Contractversation — Going to the Store

We are out of Bananas and Milk. We’re out of Bananas and Milk.

What’s the difference between these two phrases? In this American English pronunciation video, you’re going to learn a little bit more about the character of American English.

Contractions and reductions go a long way in making you sound more American. But sometimes, I have a hard time convincing my students of this. They think, “If I pronounce everything fully and clearly, it will be better.” But the problem with that is, it can end up sounding very formal, sometimes even robotic, not at all natural. You’re going to hear the following conversation twice, once with no contractions, no reductions, and only True T pronunciations. It will sound formal and stilted. Then, you’ll hear the conversation as Americans would speak. I hope you hear the huge difference that reductions, contractions, and habits like the Flap T can make.

We are out of Bananas and Milk. We’re out of Bananas and Milk. ‘We are’ was contracted to ‘we’re’. ‘Out of’ the T here became a flap T connecting the two words. A T will be a flap T when it comes between two vowels. ‘Out of’ out of, that helps to make that smoother. I reduced the word ‘and’ to just the schwa N sound, N, n Bananas ‘n’, Bananas and Milk. We are out of Bananas and Milk. We’re out of Bananas n Milk. We are out of Bananas and Milk. We’re out of Bananas n Milk.

I will run to the store. I’ll run to the store. I will contracted to ‘I’ll’ reduced to ‘ull’ ‘to the’, ‘to’ was reduced, to the store, to the store. So that it just has the schwa sound. I will run to the store. I’ll run to the store. I will run to the store. I’ll run to the store

I do not think it will be open. I don’t think it’ll be open. ‘Do not’ becomes ‘don’t’. As with all n’t contractions we don’t generally release that T. So, it’s not don’t but don’t, don’t with more of a stop sound. ‘It will’ contracted to it’ll, it’ll. So now this is a two syllable word and the T becomes a flap because it comes between two vowels. It’ll, it’ll. Stress on the first syllable. I do not think it will be open. I don’t think it’ll be open. I do not think it will be open. I don’t think it’ll be open.

Why not? Why not? Why not? A stop T on the word ‘not’, no release. Not, not. Why not? Why not? Why not? Why not?

Because it is Sunday. ‘Cause it’s Sunday. Because was reduced to cuz. ‘It is’ contracted to ‘it’s’. Cuz it’s, cuz it’s. Cuz it’s Sunday. Because it is Sunday. ‘Cause it’s Sunday. Because it is Sunday. ‘Cause it’s Sunday.

I am pretty sure they are open today. I’m pretty sure they’re open today. ‘I am’ becomes ‘I’m’. Pretty, that has a Flap T sound because the double T comes between two vowels sounds, Pretty. ‘They are’ becomes ‘they’re’. Today, the beginning T here was a Flap T instead of a True T. This can happen on the words today, tomorrow, and to. Open today. Open today. So when we have a flap T instead of a True T, there is no stop of air and the line is more smooth. Open today I am pretty sure they are open today. I’m pretty sure they’re open today. I am pretty sure they are open today. I’m pretty sure they’re open today.

It was not open last Sunday, it wasn’t open last Sunday. It has a stop T. It wasn’t. It wasn’t. That’s because the next word begins with a consonant sound and ‘was not’, of course, contracted to ‘wasn’t’, wasn’t, and again with that n’t, there is no release of the T sound. Wasn’t. It was not open last Sunday. It wasn’t open last Sunday. It was not open last Sunday. It wasn’t open last Sunday, so I am guessing it will not be open today. So I’m guessing it won’t be open today. ‘I am’ becomes ‘I’m’, it will not, we have a stop T in it, and ‘will not’ is contracted, ‘won’t’, it won’t. The T at the end of won’t does not release. I actually made a True T at the beginning of today which is the opposite of what Tom did. Tom made it a Flap T. Both are right, just make sure that the first syllable is much shorter than the second syllable. So I am guessing it will not be open today. So I’m guessing it won’t be open today. So I am guessing it will not be open today. So I’m guessing it won’t be open today.

But today is not a holiday, but today isn’t a holiday. But today, just one T sound there, but today. ‘Is not’ becomes ‘isn’t’, isn’t. No T release. But today is not a holiday, but today isn’t a holiday. But today is not a holiday, but today isn’t a holiday. Was not last Sunday Easter? Wasn’t last Sunday Easter? ‘Was not’ becomes ‘wasn’t’, wasn’t. Again we don’t release the T in this n’t contraction. Last Sunday. Here we drop the T. It’s common to drop the T when it comes between two other consonant sounds. Here it comes between two S sounds. Last Sunday. Last Sunday. So you can drop the T. Was not last Sunday Easter? Wasn’t last Sunday Easter? Was not last Sunday Easter? Wasn’t last Sunday Easter?

Oh, that is right. Oh, that’s right. ‘That is’ becomes ‘that’s’, that’s. Oh, that is right. Oh, that’s right. Oh, that is right. Oh, that’s right.

So, bananas, milk… So, bananas, milk… So, bananas, milk… nothing reduces or contracts here and we have no T’s to make flaps or stops. Were not there other things we had wanted? Weren’t there other things we’d wanted? Were not, weren’t, weren’t. ‘We had’ becomes ‘we’d’, we’d wanted. The D almost disappears here. We’d, we’d. We’d wanted. Were not there other things we had wanted? Weren’t there other things we’d wanted? Were not there other things we had wanted? Weren’t there other things we’d wanted?

I will text you if I remember any. I’ll text you if I remember any. ‘I will’ becomes ‘I’ll’, reduced to ull, ull. I will text you if I remember any. I’ll text you if I remember any. I will text you if I remember any. I’ll text you if I remember any.

Cool, I will be right back. Cool, I’ll be right back. ‘I will’ again becomes ull. ‘Right’: here it’s made with the stop T because the next word begins with a consonant. Right back, right back. Cool, I will be right back. Cool, I’ll be right back. Cool, I will be right back. Cool, I’ll be right back.

So many options for reductions and contractions in such a short conversation! Now let’s listen to the whole conversation, once without these tips and once with. What is your sense of the overall character?

R: We are out of bananas and milk.
T: I will run to the store.
R: I do not think it will be open.
T: Why not?
R: Because it is Sunday.
T: I am pretty sure they are open today.
R: It was not open last Sunday,
so I am guessing it will not be open today.
T: But today is not a holiday,
was not last Sunday Easter?
R: Oh, that is right.
T: So, bananas, milk…
were not there other things we had wanted?
R: I will text you if I remember any.
T: Cool, I will be right back.

R: We’re out of bananas and milk.
T: I’ll run to the store.
R: I don’t think it’ll be open.
T: Why not?
R: Cause it’s Sunday.
T: I’m pretty sure they’re open today.
R: It wasn’t open last Sunday,
so I’m guessing it won’t be open today.
T: But today isn’t a holiday,
wasn’t last Sunday Easter?
R: Oh, that’s right.
T: So, bananas, milk…
weren’t there other things we’d wanted?
R: I’ll text you if I remember any.
T: Cool, I’ll be right back.

To keep going with this, go back and listen to the conversation when it sounded American and natural. Turn it into a Ben Franklin exercise and then practice the conversation with a friend, or by yourself. If you’re not sure what a Ben Franklin exercise is, click here or look in the description.

That’s it, and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.