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Speech transitions: words and phrases to connect your ideas

June 28, 2018 - Gini Beqiri

When delivering presentations it’s important for your words and ideas to flow so your audience can understand how everything links together and why it’s all relevant.

This can be done using speech transitions because these act as signposts to the audience – signalling the relationship between points and ideas. This article explores how to use speech transitions in presentations.

What are speech transitions?

Speech transitions are words and phrases that allow you to smoothly move from one point to another so that your speech flows and your presentation is unified.

This makes it easier for the audience to understand your argument and without transitions the  audience may be confused  as to how one point relates to another and they may think you’re randomly jumping between points.

Types of transitions

Transitions can be one word, a phrase or a full sentence – there are many different types, here are a few:

Introduction

Introduce your topic:

• We will be looking at/identifying/investigating the effects of…
• Today I will be discussing…

Presentation outline

Inform the audience of the structure of your presentation:

• There are three key points I’ll be discussing…
• I want to begin by…, and then I’ll move on to…
• We’ll be covering… from two points of view…
• This presentation is divided into four parts…

Move from the introduction to the first point

Signify to the audience that you will now begin discussing the first main point:

• Now that you’re aware of the overview, let’s begin with…
• First, let’s begin with…
• I will first cover…
• My first point covers…
• To get started, let’s look at…

Shift between similar points

Move from one point to a similar one:

• In the same way…
• Likewise…
• Equally…
• This is similar to…
• Similarly…

Shift between disagreeing points

You may have to introduce conflicting ideas – bridging words and phrases are especially good for this:

• Conversely…
• Despite this…
• However…
• On the contrary…
• Now let’s consider…
• Even so…
• Nonetheless…
• We can’t ignore…
• On the other hand…

Transition to a significant issue

• Fundamentally…
• A major issue is…
• The crux of the matter…
• A significant concern is…

Referring to previous points

You may have to refer to something that you’ve already spoken about because, for example, there may have been a break or a fire alarm etc:

• Let’s return to…
• We briefly spoke about X earlier; let’s look at it in more depth now…
• Let’s revisit…
• Let’s go back to…
• Do you recall when I mentioned…

This can be also be useful to introduce a new point because adults learn better when new information builds on previously learned information.

Introducing an aside note

You may want to introduce a digression:

• I’d just like to mention…
• That reminds me…
• Incidentally…

Physical movement

You can  move your body  and your standing location when you transition to another point. The audience find it easier to follow your presentation and movement will increase their interest.

A common technique for incorporating movement into your presentation is to:

• Start your introduction by standing in the centre of the stage.
• For your first point you stand on the left side of the stage.
• You discuss your second point from the centre again.
• You stand on the right side of the stage for your third point.
• The conclusion occurs in the centre.

Emphasising importance

You need to ensure that the audience get the message by informing them why something is important:

• More importantly…
• This is essential…
• Primarily…
• Mainly…

Internal summaries

Internal summarising consists of summarising before moving on to the next point. You must inform the audience:

• What part of the presentation you covered – “In the first part of this speech we’ve covered…”
• What the key points were – “Precisely how…”
• How this links in with the overall presentation – “So that’s the context…”
• What you’re moving on to – “Now I’d like to move on to the second part of presentation which looks at…”

Cause and effect

You will have to transition to show relationships between factors:

• Therefore…
• Thus…
• Consequently…
• As a result…
• This is significant because…
• Hence…

Elaboration

• Also…
• Besides…
• What’s more…
• In addition/additionally…
• Moreover…
• Furthermore…

Point-by-point or steps of a process

• First/firstly/The first one is…
• Second/Secondly/The second one is…
• Third/Thirdly/The third one is…
• Last/Lastly/Finally/The fourth one is…

Introduce an example

• This is demonstrated by…
• For instance…
• Take the case of…
• For example…
• You may be asking whether this happens in X? The answer is yes…
• To show/illustrate/highlight this…
• Let me illustrate this by…

