Reduced Speech Form in American English

One reason why native American English speakers are difficult to understand is because they often use reduced speech forms when speaking in informal situations. When native speakers use reduced speech forms the words seem to run together and this can make it very difficult to understand what they are saying.

To sound more like a native speaker of English, it is necessary to learn the reduced forms used in daily speech.  It is also important if you want to understand what native speakers are saying.  Remember, these reduced forms are not written in standard English, but you may see some of them in songs, advertisements and personal writing, when wishing to reflect natural speech.

In this lesson, I will give you a list of phrases that American English speakers commonly reduce in informal speech.

(have) got to — gotta

have to — hafta

has to — hasta

want to — wanna

going to — gonna

don’t know — dunno

should have — shoulda

would have — woulda

could have — coulda

what do you — whaddaya

bet you — betcha

did you — didja

don’t you — doncha

get you — getcha

give me — gimme

let me — lemme

Watch and listen how Rachel use reduced speech form in her American English pronunciation video. She will teach you how to pronounce gonna and gotta. 

You can also learn more about reduced speech form from Elemental English. 

I’m sure you’ve heard a lot wanna, gonna, gotta, dunno,oughta, kinda, lotta, and many more in American English pronunciation. That’s how the Americans speak in everyday conversation. I’ll have to remind you that these forms are used only in spoken English and not in written.

Watch this video and listen to how the reduced speech form is used in day-to-day speech in America, even the President of the United States used it a lot in his presidential speech.

When you finish watching the video try to pronounce each of the following sentence using reduction. I’m gonna give you three examples. Did you notice I just used reduction in that sentence? I reduced going to asgonna.

1. I don’t want to go to the party because it sounds boring.

I don’t wanna go to the party cuz it sounds boring. I reduced want to as wanna and because as cuz.

2. You could have gone with me, if you had told me in plenty of time.

You coulda gone with me, if youd told me in plentyef time. I reduced could have as coulda, you had asyoud, and of as ef with a schwa.

3. How are you doing?

Howarya doin’? I reduced how are you  as howaryaand doing as doin’. Did you see I didn’t pronounce the -ng sound in doiNG?

Now try the following sentences yourself:

1. I was so hungry, I could have eaten a horse. (I was so hungry, I couldav eaten a horse.)

2. Did you like the film? (Didja like the film?)

3. I’m going to do my homework now. (I’m gonna do my homework now.)

4. I don’t know what to think about that. (I dunno what to think bout that.)

5. I’m kind of worried about that test. (I’m kinda worriedbout the test.)

6. What kinds of clothes does that shop sell? (Whatkindsa clothes does that shop sell?)

7. I have got a lot of respect for that guy. (I‘ve got a lottarespect for that guy.)

8. You ought to know more about that than me. (Yououghta know more bout that than me.)