Listening to native speakers using English can be difficult. Sometimes it's because of vocabulary, idioms, or speed, but often, it's because of two things: linking and reductions.
Linking happens when two words or syllables are connected by a consonant. Sometimes, this makes the two words sound like one.
Reduction is when a native speaker reduces (make smaller/shorter/simpler) words, especially when they are not emphasized (ex. structure words like "be" or "I").
Mairzy Doats
This game is based on a song that my mother used to sing to me when I was a child. The linking in this song is so intense, I thought 6 words in the song were just one word. Can you figure out what the words are in this song?
Now review the following vocabulary and listen to the song again.
Mare
[mejr]
|
female horse
|
|
Oats
[owts]
|
a grain
|
|
Doe
[dow]
|
female deer
|
|
Lamb
[læm]
|
baby sheep
|
|
Ivy
[ajvij]
|
plant
|
|
Kid
[kɪd]
|
baby goat
|
|
Can you guess the lyrics of the song now?
Check your work below..
Mares eat oats and does eat oats
And little lambs eat ivy.
A kid'll eat ivy too, wouldn't you?
(For more listening practice, visit http://esl-lab.com or http://ted.com.)
How did you do? Could you understand the words? Leave a comment and let us know!
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