Transition to a demonstration

• Now that we’ve covered the theory, let’s practically apply it…
• I’ll conduct an experiment to show you this in action…
• Let me demonstrate this…
• I’ll now show you this…

Introducing a quotation

• X was a supporter of this thinking because he said…
• There is a lot of support for this, for example, X said…

Transition to another speaker

In a  group presentation  you must transition to other speakers:

• Briefly recap on what you covered in your section: “So that was a brief introduction on what health anxiety is and how it can affect somebody”
• Introduce the next speaker in the team and explain what they will discuss: “Now Gayle will talk about the prevalence of health anxiety.”
• Then end by looking at the next speaker, gesturing towards them and saying their name: “Gayle”.
• The next speaker should acknowledge this with a quick: “Thank you Simon.”

From these examples, you can see how the different sections of the presentations link which makes it easier for the audience to follow and remain engaged.

You can  tell personal stories  or share the experiences of others to introduce a point. Anecdotes are especially valuable for your introduction and between different sections of the presentation because they engage the audience. Ensure that you plan the stories thoroughly beforehand and that they are not too long.

Using questions

You can transition through your speech by asking questions and these questions also have the benefit of engaging your audience more. There are three different types of questions:

Direct questions require an answer: “What is the capital of Italy?” These are mentally stimulating for the audience.

Rhetorical questions  do not require answers, they are often used to emphasises an idea or point: “Is the Pope catholic?

Loaded questions contain an unjustified assumption made to prompt the audience into providing a particular answer which you can then correct to support your point: You may ask “Why does your wonderful company have such a low incidence of mental health problems?”.

The audience will generally answer that they’re happy. After receiving the answers you could then say “Actually it’s because people are still unwilling and too embarrassed to seek help for mental health issues at work etc.”

Transition to a visual aid

If you are going to introduce a visual aid you must prepare the audience with what they’re going to see, for example, you might be leading into a diagram that supports your statement. Also, before you  show the visual aid , explain why you’re going to show it, for example, “This graph is a significant piece of evidence supporting X”.

When the graphic is on display get the audience to focus on it:

• The table indicates…
• As you can see…
• I’d like to direct your attention to…

Explain what the visual is showing:

• You can see that there has been a reduction in…
• The diagram is comparing the…

Using a visual aid to transition

Visual aids can also be used as transitions and they have the benefit of being stimulating and breaking-up vocal transitions.

You might have a slide with just a picture on it to signify to the audience that you’re moving on to a new point – ensure that this image is relevant to the point. Many speakers like to use cartoons for this purpose but ensure its suitable for your audience.

Always summarise your key points first in the conclusion:

• Let’s recap on what we’ve spoken about today…
• Let me briefly summarise the main points…

And then conclude:

If you have a shorter speech you may choose to  end your presentation  with one statement:

• In short…
• To sum up…
• In a nutshell…
• To summarise…
• In conclusion…

However, using statements such as “To conclude” may cause the audience to stop listening. It’s better to say:

• I’d like to leave you with this…
• What you should take away from this is…
• Finally, I want to say…

Call to action

Requesting the audience to do something at the end of the presentation:

• You may be thinking how can I help in this matter? Well…
• My aim is to encourage you to go further and…
• What I’m requesting of you is…

Common mistakes

When transitions are used poorly you can annoy and confuse the audience. Avoid:

• Using transitions that are too short – transitions are a key part of ensuring the audience understands your presentation so spend sufficient time linking to your next idea.
• Too many tangents – any digressions should still be relevant to the topic and help the audience with their understanding, otherwise cut them out.
• Incompatible transitions – for example, if you’re about to introduce an example that supports your statement you wouldn’t introduce this by saying “but”. Use transitions that signify the relationship between points.
• Over-using the same transition because this is boring for the audience to hear repeatedly. Ensure that there is variety with your transitions, consider including visual transitions.
• Miscounting your transitions – for example, don’t say “first point”, “second point”, “next point” – refer to your points consistently.

