1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,640 How much do you know about reductions? 2 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:05,540 How much do you use them when speaking English? 3 00:00:05,540 --> 00:00:09,680 Reductions are one of the best ways to sound natural when speaking English. 4 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:14,920 And also knowing them well is one of the best ways to improve your listening comprehension. 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:19,400 In this video, we're going to deep dive on one of my favorite reductions, 6 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:23,900 and you'll get so many examples of this reduction in real spoken English, 7 00:00:23,900 --> 00:00:29,160 that you will absolutely be able to start identifying this in conversation better 8 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:33,180 and feeling more confident when using reductions speaking English. 9 00:00:33,180 --> 00:00:39,560 10 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:40,740 Can. 11 00:00:40,740 --> 00:00:42,620 It's not often pronounced that way. 12 00:00:42,620 --> 00:00:44,460 It's pronounced can. 13 00:00:44,460 --> 00:00:50,480 And I realized, I have lots of videos from real English conversations where we study this reduction. 14 00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:55,200 But that in any one of those videos, you may hear the reduction just once or twice. 15 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,400 I thought, I’ve been making videos for 10 years now 16 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:05,400 I have to make a compilation of all of the examples from real-life English that I have of this reduction. 17 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,320 After that, we'll go to Youglish and hear even more. 18 00:01:09,320 --> 00:01:13,040 When you hear many examples of reduction that you're studying, 19 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:19,080 it almost guarantees that you'll start to identify it in other English conversation, movies, 20 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:22,700 TV, to improve your listening comprehension. 21 00:01:22,700 --> 00:01:25,980 You'll also have lots of examples to study with. 22 00:01:25,980 --> 00:01:32,120 Watch the video once then go back and watch the examples again and pause after each sentence. 23 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:33,560 Say it out loud. 24 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:37,280 Train your mind to think of this reduction. 25 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:42,400 First, let's play the video where I go over how to make this reduction and how it's used. 26 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:44,420 You've got to know that first. 27 00:01:44,420 --> 00:01:47,680 Then we'll jump into the examples. 28 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:50,500 The word ‘can’ can be a noun. 29 00:01:50,500 --> 00:01:56,320 As in: it's a trash can, or the beans are from a can, they're not fresh. 30 00:01:56,320 --> 00:02:02,000 In this case, can is pronounced with the AH as in bat vowel. 31 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:06,480 So the word can as a noun is a content word. 32 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,280 Therefore, it is generally not reduced in a sentence. 33 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:17,180 But the word can as a verb is generally an auxiliary verb or a helping verb. 34 00:02:17,180 --> 00:02:21,480 And these are function words, and they will reduce. 35 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,900 So when is the verb can a helping verb? 36 00:02:24,900 --> 00:02:26,900 Let's look at two examples. 37 00:02:26,900 --> 00:02:30,660 Answering the question: Who can do this? 38 00:02:30,660 --> 00:02:36,300 If I simply say 'I can', 'can' is the only verb so it won't reduce. 39 00:02:36,300 --> 00:02:38,520 Can with the AH sound. 40 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:40,060 I can. 41 00:02:40,060 --> 00:02:43,400 But if I want to say: I can do it. 42 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,380 The word 'can' now becomes: can, can. 43 00:02:46,380 --> 00:02:47,860 I can do it. 44 00:02:47,860 --> 00:02:52,760 And that's because it's an auxiliary verb to the main verb 'do'. 45 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:54,500 I can. 46 00:02:54,500 --> 00:02:56,600 I can do it. 47 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:01,840 Can. Can. Can. 48 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:06,460 When it reduces, the word can is pronounced with the schwa sound. 49 00:03:06,460 --> 00:03:07,900 It is very fast. 50 00:03:07,900 --> 00:03:09,620 It is lower in pitch. 51 00:03:09,620 --> 00:03:13,040 Can, can, can, can. 52 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:17,280 The K consonant sound, schwa, N. 53 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:19,220 Can, can. 54 00:03:19,220 --> 00:03:21,720 I can do it. 55 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:26,600 When you reduce the word 'can', you want to make sure that it links to the words around it. 56 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:30,880 You don't want gaps before or after can when it's pronounced. 