Vowels & Consonants

To understand linking, it is important to know the difference between vowel sounds and consonant sounds. Here is a table of English vowels and consonants:

vowels a   e   i   o   u  
consonants   b c d   f g h   j k l m n   p q r s t   v w x y z

The table shows the letters that are vowels and consonants. But the important thing in linking is the sound, not the letter. Often the letter and the sound are the same, but not always.

For example, the word "pay" ends with:

  • the consonant letter "y"
  • the vowel sound "a"

Here are some more examples:

  though know
ends with the letter h w
ends with the sound o o
 
  uniform honest
begins with the letter u h
begins with the sound y o

Linking Consonant to Vowel

When a word ends in a consonant sound, we often move the consonant sound to the beginning of the next word if it starts with a vowel sound.

For example, in the phrase "turn off":

We write it like this: turn off
We say it like this: tur noff

Remember that it's the sound that matters. In the next example, "have" ends with:

  • the letter "e" (vowel)
  • the sound "v" (consonant)

So we link "have" to the next word "a" which begins with a vowel sound:

We write it like this: Can I have a bit of egg?
We say it like this: Ca-nI-ha-va-bi-to-fegg?

Linking Vowel to Vowel

When one word ends with a vowel sound and the next word begins with a vowel sound, we link the words with a sort of W or Y sound.

oo
º
 If our lips are round at the end of the first word, we insert a W sound:
 
We write it like this: too often who is so I do all
We say it like this: tooWoften whoWis soWI doWall
 
oo
–
 If our lips are wide at the end of the first word, we insert a Y sound:
 
We write it like this: I am Kay is the end she asked
We say it like this: IYam KayYis theYend sheYasked