Tim
Hi. I'm Tim and this is my Pronunciation workshop. Here I'm going to show you how English is really spoken. It'll help you become a better listener and a more fluent speaker. Come on, let's go inside. Here's a question for you: When is a tea not a tea? Well, this is the answer. What is it? And what colour is it? Let's go to the streets of London to find out.

Voxpops
It's a white piece of paper.
It's a white piece of paper.
That is a white piece of paper.
That's a white piece of paper.
That is a white piece of paper.

Tim
Now the word 'white' ends in the sound /t/ doesn't it? Or does it? Let's have another listen.

Voxpops
It's a white piece of paper.
It's a white piece of paper.
That is a white piece of paper.
That's a white piece of paper.
That is a white piece of paper.

Tim
In fluent speech, if one word ends in a /t/ sound and the next word begins in a /p/ sound, the /t/ is pronounced slightly differently. In fact, we pronounce it as if it were almost a /p/ sound. So 'white piece of paper' becomes 'whi(te) piece of paper'. Let's take another look, this time in slow motion:

Voxpops
whi(te) piece
whi(te) piece
whi(te) piece
whi(te) piece
whi(te) piece of paper

Tim
Interesting, hey? This is an example of how sounds change in everyday speech - and it's called assimilation. Here are some more examples:

Examples
There are lots of grea(t) parks in London.
I love spli(t) pea soup.
I ha(te) potatoes.
My ma(te) picked us up from the airport.

Tim
Right, so, you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. Are you ready to have a go? Listen and repeat.

Examples
There are lots of great parks in London.
I love split pea soup.
I hate potatoes.
My mate picked us up from the airport.

Tim
How did you get on?

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