57 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:32,280 Can. 58 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:35,180 I can do it. 59 00:03:35,180 --> 00:03:36,660 We don't want that. 60 00:03:36,660 --> 00:03:37,860 I can do it. 61 00:03:37,860 --> 00:03:39,100 I can do it. 62 00:03:39,100 --> 00:03:42,760 We want it very linked to the words around it. 63 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,600 Let's look at a few more examples. 64 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:47,500 I can bring food. 65 00:03:47,500 --> 00:03:49,800 I can, I can, I can. 66 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,280 Linked up to the word I. 67 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,400 I can bring food. 68 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:56,900 We can stay the whole time. 69 00:03:56,900 --> 00:03:58,300 We can stay. 70 00:03:58,300 --> 00:03:59,840 We can stay. 71 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:01,960 All linked together. 72 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:04,440 We can stay the whole time. 73 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:06,040 They can have it. 74 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:07,560 Can, can. 75 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:09,220 They can. 76 00:04:09,220 --> 00:04:11,700 They can have it. 77 00:04:11,700 --> 00:04:13,780 She can come with us. 78 00:04:13,780 --> 00:04:16,580 She can, she can. 79 00:04:16,580 --> 00:04:19,660 She can come with us. 80 00:04:19,660 --> 00:04:21,620 You can have my ticket. 81 00:04:21,620 --> 00:04:23,240 Can, can. 82 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,520 You can, you can. 83 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:27,780 You can have my ticket. 84 00:04:27,780 --> 00:04:30,080 Mary can do it herself. 85 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:31,640 Can, can. 86 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,780 Mary can, Mary can. 87 00:04:34,780 --> 00:04:37,840 Mary can do it herself. 88 00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:40,320 Put it in the garbage can. 89 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:42,920 Do you notice the word 'can' doesn't reduce here? 90 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:49,800 I snuck in a case where they 'can' is a noun, so it's a content word, it won't reduce. 91 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,120 Put it in the garbage can. 92 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,800 John can, John can. 93 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,220 John can pick us up. 94 00:04:57,220 --> 00:05:00,000 Lots of examples of can. 95 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,680 But now let's look at examples of this word in real conversational English. 96 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:09,640 Again, these are excerpts from other videos but we're focused on just one thing. 97 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:11,540 The can reduction. 98 00:05:11,540 --> 00:05:15,760 After this, we'll go to Youglish for even more examples. 99 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:19,460 I made this video for my friends Super Bowl party. 100 00:05:19,460 --> 00:05:24,180 I hear that there's chili to be had. 101 00:05:24,180 --> 00:05:27,460 There's...there's tons of chili, vegetarian and meat. 102 00:05:27,460 --> 00:05:30,740 Can you step through how to pronounce 'chili', Hilary? 103 00:05:30,740 --> 00:05:34,360 Did you notice I reduced the word can. 104 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,280 That's because it's a helping verb here. 105 00:05:37,280 --> 00:05:40,080 The main verb being 'step through'. 106 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:42,060 Can you step through? 107 00:05:42,060 --> 00:05:44,340 Can, can. 108 00:05:44,340 --> 00:05:46,480 Can you step through? 109 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:48,040 Listen again. 110 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,720 Can you step through how to pronounce chili, Hilary? 111 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,380 Can you step through how to pronounce chili, Hilary? 112 00:05:53,380 --> 00:05:56,200 Can you step through how to pronounce chili, Hilary? 113 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,620 Uh, I would say chili. 114 00:05:58,620 --> 00:06:00,580 But how do you do it? 115 00:06:00,580 --> 00:06:05,180 This video I made on summer vacation several years ago. 116 00:06:05,180 --> 00:06:07,160 This is my Uncle Frank. 117 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:07,820 Hey! 118 00:06:07,820 --> 00:06:11,380 Uncle Frank brings his vote every year so that we can try skiing. 119 00:06:11,380 --> 00:06:15,440 Did you notice the reductions of the words 'that' and 'can'? 120 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:17,920 These two function words will often reduce. 121 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:24,000 'That' becomes 'that' with either a flap or stop T, depending on the next sound. 122 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:29,240 And 'can' when not the main verb in a sentence, becomes can, can. 123 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,280 So that we can, So that we can. 124 00:06:31,280 --> 00:06:33,140 So that we can try skiiing. 125 00:06:33,140 --> 00:06:39,760 Try and skiing, the two content words in this sentence, are clearly much longer than: 126 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:42,700 So that we can, So that we can, So that we can. 127 00:06:42,700 --> 00:06:47,200 These four function words are low in pitch and very fast. 128 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:48,360 Listen again. 