Fast British English: Assimilation, Elision and the Glottal Stop
Why native speakers seem to swallow sounds, and what really happens.
In fast, natural speech, sounds change, disappear or are replaced. Once you know the three main processes, fast British English becomes much easier to understand. You can also use them yourself to sound more fluent.
Elision: Sounds That Disappear
Some sounds are simply left out to make speech smoother.
1/t/ and /d/ between consonants
When /t/ or /d/ comes between two consonants, it often disappears.
| Written | Spoken |
|---|---|
| next day | /neks deɪ/ |
| last night | /lɑːs naɪt/ |
| must be | /mʌs bi/ |
| handbag | /ˈhæmbæɡ/ |
| sandwich | /ˈsænwɪdʒ/ |
| I don’t know | /aɪ dəʊn nəʊ/ |
2Weak words
Small grammar words lose sounds. and becomes /ən/ or just /n/, of becomes /ə/, and him, her lose the /h/.
| Written | Spoken |
|---|---|
| fish and chips | /ˈfɪʃ n ˈtʃɪps/ |
| a cup of tea | /ə ˈkʌp ə ˈtiː/ |
| tell him | /ˈtel ɪm/ |
| ask her | /ˈɑːsk ə/ |
3Lost syllables
Unstressed vowels disappear in many common words:
- camera /ˈkæmrə/
- chocolate /ˈtʃɒklət/
- family /ˈfæmli/
- different /ˈdɪfrənt/
- interesting /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/
Assimilation: Sounds That Change
A sound becomes more like the sound next to it.
1/t, d, n/ before /p, b, m/ and /k, ɡ/
The tongue gets ready for the next sound early. /t/ becomes /p/ or /k/, /d/ becomes /b/ or /ɡ/, /n/ becomes /m/ or /ŋ/.
| Written | Spoken |
|---|---|
| good boy | /ɡʊb bɔɪ/ |
| ten pounds | /tem paʊndz/ |
| that man | /ðæp mæn/ |
| good girl | /ɡʊɡ ɡɜːl/ |
| ten cups | /teŋ kʌps/ |
| in case | /ɪŋ keɪs/ |
2/s, z/ before /ʃ/
| Written | Spoken |
|---|---|
| this shop | /ðɪʃ ʃɒp/ |
| does she | /dʌʒ ʃi/ |
| nice shoes | /naɪʃ ʃuːz/ |
3/t, d, s/ + you
This is the one you hear all the time. /t/ + /j/ becomes /tʃ/, /d/ + /j/ becomes /dʒ/, /s/ + /j/ becomes /ʃ/.
| Written | Spoken |
|---|---|
| don’t you | /ˈdəʊntʃu/ |
| what you want | /ˈwɒtʃu ˈwɒnt/ |
| did you | /ˈdɪdʒu/ |
| would you | /ˈwʊdʒu/ |
| bless you | /ˈbleʃu/ |
The Glottal Stop
A tiny stop in the throat, often heard instead of /t/.
1What is it?
A glottal stop /ʔ/ is a short closure in your throat, the same „catch“ you make in uh-oh. Many British speakers use it instead of /t/.
2Where you hear it
| Position | Examples | Use it yourself? |
|---|---|---|
| /t/ before a consonant | football /ˈfʊʔbɔːl/, not now /nɒʔ naʊ/, Gatwick | Yes, this is very common |
| /t/ at the end, before a pause | What? /wɒʔ/, That’s right. /raɪʔ/ | Yes, in relaxed speech |
| /t/ between vowels | butter /ˈbʌʔə/, water /ˈwɔːʔə/ | Recognise it. It sounds informal or regional |
Putting It All Together
Slow, careful English on the left. Natural, fast British English on the right.
| Careful | Natural |
|---|---|
| Did you get it? | /ˈdɪdʒu ˈɡet ɪt/ |
| What do you want? | /ˈwɒdʒə ˈwɒnt/ |
| Give me a cup of tea. | /ˈɡɪmi ə ˈkʌp ə ˈtiː/ |
| I don’t know what you mean. | /aɪ dəʊn ˈnəʊ ˈwɒtʃu ˈmiːn/ |
| We met last night. | /wi ˈmeʔ lɑːs ˈnaɪt/ |
2Should you use these features?
- Listen first. Understanding fast speech is more important than copying it.
- Elision and assimilation are normal in fluent speech at any level. Use them naturally once you are comfortable.
- The glottal stop before consonants sounds natural. Between vowels, it is optional and informal.
Tip for German speakers: German has glottal stops too, but in a different place: before a vowel at the start of a word or syllable, as in Ende or be-achten. In English, don’t stop before vowels: link the words instead: an_apple, get_up.
Check Yourself
Name the process, then open the answer.
-
ten boys: what happens?
Show answer
Assimilation: /n/ becomes /m/, /tem bɔɪz/
-
next week: what happens?
Show answer
Elision: the /t/ disappears, /neks wiːk/
-
football: what often happens to the /t/?
Show answer
Glottal stop: /ˈfʊʔbɔːl/
-
did you: how is it often said?
Show answer
/ˈdɪdʒu/: /d/ + /j/ becomes /dʒ/
-
fish and chips: what happens to and?
Show answer
Elision: and becomes just /n/
-
good girl: what happens to the /d/?
Show answer
Assimilation: it becomes /ɡ/, /ɡʊɡ ɡɜːl/
Keep Practising
Related pages in the Pronunciation Studio.
Fast English Has Rules
Native speakers aren’t being lazy. Elision, assimilation and the glottal stop follow clear patterns. Learn to hear them first, and fast British English will start to make sense.
Hear it. Understand it. Use it.
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