WEAK FORMS

Most prepositions and conjunctions have two different pronunciations: what is called a "strong form" and a "weak form".

Basically and without intending to give a course on Phonetics a preposition such as  for ex: for has at least these two different pronunciations.

/fo:/ and /fə/ being the last pronunciation  the one we are going to study here as it is the one used ,in rapid speech ,to join words.

EXERCISE

Look at the following groups of words. Listen to the recording and notice how the middle word is pronounced with a /ə/ . Practise saying the phrases.

 

 

a cup          milk
a pair   of   jeans
a kind        fish

 

something          drink
ready         to     go
things                 do
problems            work
stay          at       home
dinner                eight

gin               tonic
fish     and    chips
rock             roll

 

a table          four
late       for   work
food             thought