Aspects of connected speech

In rapid speech, /t/ and /d/ are elided (omitted) when they occur at the end of word or in between two consonants.

• True

• False

When native speakers talk, they often blend words together and make some changes in the sounds. This is ______.

• A sign of sloppy, lazy speech.

• A sign that the speaker is thinking carefully about these changes.

• A normal aspect of natural connected speech

• Mostly a characteristic of uneducated speakers.

In elision, when three or more consonant sounds come together, the consonant cluster is sometimes simplified by omitting ______.

• The first consonant

• The middle consonant

• The last consonant

• Any consonant the speaker chooses

How is a stressed syllable different from an unstressed syllable? (Choose four answers.)

• The syllable is longer in duration.

• The syllable is shorter in duration.

• The syllable is louder.

• The vowel sound in the syllable is clearer

• The syllable is higher in pitch.

The word spring has _____ syllable(s).

• one

• two

• three

• four

The word piano has _____ syllable(s).

• one

• two

• three

• four

The types of words that receive the least stress in a sentence are usually _______.

• Content words.

• words with consonant clusters

• words with suffixes

• function words

The one word that in a sentence that is most likely to recieve sentence stress is _____.

• The subject of the sentence.

• The last content word of the sentence.

• The longest word in the sentence.

• The first word in the sentence.

When the words "do it" are said at normal speed (for most native speakers), what "extra" sound do we hear between them?

• /j/

• /l/

• /r/

• /w/

What sound might disappear in the following: "I can't swim."?

• The /n/ in can't.

• The /t/ in can't.

• The /s/ in swim.

• The /w/ in swim.