英语学习 - sound reduction in word "and" in conversation

英语口语语言现象是客观存在。对英语学习者来说，有意识的学习它会大大促进英语听说的提高；但不要把它当成知识来学，当成技巧来练，才能有效地掌握及运用。不知道它时，谈不上掌握；知道它时，当成教条来学又不容易掌握。

本片断设想先呈现给大家一段包含一个语言现象的对话，让大家对这个语言现象有一个接触，引起学习者的兴趣；然后通过后面的解释，了解这个现象；再通过有针对性地练习来加深对这个现象的理解掌握。通过一个这样的练习后，今后日常生活中在遇到这样的语言现象时就不感到么生了。

又：听着自己的录音，真感到别扭，明显的感觉出几个发音的问题，但又懒得重录；真不好意思，自己没练好还来显示给别人。但觉得拿出来同大家探讨与人与己都好，互相学习共同进步吧！请多提宝贵意见。

Today I am going to share with you an English pronunciation phenomenon: the reduction of the word "and" in conversation.

First please listen to the following audio and try to figure out where the word "and" is used in the sentenses. Please listen to it several times if you couldn't get it the first time.

Here's the audio:

Script 1 (see below)

(You may pause here to listen to this part more times if you like.)

You may aleady get it, and here's more information for you to better understand it.

THe word "and" is used several times here, such as:

Up and down, Right and left, light and dark, short and tall, rich and poor, male and female, black and white etc.

The word "and" is pronounced as "'n" in this audio. The word "and" is usually pronounced this way in quick conversation with the consonant sound "d" being omitted, and the vowel in it is lightly sounded, and is reduced, and is barely heard. Here's another example:

Script 2 (see below)

(The word "and" is refered to the one in "... and in a few years ... ")

And below are some sentences for practising this sounding technique.

Script 3 (see below)

Finally, please listen to radio, or TV programs and try to find as many of this language phenomenon as possible to train your hearing ability and meanwhile, read with the audio examples above many many times until you're quite familiar with them and can say them by yourselves.

Note:

You may come across the phrase "Park'N Fly" when you are travelling, and you may see it in big airport like Pearson International airport, Boston airport and other airports. "Park'N Fly" is a parking service provider providing off-airport parking services, with shuttle buses picking you up and droping you off at the terminals. Similar phrases are "Drop'N Go" "Park'N Go". Those phrases are all involved with the word "and" in its reduced form.

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Audios are from: Secrets of the Millionaire Mind and American Accent Training

Script 1:

It's very important to realize that we live in a world of duality.

Whats the word, please?

Duality.

Thank you -- duality.

Give me some examples. Up and down / Right and left / Light and dark /Short and tall/ Rich and pool/ Male and female/ Black and white.

Script 2:

How many hundreds -- no, let's make that thousands -- no, let's make that tens of thousands of peopel have come to this wonderful country -- immigrants. They came with nothing and in a few years, they're faily rich. Yes or yes? yes.

Script 3:

ham and eggs

bread and butter

Coffee? With cream and sugar?

No, lemon and sugar.

... And some more cookies?

They kept going back and forth.

We watched it again and again.

He did it over and over.

We learned by trial and error.