Consonant-vowel and vowel-consonant linking

• Linking (or Liaison)


  The connecting of the final sound of one word or syllable to the initial sound of the next
• Linking r


  1. In BrE (RP), and other non-rhotic accents, a word said in isolation never ends in [r]

  2. In connected speech a [r] may be pronounced in some cases if the next word begins with a vowel sound

  3. Typically happens with a word (syllable) that ends in one of the vowels, when the following word (syllable) begins with a vowel sound
• Linking r


  • In isolation, the RP form is [niə]
  • In a phrase such as near enough, it is usually pronounced [niər]
• Linking r


  The inserted r-sound corresponds to a historical /r/, now lost before a consonant or pause
• Linking C to V

  When a word or syllable ending in a single C (consonant) is followed by a word or syllable beginning with a V, the C is often produced intervocalically as if it belonged to both syllables
• Linking C to V

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• Resyllabification


  When a word or syllable terminating a consonant cluster is followed by a word or syllable commencing with a vowel, the final consonant of the cluster is often pronounced as part of the following syllable
• Resyllabification


  • lef/t arm, fin/d out
• Elongated consonants


  When two identical consonants come together there is one single, elongated articulation of the consonant
• Elongated consonants


  • Stop pushing - elongated [p:], bad dog - elongated [d:]
• Glottal stop


  A plosive made at the glottis by the vocal folds
• Functions of glottal stop


  1. Used as a way of adding emphasis to a syllable that begins with a vowel sound

  2. Used to separate adjacent vowel sounds in successive syllables

  3. Used as an allophone of the phoneme /t/ in certain positions (glottalling or glottal replacement)

  4. At the end of a syllable, especially before a consonant, can make certain sounds (/p/, /t/, /tʃ/,/tr/, /k/) stronger (glottal reinforcement)
• Glottal stop


  • In one pronunciation of underexpose, [Andǝik'spǝuz]
  • Instead of saying "butter" with a clear /t/, it might sound like "bu'er" with a brief pause
  • In "accurate" it might sound like "a'ccurate" with a little catch in the throat before the /k/ sound ( ['ækjurǝt]-['æ?kjurǝt])