Make the Small Words Small: Reducing Function Words in American English
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Make the Small Words Small: Reducing Function Words in American English
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As we've discussed previously on the podcast, in natural American English not every word receives the same amount of stress.
Content words usually carry the main message, while small grammatical words such as to, for, of, than, and as are often reduced and spoken with less prominence.
This episode builds directly on the episode two weeks ago on "finding the main point" in a sentence. We take the idea of the “spotlight” and apply it to function words throughout the sentence.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why English doesn't give every word equal weight
- What it means to reduce a word
- How to reduce to from /tu/ toward /tə/
- How to reduce for from /fɔr/ toward /fər/
- How to reduce of toward /əv/
- How to reduce as toward /əz/
- How to reduce than toward /ðən/
- How stressing a small function word can change the listener's interpretation
- How to identify the important words in your own sentences
Key examples
I need to GO. → I need tə GO.
I waited TWO HOURS. → I WAITed fər TWO HOURS.
a CUP of COFFee → a CUP əv COFFee
She's TALLer than HIM. → She's TALLer thən HIM.
as SOON as POSSible → əz SOON əz POSSible
Practice Challenge
Take five sentences that you commonly use in English.
- Identify the one or two words carrying the most important information.
- Stress those words.
- Find the small function words.
- Reduce them.
- Record yourself and listen without looking at the text.
Practice Passage: "I'm going to meet a friend for dinner after work today. We decided to go to a small restaurant near the office because it's easier to get to. I haven't been there for a while, but my friend says the food is better than it used to be. I'm looking forward to seeing her and catching up."
Follow The Accent Journey, hosted by accent coach Steven Nelson, for weekly episodes designed to help non-native speakers build clearer, more confident American English pronunciation - one sound and pattern at a time.
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Music: Vendredi - Hypnosis ( Free Download & Free Copyright ) by Vendredi is licensed under a Creative Commons License.