Linking

Linking

          Linking of sound segments of a word with another in connected / rapid speech is natural and often occurs without the knowledge of speakers.  In the examples above ‘butter and bread | hope of life |  a bunch of grapes’, you see the link of speech sounds in connected / rapid speech. The sound segment /r/ before a vowel will make the sound /r/ especially prominent.  In other cases, /r/ is added to link the vowel sound segments of two words.  For examples:

          their aunts

          her aim

          doctor and nurse

          your idea

          media operation               /mi:dIə ɒpreIʃn/     /'mi:ˌdIəˌrɒ'preIˌʃn/

          criteria and others             /kraItIrIə ən Λðəz/   /ˌkraI'tIˌrIˌrən'Λðəz/

          two arms                         /tu: a:ms/       /'tu:ˌra:ms/

          free activities                             /fri: ӕktIvətIz/        /ˌfri:ˌrӕk'tIˌvəˌtIz/

          free English lessons            /fri: IŋglIʃ lesn/     /ˌfri:'rIŋˌglIʃ'leˌsn/

          enjoy egg tarts                 /InʤɔI eg tɑ:ts/     /ˌIn'ʤɔI'regˌtɑ:ts/

          boy and girl                     /bɔI ən g3:l/           /'bɔIˌrən'g3:l/

          fly in at night                             /flaI In ət naIt/        /'flaIˌrInˌə'naIt/