Elision

Elision is the deletion of sounds (omission of phonemes) which occurs frequently in connected speech. The following are among many examples of elision in spoken English:

Elision of word final alveolar plosives /t/ and /d/ when preceded by a plosive or affricate and when followed by a word with an initial consonant.

• -p(t) They kept questioning me. / ðeɪ kep kwestjənɪŋ mi: /
  
  
• -p(t) I kept quiet. / aɪ kep kwaɪət /
  
  
• -k(t) She asked me out / ʃɪ ɑ:sk mɪ aʊt /
  
  
• -k(t) It looked familiar / ɪt lʊk fəmɪlɪə /
  
  
• -b(d) He robbed my house / hɪ rɒ maɪ haʊs /
  
  
• -m(d) It seemed fantastic / ɪt si:m fəntæstɪk /
  
  
• -ʧ(t) She watched me go / ʃɪ wɒʧ mɪ gəʊ /
  
  
• -ʤ(d) I changed buses / aɪ ʧeɪnʤ bʌsɪz /
  
  
• -ʤ(d) His trial was judged fairly / hɪz traɪl wəz ʤʌʤ feəlɪ

Elision of word final alveolar plosives /t/ and /d/ when preceded by a continuant and followed by a word with an initial consonant.

• -s(t) East London / i:s lʌndən /
  
  
• -s(t) West Street / wes stri:t /
  
  
• =f(t) lift shaft / lɪf ʃɑ:ft /
  
  
• -l(d) old map / əʊl mæp /
  
  
• -l(d) world leaders /wɜ:l li:dəz /
  
  
• -v(d) She lived beside the river /ʃɪ lɪv bɪsaɪd ðə rɪvə /

Simplification of a difficult consonant cluster

• (medial f) fifths / fɪθs /
  
  
• (medial f) twelfths / twelθs /

Loss of initial schwa / ə /

• not enough / nɒtn̩ nʌf /
  
  
• not alone / nɒtl̩ ləʊn /

Note the use of syllabic consonants /n/, /l/ and /m/ to replace the weak vowel schwa / ə / in a syllable of its own

Websites to practise many of the features of connected speech.

• Tim’s pronunciation workshop
  practice in elision (deleting a sound), assimilation (joining sounds to make a new sound), intrusion (adding an extra sound /r/ /w/ or /j/), geminates (twin sounds), long and short vowel sounds, and a lot more.
  
  
• Connected Speech
  practice in catenation (linking words), intrusion (adding an extra sound /r/ /w/ or /j/), elision (deleting a sound), assimilation (joining sounds to make a new sound) or geminates (twin sounds).
  
  
• Linking in connected speech - some of the linking features described above (American English).
  
  
• Linking in connected speech practice - some of the linking features described above (American English).