Contractions & Linking

Contractions with be combine a subject and a form like is, are, was, or were into a shorter sound used in speech and informal writing. Here are some common examples.

Contractions with have often appear when have is an auxiliary in perfect tenses, shortening forms like I've, you've, and they've. They make speech faster and more natural.

Contractions with will join a subject to 'll and are common in speech for quick future or voluntary actions. They work for all subjects: I'll, you'll, he'll, she'll, we'll, they'll.

Contractions with would use 'd and can shorten either would or had depending on context; they appear in conditionals, offers, and past time. Examples include I'd, you'd, he'd, she'd, we'd, they'd.

Negative contractions combine verbs with not to shorten forms like isn't, aren't, wasn't, weren't, don't, doesn't, didn't, and can't; these are essential for natural speech and quick denial. Here are some frequent negative contractions.

When a word ends in a consonant sound and the next begins with a vowel sound, speakers link them by pronouncing the consonant at the start of the second word; this makes phrases glide together naturally. For example, pick it up sounds like pick-it-up.

Between two vowel sounds, speakers often insert a small linking sound like w, y, or r to bridge the gap and make speech smoother; the type of sound depends on the vowels involved. For example, go on can sound like go-w-on and try it like try-y-it.

When one word ends and the next begins with the same consonant sound, speakers usually pronounce the sound once, merging the two words; this speeds up speech and avoids repetition. For example, pick kind sounds like pickind.

Elision happens when a sound is dropped in fast speech, usually an unstressed consonant like t or d between sounds; this makes phrases shorter and more fluid. For example, next day can sound like nex day.

Intrusion is when a linking sound like w, y, or r is added between two words even though it isn't in the spelling, to ease the transition between vowel sounds. For example, I saw it may sound like I saw-r-it.

Contractions speed up speech by shortening common word pairs, and linking joins sounds so phrases flow naturally; mastering both helps you sound more fluent and easy to understand. Practice these patterns aloud in everyday sentences.