When speaking in English, Chinese speakers usually pronounce each word, and often each syllable, separately and with equal stress.
English speakers use linking to run words together to sound fluid. They do not speak word by word. Rules for linking are formed by sounds, not spelling. Linking joins the last sound of the first word to the start of the next. The focus is on final sounds, not final letters. For example, the final letter in box is x. The final sound is s.
Chinese speakers who want to reduce their accents should spend a significant amount of time practicing and mastering linking.
Linking can occur:
Between Words – ‘each other’ sounds like ea chother
Between Syllables – ‘biology’ sounds like bi yology
Consonant to Vowel – ‘hang up’ sounds like han gup
Consonant to Consonant – ‘came broken’ sounds like one word cambroken
Vowel to Vowel – ‘go around’ sounds like gowa round
English speakers combine phrasing, linking and stress to make their message clear. If these cues are missing, the message is confusing. Note the English phrasing, linking and stress, shown in bold.
Written English: Can you send out Tuesday’s agenda? Thank you!
Chinese speaker: Can you send out Tues day’s a gen da? Thank you!
English speaker: Ca nyou / sen dout / Tuesday zagenda? /Than kyou!
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