In this week’s episode of The Accent Journey Podcast, we explore the first of two episodes on assimilation in connected American English, the natural processes that cause neighboring sounds to influence one another during fluent speech.
Since we published a post about this just a few days ago, you can find a detailed explanation of this topic over there. In this written companion of the podcast, you’ll find some practice material to accompany the podcast as well as the practice passage from this week’s episode.
Practice: Say It Carefully, Then Naturally
Let’s practice today’s main phrases. First, say each one slowly and carefully.
1. supposed to
supposed to
Now try the natural conversational version:
suppose-ta
2. used to
used to
Now:
yoos-ta
3. have to
have to
Now:
haf-ta
4. has to
has to
Now:
has-ta
Repeat each one several times, then put them into complete sentences.
Sentence Practice
Supposed to
I’m supposed to call her today.
We’re supposed to meet at six.
You’re supposed to finish this by Friday.
Used to
I used to live in Chicago.
She used to work here.
We used to go there every summer.
Have to
I have to leave early tomorrow.
We have to finish this today.
You have to see this movie.
Has to
She has to work tomorrow.
He has to leave early.
Everyone has to register.
As you practice, try not to say the reduced forms extremely fast. Instead, focus on making the transition between the sounds smooth and efficient.
Dialogue Practice
Now let’s put the phrases into short conversations. Read both roles.
Dialogue 1
A: Are you supposed to be here?
B: Yes, I’m supposed to meet my manager.
Dialogue 2
A: Do you still live in Chicago?
B: No. I used to live there though.
Dialogue 3
A: Do you have to work tomorrow?
B: Yeah, I have to be there early.
Read each dialogue again, and this time, concentrate on the phrases:
supposed to
used to
have to
Make sure the sounds connect rather than treating each word as a separate unit.
Shadowing Practice
Now for this week’s shadowing passage. First, read it slowly and carefully, then read it again using natural connected speech. Finally, record yourself and compare your pronunciation with the version heard on this week’s podcast.
I used to work in an office downtown, but now I work from home most of the time. I’m supposed to have a meeting tomorrow morning, so I have to get up early. My manager said I should call him if I have any questions, and I think I’ll probably do that tonight. As my manager, he has to help me if I ever need it.
As you practice, listen especially for:
- used to
- supposed to
- have to
- has to
This Week’s Listening Challenge
Find an American podcast, TV show, movie, or interview, and listen for these phrases:
- supposed to
- used to
- have to
- has to
Ask yourself if you heard:
suppose-ta?
yoos-ta?
haf-ta?
has-ta?
Then shadow the sentence yourself. This is a great way to train your ear to recognize connected speech while simultaneously improving your own pronunciation.