129 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:49,860 So that we can try skiing. 130 00:06:49,860 --> 00:06:51,360 So that we can try skiing. 131 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:53,740 So that we can try skiing. 132 00:06:53,740 --> 00:06:57,860 Ani, did you make that necklace? 133 00:06:57,860 --> 00:06:59,400 Can you hold it up for me? 134 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,660 Another reduction of can. 135 00:07:01,660 --> 00:07:04,640 Can, can you, can you. 136 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:06,340 Can you hold it up for me? 137 00:07:06,340 --> 00:07:07,960 Can you hold it up for me? 138 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:11,720 Can you hold it up for me? 139 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:15,820 I made this video after Hurricane Sandy hit the US. 140 00:07:15,820 --> 00:07:20,300 Laura the reason why I can hardly see you is because powers out. 141 00:07:20,300 --> 00:07:24,140 In this sentence, the word 'can' is a helping verb. 142 00:07:24,140 --> 00:07:31,680 It's not the main verb, so it's a function word and I'm reducing it to can, can. 143 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:33,340 I can, I can. 144 00:07:33,340 --> 00:07:34,620 Listen again. 145 00:07:34,620 --> 00:07:37,620 Laura, the reason why I can, I can, I can. 146 00:07:37,620 --> 00:07:42,100 Laura the reason why I can hardly see you is because powers out. 147 00:07:42,100 --> 00:07:43,260 That's correct. 148 00:07:43,260 --> 00:07:47,140 If you ever need to recharge anything, just come on up to my apartment 149 00:07:47,140 --> 00:07:49,620 you can have all the power and internet that you want. 150 00:07:49,620 --> 00:07:55,200 Another can reduction, you can, you can, you can have. 151 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:59,060 You can have, you can have, you can have all the power and Internet that you want. 152 00:07:59,060 --> 00:07:59,660 Will do. 153 00:07:59,660 --> 00:08:01,060 And hot water. 154 00:08:01,060 --> 00:08:01,780 Thank you. 155 00:08:01,780 --> 00:08:04,140 You're welcome. 156 00:08:04,140 --> 00:08:08,440 In this video, I interview a broadcaster Erica Hill. 157 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:10,160 If I don't know how to pronounce it, I’ll look it up. 158 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:15,080 So I will either call the international desk and see if there's someone there who is familiar. 159 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:20,760 If it's a different language, who speaks, who's a native speaker of that language, so that they can say it for me. 160 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:26,120 Ms. Hills speech, as with all native speakers, is filled with reductions. 161 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:31,140 Here, she's given us a great example of the reduction of the word can. 162 00:08:31,140 --> 00:08:32,860 So that they can say it for me-- 163 00:08:32,860 --> 00:08:37,960 Here, can is a helping verb, and say is the main verb. 164 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:41,460 Most of the time, can is a helping verb. 165 00:08:41,460 --> 00:08:46,680 In these cases, we reduce the pronunciation to can. 166 00:08:46,680 --> 00:08:54,280 So we changed the vowel to the schwa, but just like in 'your'e', the next consonant, here the N, 167 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:57,460 absorbs the schwa, so it's just two sounds. 168 00:08:57,460 --> 00:08:59,140 Kkk-nn. 169 00:08:59,140 --> 00:09:01,620 Can, can. 170 00:09:01,620 --> 00:09:04,060 She says it incredibly fast. 171 00:09:04,060 --> 00:09:10,760 But the main verb say has much more length and that nice shape of a stressed syllable. 172 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:11,900 Can say. 173 00:09:11,900 --> 00:09:18,940 This rhythmic contrast of short and long syllables is very important in American English. 174 00:09:18,940 --> 00:09:22,880 So that they can say, they can say, they can say, they can say it for me. 175 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:28,500 Or I’ll look it up online if I can't find it, you know, if it's a regular word, I’ll go to one of the dictionary websites, 176 00:09:28,500 --> 00:09:31,540 and oftentimes you can hit a button and you can hear that word. 177 00:09:31,540 --> 00:09:37,900 You can hit-- Again, a great reduction of the function word, the helping verb can. 178 00:09:37,900 --> 00:09:39,900 You can, you can. 179 00:09:39,900 --> 00:09:44,460 And oftentimes, you can hit, you can hit, you can hit a button and you can hear that word. 180 00:09:44,460 --> 00:09:46,300 Another can reduction. 181 00:09:46,300 --> 00:09:47,560 Can hear. 182 00:09:47,560 --> 00:09:50,180 You can hear, you can hear, you can hear that word. 183 00:09:50,180 --> 00:09:55,500 I’ll do that or I will go and listen to whatever I can find in terms of video online. 184 00:09:55,500 --> 00:09:57,600 Another can reduction. 185 00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:59,180 Can find. 186 00:09:59,180 --> 00:10:02,260 I’ll do that or I will go and listen to 187 00:10:02,260 --> 00:10:07,280 whatever I can find, whatever I can find, whatever I can find in terms of video online to hear if it's the name, 188 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:09,040 to hear that person saying their name. 189 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:10,340 So it can be time-consuming? 190 00:10:10,340 --> 00:10:11,280 It can be. Yeah. 191 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:13,480 It can be time-consuming. 