Speech transitions are useful for unifying and connecting your presentation. The audience are more likely to remain engaged since they’ll be able to follow your points. But remember that it’s important to practice your transitions beforehand and not just the content of your arguments because you risk looking unprofessional and confusing the audience if the presentation does not flow smoothly.

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• Transition Words & Phrases | List & Examples

Transition Words & Phrases | List & Examples

Published on May 29, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 23, 2023.

Transition words and phrases (also called linking words, connecting words, or transitional words) are used to link together different ideas in your text. They help the reader to follow your arguments by expressing the relationships between different sentences or parts of a sentence.

The proposed solution to the problem did not work. Therefore , we attempted a second solution. However , this solution was also unsuccessful.

For clear writing, it’s essential to understand the meaning of transition words and use them correctly.

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Table of contents

When and how to use transition words, types and examples of transition words, common mistakes with transition words, other interesting articles.

Transition words commonly appear at the start of a new sentence or clause (followed by a comma ), serving to express how this clause relates to the previous one.

Transition words can also appear in the middle of a clause. It’s important to place them correctly to convey the meaning you intend.

Example text with and without transition words

The text below describes all the events it needs to, but it does not use any transition words to connect them. Because of this, it’s not clear exactly how these different events are related or what point the author is making by telling us about them.

If we add some transition words at appropriate moments, the text reads more smoothly and the relationship among the events described becomes clearer.

Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Consequently , France and the United Kingdom declared war on Germany. The Soviet Union initially worked with Germany in order to partition Poland. However , Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.

Don’t overuse transition words

While transition words are essential to clear writing, it’s possible to use too many of them. Consider the following example, in which the overuse of linking words slows down the text and makes it feel repetitive.

In this case the best way to fix the problem is to simplify the text so that fewer linking words are needed.

The key to using transition words effectively is striking the right balance. It is difficult to follow the logic of a text with no transition words, but a text where every sentence begins with a transition word can feel over-explained.

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There are four main types of transition word: additive, adversative, causal, and sequential. Within each category, words are divided into several more specific functions.

Remember that transition words with similar meanings are not necessarily interchangeable. It’s important to understand the meaning of all the transition words you use. If unsure, consult a dictionary to find the precise definition.

Additive transition words

Additive transition words introduce new information or examples. They can be used to expand upon, compare with, or clarify the preceding text.

Adversative transition words

Adversative transition words always signal a contrast of some kind. They can be used to introduce information that disagrees or contrasts with the preceding text.

Causal transition words

Causal transition words are used to describe cause and effect. They can be used to express purpose, consequence, and condition.

Sequential transition words

Sequential transition words indicate a sequence, whether it’s the order in which events occurred chronologically or the order you’re presenting them in your text. They can be used for signposting in academic texts.

Transition words are often used incorrectly. Make sure you understand the proper usage of transition words and phrases, and remember that words with similar meanings don’t necessarily work the same way grammatically.

Misused transition words can make your writing unclear or illogical. Your audience will be easily lost if you misrepresent the connections between your sentences and ideas.

Confused use of therefore

“Therefore” and similar cause-and-effect words are used to state that something is the result of, or follows logically from, the previous. Make sure not to use these words in a way that implies illogical connections.

• We asked participants to rate their satisfaction with their work from 1 to 10. Therefore , the average satisfaction among participants was 7.5.

The use of “therefore” in this example is illogical: it suggests that the result of 7.5 follows logically from the question being asked, when in fact many other results were possible. To fix this, we simply remove the word “therefore.”

• We asked participants to rate their satisfaction with their work from 1 to 10. The average satisfaction among participants was 7.5.

Starting a sentence with also , and , or so

While the words “also,” “and,” and “so” are used in academic writing, they are considered too informal when used at the start of a sentence.

• Also , a second round of testing was carried out.

