Native English speakers use the following 4 strategies to link words together when they speak.
Removing a sound - Elision
fast car becomes fas_ car
Changing a sound - Assimilation
that man becomes thap man
Adding a sound - Liaison
two apples becomes two wapples
Moving a sound - Juncture
not at all becomes no ta tall
Pronunciation: Linking Strategies
When listening to an English native speaker, do you sometimes find it difficult to hear where one word ends and another begins?
It's probably because native speakers join or link words when they speak so that it's easier to speak quickly. And to achieve this linking they may have to remove sounds, modify sounds, add sounds or move sounds. For an explanation of the 4 linking strategies, click here.