Sound Linking in American English: Why Native Speakers Run Words Together

Have you ever listened to native English speakers and felt like they were blending all their words into one long sound?

That’s not your imagination. It’s called sound linking, and it’s one of the most common—and most important—features of natural-sounding American English.

In this post, you’ll learn:

• What sound linking is (with real examples)
• The three most common types of linking
• Why it matters for fluency and listening
• How to practice linking for smoother speech

Let’s take a closer look at what makes native speech so connected—and how you can sound more fluent, too.

What Is Sound Linking?

Sound linking happens when the final sound of one word connects to the beginning sound of the next word. Instead of pausing between words, native speakers naturally blend them together to keep the rhythm and flow smooth.

This is one reason why English sounds fast and hard to follow—especially if you’ve only learned textbook-style pronunciation.

Why It Matters

Sound linking is a key feature of connected speech and has a big impact on:

• Listening comprehension (you’ll hear words as they’re actually spoken)
• Fluency (your speech flows more naturally)
• Rhythm and timing (you maintain the beat of stress-timed English)
• Clarity (yes—linking makes your speech clearer, not more confusing)

Without linking, your speech can sound robotic or overly careful—even if your pronunciation is accurate.

The 3 Main Types of Sound Linking

1. Consonant to Vowel Linking (C–V)

When a word ends in a consonant and the next word starts with a vowel, the final consonant links directly into the vowel.

Examples:

• Turn it off → tur-nit-off
  
• Pick it up → pick-it-up
  
• Take a look → tay-ka-look
  

It sounds like one continuous stream, without a pause between words.

2. Vowel to Vowel Linking (V–V)

When one word ends in a vowel sound and the next begins with a vowel, native speakers often add a linking sound to connect them:

• /j/ (like in word “yes”)
• /w/ (like in word “we”)

Examples:

• I agree → I-yagree
  
• Go on → Go-won
  
• He asked → Hee-yasked
  

The linking sound keeps the flow smooth and avoids an awkward gap or glottal stop between vowels.

3. Consonant to Same Consonant (C–C)

When the same consonant appears at the end of one word and the beginning of the next, it’s usually not pronounced twice—just held a bit longer.

Examples:

• Big game → Bigame (long /g/ sound)
• Nice smile → Nicesmile (long /s/ sound)
• Red dress → Reddress (long /d/ sound)

This keeps the sentence clean and efficient while preserving clarity.

Common Mistakes

• Pausing between every word: “Turn. It. Off.”
   → unnatural, robotic
• Over-pronouncing each word: “Go on” → “Go… on”
   → sounds forced
• Avoiding linking because it feels “sloppy”
   → actually, it’s more natural and easier to understand when done right

How to Practice Sound Linking

Step 1: Practice with Short Phrases

Say them slowly, then speed up while keeping the link:

• Get up → ge-tup
  
• Call it → call-it
  
• Move on → moov-on
  

Step 2: Record Yourself

Choose a sentence with linking (e.g., “Can you pick it up?”).
Say it slowly, then naturally.
Record and compare to native audio you chose (YouTube, podcasts, etc.).

Step 3: Shadow Native Speakers

Find a short audio clip. Listen. Pause. Repeat exactly how the speaker connects the words.

Look for:

• Vowel connections with /j/ and /w/
• Blended or elongated consonants
• Smooth transitions, not choppy pauses

More Real-Life Linking Examples (Try These Out)

1. Do it again → do-wit-again
   
2. Say it out loud → say-yit-out-loud
   
3. Read it aloud → ree-dit-aloud
   
4. Go in there → go-win-there
   
5. She has it → shee-haz-it
   

Say them slowly → then with rhythm → then with linking.

Final Thoughts

Sound linking is one of the most powerful tools for transforming your English from “textbook” to fluent, flowing, and natural.

Don’t worry about sounding too casual—it’s how native speakers actually talk. Master linking, and you’ll notice a dramatic improvement in both how you speak and how much you understand.

Ready for the next step?

Check out the full guide to Connected Speech & Sound Changes in American English

Or book a free Accent Clarity Assessment and I’ll show you how to build smooth, natural English in just a few weeks.