Day 8 - Reducing THAT, THAN, THEM - Understanding Fast Speech in English

Hello. It's Day 8.

チャレンジ８日目です

Would you agree that listening is sometimes harder than speaking?

リスニングはスピーキングより 難しくないですか？

I know that it can be a challenge when people talk really fast.

速い会話を聞き取るのは 大変ですよね

English with Jennifer

THAN and THAT are two more function words.

「than」と「that」も 機能語です

They're small words and don't carry a lot of content,

短い単語で あまり内容を含みません

so we usually reduce those vowel sounds to a weaker sound.

このとき私たちが 母音を短くするのに使うのが

A schwa.

シュワ/ə/ です

The schwa sound is that relaxed "uh" /ə/.

リラックスした 「uh」という音です

I asked you if listening is sometimes harder than speaking.

冒頭で「than」を含む 質問をしました

"harder than speaking"

harder than speaking

Instead of THAN...in fast speech I can say /ðən/.

/ðæn/ は速い会話では /ðən/ になります

harder than/ðən/ speaking

THAT can also be reduced when it's fast an unstressed.

「that」もストレスがないと 短く発音されます

I said, "I know that it can be a challenge."

冒頭で言った 「that」を例に説明します

（短い that/ðæt/）

（短くない that/ðət/）

Just like THAN became /ðən/,

/ðæn/ が /ðən/ になるように

THAT can sound like /ðət/.

/ðæt/ は /ðət/ になります

（短い /ðət/）

Note the word THAT could be stressed, so it's not always reduced.

「that」にストレスがある場合は 短く発音されません

For example, I could suggest, "Let's buy that one, not this one. That one."

たとえばーー

Let's buy that one, not this one. That one.

And when it's stressed, we use that full short A sound.

ストレスがあるときは 完全なＡ/æ/ の母音です

/æ/ That one.

That/ðæt/ one.

Pronouns are also function words.

代名詞も機能語です

THEM is an example of a pronoun.

「them」を例に説明します

THEM in fast speech could sound more like /ðəm/.

「them」は速い会話では /ðəm/ になります

I know them.

I know them/ðəm/.

We're reducing the vowel sounds again to a weaker schwa.

母音を短くして 弱母音のシュワ/ə/にします

Not /ðɛm/.../ðəm/. I know them.

/ðɛm/ ではなく/ðəm/

I know them/ðəm/.

Here are some examples I can read for you.

例文を紹介するまえに まずは質問です

But first let me ask you...

that/than/themは いつも短くなるでしょうか？

I'll reduce these words in yellow.

短くなるのは黄色の単語です

Listen.

聞いてください

I know that/ðət/ it's not easy.

This one is bigger than/ðən/ that one.

I already mentioned that to them/ðəm/.

Note when we use THAT as a demonstrative,

赤丸で囲んだ「that」は

ストレスがおかれる 指示代名詞や指示形容詞です

meaning as an adjective or pronoun,

it’s usually stressed.

Let me make one more note.

最後のポイントは

There’s another way THEM can change in fast speech.

「them」を短くするのに ほかの方法があることです

Not only can we reduce the vowel to a schwa,

弱母音のシュワ/ə/にするのではなく themの「th」を落とす方法です

we might also drop the TH altogether.

So instead of…

たとえば Where do you wanna put them?

You may hear people say,

次のようになります

“Where do you want to put’em?”

Where do you want to put ’em?

Listen closely.

これから私が言うフレーズを 聞き取ってみてください

I'll say a sentence.

You try to understand.

I think that/ðət/ you're doing great.

It's harder than/ðən/ I thought.

We're faster than/ðən/ them/ðəm/.

They say that/ðət/ practice makes perfect.

動画の冒頭にもどって 聞き取れるか確認してみましょう

That's all for now.

ご視聴ありがとうございました

Thanks for watching and happy studies!