Office dialogue | Pronunciation Shadowing

Hard words

The longest, least common words in this video. Say them slowly before you start.

• pronunciation
• conversation
• highlighted
• information
• pronouncing
• colleagues
• sandwiched
• carefully

Transcript: 90 sentences

Tap a sentence to start the drill right there.

1. 0:00 Why do native English speakers commonly make this mistake?
2. 0:06 And how can it improve your pronunciation?
3. 0:10 You're going to listen to, and shadow, a conversation between my colleagues in the office.
4. 0:18 That means you need to listen to and repeat what they say, like an echo.
5. 0:25 I think I might have mentioned it.
6. 0:27 Click here to find out what shadowing is - and if you already know, let's get on with the dialogue.
7. 0:38 Did you get up to much at the weekend?
8. 0:42 Yeah, I went to the pub with my friends.
9. 0:44 You should have come.
10. 0:46 Well, if you'd told me, I would have.
11. 0:50 I think I might have mentioned it.
12. 0:53 I don't think you did.
13. 0:55 Oh, right.
14. 0:56 Sorry.
15. 0:57 I should have sent you a message.
16. 0:58 Let's look at the pronunciation of these words first.
17. 1:04 Should've, would've, might've.
18. 1:09 A common mistake that native speakers make is writing 'should of' or 'would of' instead.
19. 1:17 That's because the shortened version of 'have' has the same pronunciation as 'of' in natural speech.
20. 1:27 They're both /əv/.
21. 1:31 We have lots of students.
22. 1:36 I should've brought my coat.
23. 1:40 Let's practise those words again.
24. 1:43 Should've.
25. 1:48 Would've.
26. 1:52 Might've.
27. 1:56 Listen to how my colleague says 'should have' in this sentence.
28. 2:02 I should have sent you a message.
29. 2:04 We can also get rid of the /v/ sound entirely and say 'shoulda'.
30. 2:12 Repeat after me.
31. 2:16 'Shoulda'.
32. 2:17 I 'shoulda' sent you a message.
33. 2:26 Let's watch the rest of the dialogue.
34. 2:28 By the way, I'm going on holiday to Malta this weekend.
35. 2:32 Lucky you.
36. 2:33 I went there last year, but we had quite cold weather.
37. 2:38 I think it's supposed to be okay at the moment.
38. 2:41 Oh, that reminds me.
39. 2:42 Can you lend me your snorkel?
40. 2:44 I want to go swimming in the sea.
41. 2:47 I wouldn't recommend going this time of year.
42. 2:49 There are lots of jellyfish.
43. 2:52 Oh, dear.
44. 2:54 Have a great time though, and don't forget to send me a postcard.
45. 2:58 Can you hear a /d/ sound in these highlighted words?
46. 3:02 Cold weather.
47. 3:05 Lend me your snorkel.
48. 3:09 I wouldn't recommend going swimming.
49. 3:13 Send me a postcard.
50. 3:16 I'm not pronouncing the final /d/ sound in these words.
51. 3:21 When a 'd' is sandwiched between two consonant sounds like in these words, we don't usually pronounce it in natural speech.
52. 3:31 We had other examples too.
53. 3:34 For example, we say 'friends' and 'reminds'.
54. 3:42 Repeat after me, and try not to pronounce those /d/ sounds.
55. 3:48 Cold weather.
56. 3:53 Lend me your snorkel.
57. 4:00 Recommend going.
58. 4:07 I wouldn't recommend going swimming.
59. 4:15 Send me a postcard.
60. 4:21 Okay.
61. 4:22 Let's practise that once again and see if you can improve your pronunciation.
62. 4:28 Let's go.
63. 4:32 Did you get up to much at the weekend?
64. 4:36 Yeah, I went to the pub with my friends.
65. 4:38 You should have come.
66. 4:40 Well, if you'd told me, I would have.
67. 4:43 I think I might have mentioned it.
68. 4:47 I don't think you did.
69. 4:49 Oh, right.
70. 4:49 Sorry.
71. 4:50 I should have sent you a message.
72. 4:52 By the way, I'm going on holiday to Malta this weekend.
73. 4:58 Lucky you.
74. 4:59 I went there last year, but we had quite cold weather.
75. 5:02 I think it's supposed to be okay at the moment.
76. 5:05 Oh, that reminds me.
77. 5:06 Can you lend me your snorkel?
78. 5:08 I want to go swimming in the sea.
79. 5:11 I wouldn't recommend going this time of year.
80. 5:13 There are lots of jellyfish.
81. 5:16 Oh, dear.
82. 5:17 Have a great time though, and don't forget to send me a postcard.
83. 5:22 How was your pronunciation this time?
84. 5:25 Try recording yourself reading the story after the video and listen carefully to where you can improve.
85. 5:33 You can download a short audio file of the story by clicking here.
86. 5:39 And for more information on the elision of /d/, click here.
87. 5:44 What did you do this weekend?
88. 5:46 Have you got any plans for this weekend?
89. 5:49 Tell us in the comments - and see you in the next video.
90. 5:54 Bye!

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