8. Linking Sounds for Fluid Speech

Linking sounds, or connecting words smoothly, creates a natural flow in speech. This technique involves blending consonants and vowels across word boundaries, making speech sound fluid and connected.

8.1 Linking Consonants to Vowels

Description: When a word ending in a consonant is followed by a word starting with a vowel, the sounds link together smoothly, making the two words sound like a single unit.

Exercises:

• Consonant-to-Vowel Drill: Practice linking in phrases like “pick up” (“pi-kup”) and “read it” (“rea-dit”), focusing on connecting the consonant at the end of the first word with the vowel at the beginning of the next.

• Word Pair Practice: Create a list of word pairs that link consonants to vowels, such as “live in,” “come over,” and “take off.” Practice saying each pair quickly and fluidly to create a smooth transition.

8.2 Linking Similar Sounds

Description: When two similar consonant sounds appear at the end of one word and the start of the next (e.g., “big game”), they blend together, often resulting in a single elongated sound.

Exercises:

• Double Consonant Practice: Practice linking phrases like “big game” and “nice song,” focusing on blending the sounds into a single smooth sound.

• Extended Sound Drill: Take word pairs with similar consonants, such as “best time” or “quick catch,” and practice elongating the sound slightly, making it feel continuous without a pause.

8.3 Linking Consonants in Speech

Description: Linking consonants across word boundaries creates a fluid, uninterrupted sound. When a word ends in a consonant sound and the next word starts with a consonant, the sounds should blend seamlessly.

Exercises:

• Consonant-to-Consonant Drill: Practice with phrases like “fast car,” “smart choice,” and “next door.” Focus on reducing any break between the consonants and making them flow smoothly.

• Tongue Twister Practice: Use tongue twisters, such as “She sells sea shells,” to improve fluidity in connecting consonant sounds, especially when they are repeated across words.

8.4 Linking Vowels for Fluency

Description: When one word ends in a vowel and the next word starts with a vowel, a gliding sound (such as /w/ or /j/) is often inserted to connect the words naturally.

Exercises:

• Vowel Linking Practice: Use phrases like “go on” or “see it” and practice inserting a subtle gliding sound to bridge the vowels (“go-won,” “see-yit”).

• Continuous Vowel Practice: Choose pairs like “I am” and “no idea,” and practice linking the vowels smoothly with a gliding sound, experimenting with different speeds for better control.

8.5 Linking Smiling Vowels

Description: Smiling vowels, or front vowels (like /i/ in “see” or /e/ in “say”), can be connected with a subtle /j/ sound to make transitions between words smoother.

Exercises:

• Smiling Vowel Drill: Practice with phrases like “we are” or “they enter.” Add a slight /j/ glide between the words to keep the connection smooth, making it sound like “we-y-are” or “they-y-enter.”

• Sentence Practice: Use sentences with frequent smiling vowel connections, like “He is always early” and “She isn’t here yet.” Focus on inserting the /j/ glide where appropriate.

8.6 Linking Rounded Vowels

Description: Rounded vowels (like /o/ in “go” or /u/ in “too”) can be connected with a slight /w/ sound to maintain fluency when followed by another vowel sound.

Exercises:

• Rounded Vowel Linking: Practice phrases like “you are” and “to all.” Insert a subtle /w/ sound to bridge the words, resulting in “you-war” and “to-wall.”

• Smooth Sentence Practice: Use sentences with rounded vowels at word boundaries, such as “Go over there” and “Do all you can.” Add the /w/ glide as needed for a fluid sound.