Elision and Assimilation

Sounds drop or change in fast speech.

Examples

• handbag → hambag

Key rules

• In fast speech, sounds drop out (elision) or change to match nearby sounds (assimilation)
• For example, handbag is often pronounced hambag
• These changes are normal in natural speech and help you understand fast listening

Common mistakes

• handbag pronounced /ˈhændbæɡ/ → Hear it as /ˈhæmbæɡ/ in fast speech
• don't you pronounced /dəʊnt juː/ → Hear it as /dəʊntʃə/

Use cases

• Understanding fast speech
• Watching films and series
• Improving listening