Reduced forms in common American pronunciation
mostly adapted from <www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/8995/relaxed.html>
You won’t understand Americans unless you recognize these informal forms. They will
understand you whether you use these forms or a dictionary’s. Don’t use these in a lecture.
Key to my spellings
A: as in HAT, THAT, MAP
a: the vowel sound in the word THE;
the most unstressed and short
vowel sound possible; the sound
that is represented by an upsidedown “e” in a dictionary’s spelling of
pronunciation; a schwa
AH: as in STOP, NOT, ROCK
O: as in BUCK, LOVE, NONE
OH: as in GO, TOE, ROW
U: as in PUT, FOOT, GOOD
OO: as in YOU, WHO, BLUE
IGH: as in WHY, BUY, HIGH
D (when it replaces a “T,” as it
does between 2 vowels if the first
is stressed): Only the very tip of the
tongue-tip taps your alveolus– and
for less time than in a real D. Feel
this with your mouth closed.
----------------------------------------
JAV = DID YOU HAVE
JAV a good time?
HAFTa = HAVE TO
I HAFTa go to the bathroom.
GAHDa = HAVE GOT TO
Sorry, I GAHDa go now.
WAHNa = WANT TO
I WAHNa stop now.
Fa / FUR = FOR
She did that work Fa nothing.
YOOSTa = USED TO(as an aux. v)
She YOOSTa come here often.
a = OF
That’s enough a that.
SHUDa = SHOULD HAVE
You SHUDa told me he was your
boyfriend!!
aLAHDa = A LOT OF
I have aLAHDa friends.
WUDa = WOULD HAVE
I WUDa gone, but it was raining.
CUDa = COULD HAVE
You CUDa come with us; we had
a car.
Da = TO
Try Da hurry.
MIGHDa = MIGHT HAVE
You MIGHDa gotten sick.
Y’ / Ya = YOU
Y’know / Ya know what I mean?
SHUJa, WUJa, CUJa = SHOULD
YOU, WOULD YOU, COULD YOU
SHUJa, WUJa, CUJa redo it?
Ja / DIJa = DID YOU
Ja / DIJa ever lose your keys?
WOJa = WHAT DID YOU
WOJa do over the weekend?
WODaYa/WOTCHa=WHAT DO
YOU
WODaYa / WOTCHa have there?
WOTCHa/WODaYa=WHAT ARE
YOU
WOTCHa/WODaYa drinkin’?
WOTCHER = WHAT IS YOUR
WOTCHER name?
JAV = DO YOU HAVE
JAV a minute?
LEMEE = LET ME
LEMEE show you something!
GIMEE = GIVE ME
GIMEE a few minutes to think it
over.
SHUDaNa, WUDaNa, CUDaNa =
SH…N’T,W…N’T,COULDN’T HAVE
You SH…, W…, CUDaNa eaten it.
AHR = OUR
AHR car is parked far away.
’NKYOO = THANK YOU
’NKYOO very much!
GUNa = GOING TO
I'm GUNa write to you.
Ta = TO
It’s hard Ta remember.
YUR = YOUR
YUR money or YUR life!
MELP / MaELP you, Sir?
CaN = CAN
How CaN I help you?
CAN = CAN’T
Sorry, I CAN help you.
DOHN = DON’T
I DOHN care what they think.
DUNOH = DON'T KNOW
Does she like you? –I DUNOH.
CUZ = BECAUSE
I did it CUZ he told me to.
TSKOH = LET'S GO
TSKOH to the movies!
TSOP = WHAT'S UP?
TSOP, Mike?
PRAHLY = PROBABLY
He’s PRAHLY at work now.
MELP / MaELP = MAY I HELP
KIGHNa / KIGHNDa = KIND OF
You look KIGHNa / KIGHNDa off.
SORDa = SORT OF
It was SORDa unethical to do it.
ADa / OUDA = OUT OF
Get ADa / OUDA my car!
SOaM = SOMETHING
I wish I had SOaM Ta do.
Homework:
Re a d e a c h f o r m t o a n
A m e r ic a n . A s k h im / h e r t o
g u e s s it s d ic t io n a r y f o r m .
W r it e a d a s h b e f o r e a n y
s / h e c a n ’ t c o r r e c t ly g u e s s .
Put an extra dash before
any s/he can’t guess even
after you then spell it.
Un d e r li n e a n y s / h e c l a i m s
is n ’ t A m e r i c a n .
OUT-TAKE:
SaM = SOME
JAV SaM more?
Alternative OUT-TAKES from HW ass’t:
together with his/her comment; s/he dictates it and you write it.
Hand in his/her choice, together with his/her verbatim comment.
Relaxed Pronunciation: Reduced forms in American pronunciation
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/8995/relaxed.html
Name of the page at the above URL: Relaxed Pronunciation
INGLES ONLINE PRESENTS:
Forewarning: All languages have spoken forms which are unacceptable when written but
completely acceptable when spoken. That's why I think it is so important to alert your students
to the differences between the written and spoken forms. To not do so is a great disservice to
your students, as 99% of the time, be it in videos, presentations or talking with native speakers,
they will hear Relaxed Pronunciation. Of course, I am not encouraging neither you nor your
students to use Relaxed Pronunciation all the time. It's really up to you and of course you
should really be selective when it comes to sound very informal. (The context will help you
determine the appropriate time. Above all, be sensible. Have fun and enjoy the list!
[I (DM) changed the phonetic spelling system and some of the other info
and added a few entries.]