Contraction: it’s + a

Let’s check the practice sentences from last week.
Where is the linking?

1.  Go for a drive. [for a = fo ra]

2.  Take a long nap. [take a = ta ka]

3.  Work on a website. [work on a = wor ka na]

4.  Read a good book. [read a = rea da]

And now we want to practice linking with the contraction:  it’s + a.

We use the same linking pattern as in lesson #1 :
consonant sound + vowel sound.

First, read the sentences below.  Where do we link?

Here are 4 sentences to say that something is easy to do.

1.  It’s a breeze.
2.  It’s a walk in the park.
3.  It’s a snap.
4.  It’s a piece of cake.

Now listen to how I say them with linking.

1. It’s a breeze.= it sa breeze

2.  It’s a walk in the park. = it sa wa kin the park

3.  It’s a snap. = it sa snap

4. It’s a piece of cake. = it sa piece a cake

You don’t hear:   /ə/
You hear:   /sə/

You don’t hear:   it’s a
You hear:   it sa   /It – sə/

Here are the 4 sentences in Prator & Robinett transcription.

1.  /It – sə  – briyz/
2.  /It – sə  – wɔ – kIn – ðə – pa – ɚk/
3.  /It – sə  – snæp/
4.  /It – sə  – piy – sə – keyk/

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Related Lessons:

1. What is a vowel?   
2. What is a vowel sound?
3. What is a consonant?   
4. What is a consonant sound?

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