To fix this issue, we can either move the transition word to a different point in the sentence or use a more formal alternative.

• A second round of testing was also carried out.
• Additionally , a second round of testing was carried out.

Transition words creating sentence fragments

Words like “although” and “because” are called subordinating conjunctions . This means that they introduce clauses which cannot stand on their own. A clause introduced by one of these words should always follow or be followed by another clause in the same sentence.

The second sentence in this example is a fragment, because it consists only of the “although” clause.

• Smith (2015) argues that the period should be reassessed. Although other researchers disagree.

We can fix this in two different ways. One option is to combine the two sentences into one using a comma. The other option is to use a different transition word that does not create this problem, like “however.”

• Smith (2015) argues that the period should be reassessed, although other researchers disagree.
• Smith (2015) argues that the period should be reassessed. However , other researchers disagree.

And vs. as well as

Students often use the phrase “ as well as ” in place of “and,” but its usage is slightly different. Using “and” suggests that the things you’re listing are of equal importance, while “as well as” introduces additional information that is less important.

• Chapter 1 discusses some background information on Woolf, as well as presenting my analysis of To the Lighthouse .

In this example, the analysis is more important than the background information. To fix this mistake, we can use “and,” or we can change the order of the sentence so that the most important information comes first. Note that we add a comma before “as well as” but not before “and.”

• Chapter 1 discusses some background information on Woolf and presents my analysis of To the Lighthouse .
• Chapter 1 presents my analysis of To the Lighthouse , as well as discussing some background information on Woolf.

Note that in fixed phrases like “both x and y ,” you must use “and,” not “as well as.”

• Both my results as well as my interpretations are presented below.
• Both my results and my interpretations are presented below.

Use of and/or

The combination of transition words “and/or” should generally be avoided in academic writing. It makes your text look messy and is usually unnecessary to your meaning.

First consider whether you really do mean “and/or” and not just “and” or “or.” If you are certain that you need both, it’s best to separate them to make your meaning as clear as possible.

• Participants were asked whether they used the bus and/or the train.
• Participants were asked whether they used the bus, the train, or both.

Archaic transition words

Words like “hereby,” “therewith,” and most others formed by the combination of “here,” “there,” or “where” with a preposition are typically avoided in modern academic writing. Using them makes your writing feel old-fashioned and strained and can sometimes obscure your meaning.

• Poverty is best understood as a disease. Hereby , we not only see that it is hereditary, but acknowledge its devastating effects on a person’s health.

These words should usually be replaced with a more explicit phrasing expressing how the current statement relates to the preceding one.

• Poverty is best understood as a disease. Understanding it as such , we not only see that it is hereditary, but also acknowledge its devastating effects on a person’s health.

Using a paraphrasing tool for clear writing

With the use of certain tools, you can make your writing clear. One of these tools is a paraphrasing tool . One thing the tool does is help your sentences make more sense. It has different modes where it checks how your text can be improved. For example, automatically adding transition words where needed.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or writing rules make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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Public Speaking Helpline

Speech Transitions: Words And Phrases to Connect Your Ideas

Speech transitions are important as they connect ideas and maintain a smooth flow. These transitions help guide the audience through the speech effectively.

Effective communication is crucial in delivering a compelling speech. To engage and captivate an audience, it is essential to connect ideas seamlessly. Speech transitions serve as connectors between different thoughts and ensure a logical progression of ideas. By employing suitable words and phrases, a speaker can enhance the flow of their speech and maintain the audience’s attention.

We will explore various words and phrases that can be used to connect ideas in a speech. These transitions play a vital role in conveying the message effectively and leaving a lasting impact on the listeners.

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Table of Contents

Why Are Speech Transitions Important In Public Speaking?

Speech transitions play a crucial role in public speaking by connecting ideas seamlessly. These words and phrases help maintain the flow of the speech and captivate the audience, ensuring a clear and coherent delivery.

