
Would Looks Like... Sounds Like...
He would have helped, if ... [he wuda help dif ...]
Would he like one? [woody lye kw'n]
Do you think he'd do it? [dyiu thing keed du(w)'t]
Why would I tell her? [why wüdi teller]
We'd see it again, if... [weed see(y)idgen, if...]
He'd never be there on time. [heed never be thern time]
Would you ever have one? [w'jou(w)ever hvw'n]
Was He was only trying to help. [he w'zounly trying d help]
Mark was American. [mr kw'z'mer'k'n]
Where was it? [wer w'z't]
How was it? [how'z't]
That was great! [tht w'z great]
Who was with you? [hoow'z with you]
She was very clear. [she w'z very clear]
When was the war of 1812? [wen w'z th' wor'v ei(t)teen twelv]
What What time is it? [w't tye m'z't]
What's up? [w'ts'p]
What's on your agenda? [w'tsnyr jend]
What do you mean? [w'd'y' mean]
What did you mean? [w'j'mean]
What did you do about it? [w'j' du(w)bodit]
What took so long? [w't tük so lng]
What do you think of this? [w'ddy thing k'v this]
What did you do then? [w'jiu do then]
I don't know what he wants. [I dont know wdee wnts]
Some Some are better than others. [s'mr beddr thntherz]
There are some leftovers. [ther'r s'm lef doverz]
Let's buy some ice cream. [let spy s' mice creem]
Could we get some other ones? [kwee get s 'mother w'nz]
Take some of mine. [take smv mine]
Would you like some more? [w' joo like s'more]
(or very casually) [jlike smore]
Do you have some ice? [dyü hv smice]
Do you have some mice? [dyü hv smice]
"You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." [yuk'n fool
sm th peepl sm th time, b'choo knt fool llth peepl llth time]
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