Relaxed Speech †
Your and you're aren't pronounced *yer if stressed.
your -> yer
you're -> yer
e.g)
Careful: Your mother's a really nice person.
Relaxed: Yer mother's a really nice person.
yours -> yers
e.g)
Careful: I love your job. Relaxed: I love yer job.
For doesn't become *fer if stressed or if it's not followed by another word. EXAMPLE:
Who's this for?
for -> fer
e.g)
Careful: I'm looking for a car.
Relaxed: I'm looking fer a car.
Of doesn't become *a if stressed, or if it's not followed by another word. EXAMPLE:
A: Is it 3:00?
B: No. It's ten of.
of -> a
e.g)
Careful: I've invited a lot of people.
Relaxed: I've invited a lot *a people.
You isn't pronounced *ya if stressed.
you -> ya
e.g)
Careful: Do you like the Internet?
Relaxed: Do *ya like the Internet?
Most native English speakers do not use the *-in' pronunciation for all -ing endings. The *-in' pronunciation is most often used with continuous verb tenses. The *-in' pronunciation is very informal.
-ing endings -> -in'
e.g)
Careful: I'm just looking around.
Relaxed: I'm just *lookin' around.
A related form, *Whadda, is used when What do is followed by either we or they. EXAMPLE:
Whadda we need?
Whadda they want?
What do you -> Whaddaya
What are you -> Whaddaya
e.g)
Careful: What are you doing this weekend?
Relaxed: *Whaddaya doin' this weekend?
want to -> wanna
e.g)
Careful: What do you want to do?
Relaxed: Whaddaya *wanna do?
The * gonna pronunciation isn't used when there's no verb following to. EXAMPLE:
I'm going to a movie.
going to + verb -> gonna
e.g)
Careful: Oh, are you going to pay our bills tonight?
Relaxed: Oh, are ya *gonna pay our bills tonight?
can -> kin
can't -> kant
e.g)
Careful: I can sing.
Relaxed: I *kin sing.
get -> git
e.g)
Careful: Can I get you some chicken soup, honey?
Relaxed: Kin I *git ya some chicken soup, honey?
To isn't pronounced *ta if it's stressed or if it's not followed by another word. EXAMPLE:
Who do I give it to?
to -> ta
e.g)
Careful: I'm going to the mall.
Relaxed: I'm goin' *ta the mall.
The reduced form *da is common after go. to isn't pronounced *da if stressed or if it's not followed by another word. EXAMPLE:
A: Kin ya fix this?
B: There's no way to.
to after a vowel sound -> da
e.g)
Careful: I want to go to Spain.
Relaxed: I wanna go *da Spain.
got to -> gotta
have to -> hafta
has to -> hasta
e.g)
Careful: I've got to find one first.
Relaxed: I've gotta find one first.
used to -> useta
supposed to -> supposta
e.g)
Careful: Manuel used to cook for you?
Relaxed: Manuel *useta cook fer you?
These pronunciations are not used when he, his, him, her, and them are stressed.
he -> 'e
his -> 'is
him -> 'im
her -> 'er
them -> 'em
e.g)
Careful: I want them to get them as soon as possible.
Relaxed: I want *'em ta git *'em as soon as possible.
And isn't pronounced *'n' if stressed.
and -> 'n'
e.g)
Careful: Myself, my husband, and two children.
Relaxed: Myself, my husband, *'n' two children.
Or isn't pronounced *er if stressed.
or -> er
e.g)
Careful: The park or a restaurant?
Relaxed: The park *er a restaurant?
don't know -> donno
e.g)
Careful: I don't know what classes to take next semester.
Relaxed: I *donno what classes ta take next semester.
/t/ + XXX †
/t/ + you -> cha
/t/ + your -> cher
/t/ + you're -> cher
e.g)
Careful: Can't you find an apartment?
Relaxed: Kant *cha find an apartment?
/d/ + you -> ja
/d/ + your -> jer
e.g)
Careful: Could you come into the kitchen?
Relaxed: Could *ja come into the kitchen?
Deletion of Initial /h/ †
What have you can also become *Whaddaya. A related form, *Whadda, can be used when What have is followed by either we or they. EXAMPLE:
Whadda they done?
Wh- question words + have -> 'ave
Wh- question words + has -> 'as
Wh- question words + had -> 'ad
e.g)
Careful: Where has your sister been?
Relaxed: Where *'as yer sister been?
Deletion of Initial /h/ †
Although Subject * *'ave can be pronounced *of, have doesn't reduce further to *a.
Subject + have -> 'ave
Subject + has -> 'as
Subject + had -> 'ad
haven't -> 'aven't
hasn't -> 'asn't
hadn't -> 'adn't
e.g)
Careful: I have a terrible backache.
Relaxed: I *'ave a terrible backache.
The pronunciations *shoulda, *coulda, etc. are very informal.
should + have + past participle -> shoulda
could + have + past participle -> coulda
would + have + past participle -> woulda
must + have + past participle -> musta
may + have + past participle -> maya
might + have + past participle -> mighta
shouldn't + have + past participle -> shouldna
wouldn't + have + past participle -> wouldna
e.g)
Careful: You could have gotten directions ahead of time.
Relaxed: Ya *coulda gotten directions ahead a time.
Very Informal Reduction †
Whacha is more informal than Whaddaya.
Whacha is occasionally used for What do you.
What are you -> Whacha
e.g)
Careful: What are you doing this afternoon?
Relaxed: *Whacha doin' this afternoon?
Very Informal Reduction †
Lemme and gimme are very informal.
let me -> lemme
give me -> gimme
e.g)
Careful: Let me show you this light brown.
Relaxed: *Lemme show ya this light brown.
Deletion of Syllables †
'Bout, 'cause, and c'mon are very informal.
about -> 'bout
because -> 'cause
come on -> c'mon
e.g)
Careful: About thirty or forty minutes.
Relaxed: *'bout thirty er forty minutes.
Deletion of Words in Questions †
These forms are very informal. We can delete the first one or two words of these questions. EXAMPLE:
Do you want some popcorn?
Ya want some popcorn? OR Want some popcorn?
Have you seen any good movies?
Ya seen any good movies? OR Seen any good movies?
Do you want some ... -> Whant some ...
Are you going to see ... -> Gonna see ...
Would you like to ... -> Like to ...
Have you seen the ... -> Seen the ...
e.g)
Careful: Have you seen any good shows for kids lately?
Relaxed: *Seen any good shows fer kids lately?
Unusual Contractions †
What are -> What're
What will -> What'll
Where are -> Where're
Where will -> Where'll
Why are -> Why're
Why will -> Why'll
e.g)
Careful: What are you doing?
Relaxed: *What're ya doin'?
Unusual Contractions †
Who are -> Who're
Who will -> Who'll
When are -> When're
When will -> When'll
How are -> How're
How will -> How'll
e.g)
Careful: How will we get this box inside of the house?
Relaxed: *How'll we git this box inside a the house?
この記事の内容は↓の書籍の抜粋です。とてもためになりました。
まさに学校じゃ教えてくれない！
