Omission of a sound (often /t/, /d/, or /h/) in rapid or casual speech to maintain rhythm.
| Written Form | Natural Pronunciation | Elided Sound | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friends | /frɛnz/ | /d/ | /d/ dropped between /n/ and /z/ |
| Next day | /nɛks deɪ/ | /t/ | /t/ dropped between /k/ and /d/ |
| Old man | /oʊl mæn/ | /d/ | /d/ dropped between /l/ and /m/ |
| Asked her | /æsktər/ | /h/ | /h/ in “her” is dropped |
| Must be | /məs biː/ | /t/ | /t/ dropped in casual speech |
| Left side | /lɛf saɪd/ | /t/ | /t/ dropped between /f/ and /s/ |
| Told you | /toʊldʒu/ | /d/ | /d/ merges with /j/ to form /ʤ/ |
| Suppose so | /spəʊsəʊ/ | /z/ | /z/ dropped in fast speech |
| Want to | /wɑnə/ | /t/ | /t/ dropped and reduced to schwa |
| Could you | /kʊdʒu/ | /d/ | /d/ and /j/ merge into /ʤ/ |
| Would you | /wʊdʒu/ | /d/ | /d/ and /j/ merge into /ʤ/ |
| Don’t know | /doʊnəʊ/ | /t/ | /t/ dropped in casual speech |
| Used to | /juːstə/ | /d/ | /d/ dropped before /t/ |
| Hard work | /hɑːr wɜːk/ | /d/ | /d/ dropped between /r/ and /w/ |
| Just one | /ʤəs wʌn/ | /t/ | /t/ dropped between /s/ and /w/ |
| Best idea | /bɛs taɪˈdiːə/ | /t/ | /t/ dropped between /s/ and /aɪ/ |
| Fact sheet | /fæk ʃiːt/ | /t/ | /t/ dropped between /k/ and /ʃ/ |
| Kept going | /kɛp ɡoʊɪŋ/ | /t/ | /t/ dropped between /p/ and /ɡ/ |
| Helped me | /hɛlp miː/ | /t/ | /t/ dropped between /p/ and /m/ |
| Asked me | /æsk miː/ | /t/ | /t/ dropped between /s/ and /m/ |