Pronunciation: The linking /j/

Hi. I'm Tim and this is my Pronunciation workshop. Here I'm gonna show you how English is

really spoken. Come on, let's go inside.

Are you a creature of habit? For example, do you

have a routine in the mornings? Every morning, I like to have a cup of tea and a chocolate

biscuit. Mmmm. This is what some people in London told us when we asked them what they

do in the mornings.

I always have some breakfast. I always go to the gym in the morning.

I always drink a glass of warm water when I wake up.

One thing that happens when we speak English fluently is that we sometimes add sounds between

words to help link them together more smoothly and easily. Listen again. Can you hear another

sound between the words I and always?

I always have some breakfast. I always go to the gym in the morning.

I always drink a glass of warm water when I wake up.

Did you catch it? It's hardly there but when one word ends in /aɪ/, /ɪː/, /eɪ/ or/ɔɪ/

sound, and the next word begins in a vowel sound, we can smooth the link out by adding

a small /j/ sound. I always [slowly] becomes I always [fluently]. This is sometimes called

the linking /j/. But be careful, your mouth normally does this naturally as it

changes shape between the sounds. You don't actually want to add a full /j/ sound. Here

are some more examples.

When I go on holiday I just want to lie on the beach.

The end of the film was brilliant. I ate the whole cake in one go.

It was too high up for me to reach.

Right, now you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. You know the drill: listen

and repeat.

When I go on holiday I just want to lie on the beach.

The end of the film was brilliant.

I ate the whole cake in one go.

It was too high up for me to reach.

Well done. And remember, if you want to learn more about pronunciation, then please visit

our website, bbclearningenglish.com. And that is about it from the pronunciation workshop

for this week. I'll see you soon. Bye bye! Right, now I've been looking forward to this

biscuit. Actually, do you want to see a magic trick? Now you see it, now you don't. What?

It's a magic trick - magic trick!