Speech transitions play a significant role in public speaking. They serve as vital connectors that link together various ideas and concepts in a seamless manner. By using appropriate words and phrases to transition between different points, speakers can maintain the flow and coherence of their speech.

Here’s why speech transitions are important:

Benefits Of Using Speech Transitions:

• Enhance clarity: Transitions help speakers to clearly communicate their ideas and thoughts to the audience. By using transition words and phrases, they can guide the listeners through the different sections of their speech, making it easier to follow.
• Improve understanding: Effective transitions ensure that the audience can easily grasp the connections between ideas and concepts. This helps to prevent any confusion or misinterpretation of the speaker’s message.
• Increase engagement: Speech transitions prevent a monotonous or disjointed delivery, making the speech more engaging for the audience. By smoothly moving from one idea to another, the speaker captures the listeners’ attention and keeps them actively involved throughout the presentation.
• Highlight key points: Transitions can be used strategically to emphasize important information or key points. By signaling the significance of certain ideas, speakers can ensure that these points are understood and remembered by the audience.

Impact On Audience Engagement:

• Retention of information: With the help of effective speech transitions, speakers can enhance the audience’s ability to retain and recall the information presented. Logical connections created through transitions make it easier for listeners to process and remember the content.
• Focused attention: Well-placed transitions help to maintain the audience’s focus and prevent their minds from wandering. By smoothly transitioning between ideas, speakers keep the listeners engaged and attentive.
• Active participation: Speech transitions encourage the audience to actively participate in the speech. Clear connections between ideas enable listeners to anticipate the direction of the speech, allowing them to make connections and draw conclusions alongside the speaker.
• Emotionally connect: Transitions can also have an emotional impact on the audience. By using appropriate words and phrases, speakers can evoke specific feelings, making the speech more memorable and impactful.

Creating a smooth and coherent flow:

• Logical progression: Transitions facilitate a logical progression of ideas, enabling the speaker to present their thoughts in a structured manner. This ensures that the audience can easily follow the speaker’s intended flow of information.
• Seamless connection: Speech transitions act as bridges between different ideas or sections, creating a seamless connection between them. This helps to establish a sense of continuity in the speech, preventing any abrupt shifts in topic or subject matter.
• Professional delivery: The use of speech transitions demonstrates a speaker’s professionalism and command over their subject. It showcases their ability to present complex ideas in a clear and organized manner.

By recognizing the importance of speech transitions and incorporating them into public speaking, speakers can enhance the effectiveness of their presentations, captivate their audience, and ensure that their message is delivered with impact.

Types Of Speech Transitions

Discover various types of speech transitions that effectively connect ideas and thoughts in your speech. These words and phrases seamlessly guide the flow of your presentation, keeping your audience engaged and interested. Improve your public speaking skills with these powerful speech transition techniques.

Transition words and phrases play a crucial role in connecting your ideas and making your speech or presentation flow smoothly. By using these linguistic tools, you can create a cohesive and engaging narrative that keeps your listeners hooked. In this section, we will explore the different types of speech transitions, including transition words and phrases, verbal transitions, and nonverbal transitions.

Transition Words And Phrases:

• First and foremost, transition words and phrases serve as the glue that holds your speech together. They facilitate the logical progression of your ideas and help your audience follow along effortlessly.
• Additionally, transition words and phrases add clarity and coherence to your speech, ensuring that your message is easily understood.
• Moreover, they signal shifts in topic, introduce examples, emphasize crucial points, and establish cause-and-effect relationships.
• Furthermore, transition words and phrases enable you to create smooth transitions between different sections of your speech, which is essential for maintaining audience engagement.

