Speak like a native using movies!
Hi everyone

This is my third time to try to post this question, I don't know if the problem was from my internet or it was from the site ????

Anyway, there someone who said you can learn how to speak like a native from movies!

So i started to do that, but i notice there were some words a character doesn't say it like the substitle

For example, What was written in substitle:i believe in each one of you.
But the character said: i believe in each one you.

Another example, in subtitle: are you crying?
But the character said: you crying?

I'm confused now, is there something wrong with my ears or they usually contract some words?

Thank you in advance.

Question

Speak like a native using movies!
Hi everyone

This is my third time to try to post this question, I don't know if the problem was from my internet or it was from the site ????

Anyway, there someone who said you can learn how to speak like a native from movies!

So i started to do that, but i notice there were some words a character doesn't say it like the substitle

For example, What was written in substitle:i believe in each one of you.
But the character said: i believe in each one you.

Another example, in subtitle: are you crying?
But the character said: you crying?

I'm confused now, is there something wrong with my ears or they usually contract some words?

Thank you in advance.

Answer

Certain sounds can get contracted in speech. I don't have the audio in question but these are my guesses as to why what you are hearing seems to differ from the subtitles:

In the first case, "of" has probably been reduced to a very short "uh" sound which is barely noticeable unless you are used to it.

In the second case "are" is probably present as a very short "a" sound.

In both cases the sound will run into the word "you" as well. You would hear "uhyou" or "ayou".

Try listening again to see if you can pick out these small sounds.

Answer

It's probably your limited exposure to native speaking, so you may not pick up on it.

In both your examples the word before "you" is sometimes spoken a bit faster and somewhat contracted, so non-native ears may not recognise it.

"Of" can sound a bit like 'o-', and this sound blends in with the 'y' sound of 'you' - it becomes something like 'each wanna you'. I'm guessing this is the sound you're mistaking as 'each one you'

Same deal with "are", however it's true, sometimes the 'are' is omitted in a question like that.
E.G. "You okay?"

Answers · 2

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