192 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:15,940 Here, we're stressing the word 'can'. 193 00:10:15,940 --> 00:10:18,880 Not always, but it can be. 194 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:21,360 So we're not reducing the word. 195 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:25,220 We're keeping the AH as in bat vowel. 196 00:10:25,220 --> 00:10:27,480 So it can be, can be, can be, can be time-consuming? 197 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:29,440 It can be. It can be. It can be. It can be. 198 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:30,380 Yeah. But it's worth it. 199 00:10:30,380 --> 00:10:33,400 I think one of the worst things you can do is mispronounce someone's name. 200 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:37,120 In this video I'm on top of a mountain with my dad. 201 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:38,720 It's pretty high. 202 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:39,220 Very high. 203 00:10:39,220 --> 00:10:40,620 As you can see. 204 00:10:40,620 --> 00:10:42,060 Very cold and windy. 205 00:10:42,060 --> 00:10:43,740 Yeah. 206 00:10:43,740 --> 00:10:46,720 We just heard two more reductions. 207 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:52,620 The word 'can', a helping verb here, was reduced to can. 208 00:10:52,620 --> 00:10:54,940 How fast can you make that? 209 00:10:54,940 --> 00:10:56,980 Practice with me. 210 00:10:56,980 --> 00:11:02,880 Can, can, can, can see. 211 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:04,120 Listen again. 212 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:08,220 You can see. You can see. You can, you can, you can, you can, you can see. 213 00:11:08,220 --> 00:11:12,020 In this video, I'm on vacation with my family. 214 00:11:12,020 --> 00:11:13,460 Can you wave Gina? 215 00:11:13,460 --> 00:11:15,540 Hi! 216 00:11:15,540 --> 00:11:16,760 Can you wave? 217 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,540 We reduce can when it's a helping verb. 218 00:11:19,540 --> 00:11:22,540 That is not the main verb in a sentence. 219 00:11:22,540 --> 00:11:24,820 Wave is the main verb. 220 00:11:24,820 --> 00:11:27,700 Most of the time, can is a helping verb. 221 00:11:27,700 --> 00:11:30,980 Can, can, can you wave? 222 00:11:30,980 --> 00:11:32,560 Listen again. 223 00:11:32,560 --> 00:11:33,880 Can you wave Gina? 224 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:35,260 Can you wave Gina? 225 00:11:35,260 --> 00:11:36,660 Can you wave Gina? 226 00:11:36,660 --> 00:11:38,680 Hi! 227 00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:43,480 In this video, I'm at a nature reserve with my family. 228 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:44,820 Can you see the Gators? 229 00:11:44,820 --> 00:11:46,280 Can you. 230 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:50,980 Here, I’ve reduced 'you' again: ye-- with the schwa. 231 00:11:50,980 --> 00:11:53,000 I’ve also reduced can. 232 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:58,560 We do this all the time when it's a helping verb, and it's almost always a helping verb. 233 00:11:58,560 --> 00:12:01,860 This means it's not the main verb in the sentence. 234 00:12:01,860 --> 00:12:03,920 Can you see the Gators? 235 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:08,420 See was the main verb and can, a helping verb. 236 00:12:08,420 --> 00:12:14,060 Since the N is a syllabic consonant, it overtakes the vowel, the schwa. 237 00:12:14,060 --> 00:12:16,720 You don't need to worry about making it. 238 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:20,060 So just make a K sound and an N sound. 239 00:12:20,060 --> 00:12:24,980 Can, can, very fast. 240 00:12:24,980 --> 00:12:26,300 Can you. 241 00:12:26,300 --> 00:12:27,540 Try it. 242 00:12:27,540 --> 00:12:30,540 Can you, can you. 243 00:12:30,540 --> 00:12:32,460 Listen again. 244 00:12:32,460 --> 00:12:34,940 Can you see the Gators? 245 00:12:34,940 --> 00:12:37,540 Can you see the Gators? 246 00:12:37,540 --> 00:12:39,760 Can you see the Gators? 247 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:45,700 There you go, many examples from my past ten years of making videos on this reduction. 248 00:12:45,700 --> 00:12:49,280 To get even more examples, I'm going to take you to Youglish, 249 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:54,280 a great website to hear native speakers saying any given word or phrase. 250 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:59,180 In each one of these examples, can is pronounced very fast. 251 00:12:59,180 --> 00:13:02,480 Can, can, reduced. 252 00:13:02,480 --> 00:16:38,460 253 00:16:38,460 --> 00:16:40,760 Can, can, can. 254 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:43,120 Watch this video a few times. 255 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:45,780 Pause and say the examples out loud. 256 00:16:45,780 --> 00:16:48,520 This will focus your brain on the reduction 257 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:52,740 and you'll start to notice it more and more as you hear it around you. 258 00:16:52,740 --> 00:16:58,060 You look like you're interested in a full playlist of other reductions of American English. 259 00:16:58,060 --> 00:17:00,320 you know I’ve got that covered for you. 260 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,800 Click here or in the description below. 261 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:07,360 That's it and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.