Verbal Transitions:

• Verbal transitions involve the use of spoken words or phrases to guide your audience from one idea to another seamlessly.
• For instance, you can use phrases like “now, let’s move on to…”, “in relation to…”, or “on the other hand…” to smoothly transition between topics.
• Likewise, starting a sentence with phrases such as “in the same vein…”, “to illustrate my point…”, or “another key aspect is…” can effectively connect your ideas and make your speech more coherent.
• Furthermore, verbally signaling your intention to transition, using phrases like “now, let’s shift gears and discuss…”, “next up, we’ll explore…”, or “in light of this information…” can help your audience anticipate and comprehend your transitions better.

Nonverbal Transitions:

• Nonverbal transitions involve actions, gestures, or visuals that complement your verbal transitions, reinforcing the connections between your ideas.
• Use physical cues, such as changing your stance, moving to a different part of the stage, or making eye contact with a specific audience member, to signify a transition.
• Similarly, employing visual aids like slides, charts, or props can also assist in smoothly guiding your audience from one idea to the next.
• Additionally, adjusting your tone of voice, pausing strategically, or utilizing facial expressions can effectively emphasize the shift in ideas and engage your listeners.

Incorporating a variety of transition words and phrases, implementing verbal transitions, and utilizing nonverbal cues can greatly enhance the flow and impact of your speech. Integrating these techniques will help you maintain your audience’s attention and ensure that your ideas are communicated effectively.

So, let’s dive in and explore the world of speech transitions further!

Using Transition Words And Phrases

Discover the power of using speech transitions to seamlessly connect your ideas. By employing a variety of transition words and phrases, you can create a cohesive flow in your speech while keeping your audience engaged and interested. Swap repetitive terms for different expressions to ensure your content remains fresh and captivating.

Importance Of Strategic Placement:

• Transition words and phrases are essential in speech writing as they help to connect and smoothly organize ideas and thoughts.
• Strategic placement of transition words and phrases allows for a coherent flow of information, making it easier for the audience to follow the speaker’s train of thought.
• Proper use of transition words and phrases can enhance the overall impact of a speech by creating a logical progression of ideas and reinforcing key points.
• By strategically incorporating transition words and phrases, speakers can maintain the audience’s attention and prevent confusion or disengagement.

Commonly Used Transition Words:

• “furthermore”: Used to add another supporting point or to provide additional information.
• Example: Furthermore, research has shown that regular exercise improves overall mental health.
• “however”: Introduces a contrasting idea or viewpoint.
• Example: The study found that the new drug is effective; however, more research is needed to determine long-term effects.
• “meanwhile”: Shows a simultaneous action or event occurring.
• Example: The company was experiencing financial difficulties; meanwhile, their competitors were thriving.
• “moreover”: Indicates the addition of more information or evidence.
• Example: The data collected from the survey revealed alarming statistics; moreover, it highlighted the need for immediate action.

Connecting Ideas Within A Sentence:

• “similarly”: Demonstrates a likeness or similarity between two ideas.
• Example: The baby elephant walked with a wobble, similarly to a toddler taking their first steps.
• “in addition”: Introduces an additional piece of information or evidence.
• Example: The market research indicated a growing demand for organic products; in addition, consumer preferences were shifting towards sustainable packaging.
• “likewise”: Expresses similarity or agreement with a previous statement.
• Example: The new policy aims to increase employee satisfaction; likewise, it strives to improve overall productivity.
• “on the other hand”: Indicates a contrasting viewpoint or perspective.
• Example: The group was divided on the issue; on the other hand, some argued for immediate action while others preferred a more cautious approach.

Transition Phrases For Introducing New Points:

• “first and foremost”: Emphasizes the primary or most important point to be made.
• Example: First and foremost, it is crucial for individuals to prioritize their mental health.
• “another key point”: Introduces an additional significant idea or argument.
• Example: Another key point to consider is the impact of social media on mental well-being.
• “lastly”: Signals the final point or argument in a series or sequence.
• Example: Lastly, it is essential to provide accessible and affordable mental health services for all individuals.

