Linking Same and Similar Continuous Consonants

Continuous consonant sounds are created when air flows continuously through a constricted area of the vocal tract. When pronouncing continuous consonants, the air is never completely blocked by any part of the vocal tract.

To link from one continuous consonant into the same continuous consonant, the linked consonant sound is extended, or pronounced for a slightly longer amount of time than a normal, single sound.

For example, the r sound is a continuous consonant. When the r sound is linked to another r sound, the r sound is pronounced for more time than if it is linked to a different sound. Compare the phrase "more rice" (linking r sound to r sound) to the phrase "more ice" (linking r sound to vowel sound). The r sound of the phrase "more rice" is said for a longer duration.

Compare:

	more ice	(less duration r sound)
	more rice	(longer duration r sound)

Practice linking the same continuous consonant:

1.		phone number	Could I get his phone number?
2.		cancer research	They specialize in cancer research.
3.		feel like	I feel like having pizza for lunch.
4.		enough for	That's enough for now.
5.		everyone knows	I think everyone knows already.
6.		human nature	Human nature is still a mystery.
7.		science center	Have you seen the new science center?
8.		enormous success	The presentation was an enormous success!
9.		with therapy	She'll improve with therapy.
10.		path through	There's a nice path through the park.

Fricatives are a type of continuous consonants that have voiced and unvoiced sounds. Voiced and unvoiced pairs are created with the same shape of the vocal tract; the difference between the sounds is whether the vocal cords vibrate during the sound or not. To transition between voiced and unvoiced counterparts, the vocal cords must turn on or off during the sound. There should be no break or silence between linked voiced/unvoiced pairs.

Practice linking similar continuous consonants:

1.		was sitting	The dog was sitting on the porch.
2.		incentive for	They offered the participants a financial incentive for their participation.
3.		have forgotten	Louise may have forgotten to bring her medication.
4.		beneath the	Submersible vehicles travel deep beneath the surface of the ocean.
5.		wife vacation	He and his wife vacation in Mexico.
6.		native flowers	The volunteers planted native flowers in the undergrowth.
7.		enough votes	There weren't enough votes to pass the regulation.
8.		massage shouldn't	A massage shouldn't leave a bruise.
9.		these scissors	These scissors are dull.
10.		is sick	Kristen is sick again today.

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