American English Linking Words
When a word ends in a consonant sound and the next starts with a vowel, Americans often slide that consonant onto the next word — so phrases feel like one long unit.
Josh practices patterns like “I was about to”: reduce the small words, stress the content word, and link so you get understood the first time.
Over 8,000 lessons taught
Steps
- Find a word ending in a consonant sound (silent E doesn’t count).
- If the next word starts with a vowel, slide that consonant onto the next word.
- Reduce small function words (like was) and put energy on the content word.
- Practice Josh’s phrase I was about to as one flowing unit.
- Link so the phrase feels like one unit — not a tap on every word.
What Josh teaches
Natives often sound like they’re using one long word because of consonant-to-vowel linking: when a word ends in a consonant sound (not just a letter — silent E doesn’t count) and the next word starts with a vowel, you slide that consonant onto the next word.
Josh drills phrases like I was about to: reduce was, put pitch/energy on about, and link across the phrase so it flows as one unit — not separate taps on every word.
YouGlish: I was about to · Related: reductions lesson
15 minutes · live 1:1 with Josh · get understood the first time
Common questions
What is consonant-to-vowel linking?
Josh: if a word ends in a consonant sound and the next begins with a vowel, move that consonant onto the next word as if it belongs there.
Why does Josh say “sound,” not “letter”?
Because silent letters (like final E) don’t create a consonant sound — linking follows what you pronounce, not the spelling.
What phrase should I practice first?
Josh works “I was about to”: keep was small, put prominence on about, and link the phrase into one flow.
Related: Thirteen vs Thirty (rhythm)