Transition Words For Emphasizing Or Contrasting Ideas:

• “indeed”: Emphasizes and reinforces a previous point or statement.
• Example: The results of the study indeed highlight the need for further investigation.
• “contrarily”: Shows a contrasting or opposite perspective.
• Example: While some argue for stricter regulations, contrarily, others believe in the importance of personal freedoms.
• “in summary”: Provides a concise overview or recap of the main points discussed.
• Example: The research demonstrates the significant impact of early childhood education on future academic success.

Remember, incorporating these transition words and phrases into your speech can greatly enhance its overall effectiveness, making it more engaging and easy to follow. Use them strategically to guide your listeners through your ideas and ensure they stay connected and engaged with your message.

Incorporating Verbal Transitions

Discover the power of incorporating verbal transitions in your speech to effortlessly connect your ideas. Enhance your communication skills with carefully chosen phrases and words that keep your audience engaged and interested. Unlock the potential of seamless transitions for impactful speeches.

Establishing A Connection Between Ideas

• Incorporating verbal transitions is essential in speech delivery as it helps maintain a smooth flow of ideas. These transitions act as bridges between different thoughts, guiding the audience through your speech. By using the right words and phrases, you can establish clear connections between ideas, leaving a lasting impact on your listeners. Let’s explore some effective techniques for incorporating verbal transitions.

Using Clear Language And Cues

• Clear language and cues allow your audience to follow along effortlessly, ensuring that your ideas are effectively communicated. Consider the following strategies to enhance clarity in your speech:
• Signposting: The use of signposting phrases, such as “firstly,” “next,” or “” helps guide your audience through the structure of your speech, making it easier for them to follow your thought process.
• Repetition: Repeating key phrases or concepts throughout your speech can reinforce your ideas, making them more memorable for your audience.
• Pronouns: Utilize pronouns like “they,” “we,” or “you” to create a sense of inclusivity and engagement. This fosters a connection between you and your audience, encouraging active participation.

Examples Of Verbal Transition Techniques

• Here are some effective examples of verbal transition techniques to incorporate in your speech:
• Cause and effect: Use phrases like “as a result,” “consequently,” or “therefore” to highlight the cause and effect relationship between different ideas.
• Comparison and contrast: Employ phrases such as “similarly,” “on the other hand,” or “in contrast” to draw comparisons or highlight differences between ideas, helping your audience understand distinct concepts better.
• Time sequence: Signal the passage of time or progression of ideas with phrases like “before,” “afterward,” or “meanwhile.” This helps your audience follow the chronological order of events or thoughts.

Practice And Delivery Tips

• To improve your use of verbal transitions, consider these practice and delivery tips:
• Rehearse your speech: Practice delivering your speech multiple times, focusing on incorporating verbal transitions smoothly. This will help you become more comfortable and confident in your delivery.
• Record and review: Record yourself delivering the speech and take note of areas where verbal transitions can be improved. Analyzing your performance will enable you to refine your delivery and strengthen your speech.
• Seek feedback: Request constructive feedback or have a trusted person observe your speech. They can provide valuable insights on how to enhance your verbal transitions and overall impact.

Remember, incorporating verbal transitions in your speech not only enhances its coherence but also ensures that your ideas are effectively communicated and understood by your audience. By practicing and mastering these techniques, you’ll become a more engaging and persuasive speaker.

Keep honing your skills, and watch your speech captivate and inspire your listeners.

Leveraging Nonverbal Transitions

Discover the power of nonverbal transitions in connecting your ideas during speeches. Utilize effective words and phrases that enhance the flow of your presentation and engage your audience. Say goodbye to common speech transition pitfalls and captivate your listeners with seamless transitions.

In the realm of public speaking, effective speech transitions are crucial for connecting ideas and maintaining the attention of your audience. While verbal transitions are commonly employed, nonverbal cues can be just as powerful in conveying a seamless flow of thoughts.

This section will explore the various ways to leverage nonverbal transitions, including visual cues, body language, gestures and facial expressions, the importance of eye contact, and how to convey confidence and professionalism.

Visual Cues And Body Language:

• Visual cues play a vital role in indicating transitions and maintaining engagement during a speech.
• Use confident and purposeful body language to signify a change in topic or shift in ideas.
• Positioning yourself differently on stage or adjusting your stance can visually communicate a transition to your audience.
• Maintain an open and relaxed posture, which indicates a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Gestures And Facial Expressions:

• Utilize gestures and facial expressions to enhance the impact of your nonverbal transitions.
• Gesture with your hands to emphasize key points or signal a transition to a new idea.
• Employ facial expressions to convey enthusiasm, surprise, or seriousness, making your transitions more engaging and memorable.

Importance Of Eye Contact:

• Eye contact is a powerful nonverbal tool that establishes a connection with your audience and aids in smooth transitions.
• Engage with individuals in different parts of the room, ensuring that your eye contact is inclusive and not only focused on a single person or section.
• During transitions, maintain eye contact to signal that you are moving on to a new topic or idea.
• The use of eye contact can also help you gauge the audience’s reaction and adjust your delivery accordingly.

Conveying Confidence And Professionalism:

• Nonverbal transitions are instrumental in conveying confidence and professionalism throughout your speech.
• Maintain a calm and composed demeanor, which instills confidence in your audience.
• Avoid fidgeting or excessive movements that may distract from your message.
• By utilizing nonverbal cues effectively, you can create a sense of professionalism and competence, enhancing your overall speaker presence.

Incorporating nonverbal transitions into your speech can significantly improve its flow, captivate your audience, and reinforce your message. Visual cues, body language, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, and conveying confidence and professionalism are all essential elements in creating a seamless and engaging speaking experience.

Practice and master these nonverbal techniques to elevate your speech to new heights.

Transitioning Between Different Sections Of A Speech

Transitioning between different sections of a speech is crucial for maintaining a coherent flow and engaging the audience. By utilizing effective speech transitions, you can seamlessly connect your ideas, avoiding clichés and repetitive terms, to ensure a captivating and impactful delivery.

Transitioning between different sections of a speech is crucial to maintain the flow and coherence of your ideas. To ensure a smooth transition, consider using the following techniques:

Introducing A New Topic Or Main Idea

• Pose a question: Start a new section by asking a thought-provoking question that introduces your audience to the upcoming topic. For example, “have you ever wondered how technology has revolutionized the way we communicate?”
• Provide a brief anecdote or story: Capture your audience’s attention by sharing a relevant story or anecdote that sets the stage for the new topic. This personal touch will engage your listeners from the start.
• Use a powerful quote: Begin your section with an impactful quote that relates to the subject matter. This will immediately draw your audience’s attention and create curiosity about the upcoming discussion.

Summarizing Key Points

• Highlight the main ideas: Summarize the key points you have discussed so far in a concise and clear manner. This allows your audience to understand the progress of your speech and reinforces the central ideas you want them to remember.
• Use transition words: Employ transition words and phrases such as “” “to summarize,” or “in conclusion” to signal that you are summarizing the main points. This helps the audience mentally prepare for the upcoming summary.

Shifting Focus Or Transitioning To A Conclusion

• Preview the provide a glimpse of what your conclusion will entail without delving into the details. This primes your audience for the upcoming ending, creating anticipation and signaling the shift in focus.
• Ask for the audience’s attention: Use phrases like “now, let’s turn to the final part of our discussion” to redirect the attention back to the conclusion. This helps maintain engagement and refocuses the audience’s thoughts on the closing remarks.
• Reinforce the central theme: Remind your listeners of the central theme or main message of your speech. This will ensure that the concluding remarks connect back to the core ideas you have been discussing.

Remember, effective transitions are like signposts that guide your audience through your speech. By utilizing these techniques, you can navigate between different sections smoothly and keep your audience fully engaged.

Tips For Effective Transitioning

Discover practical tips for effective transitioning in your speech through the use of appropriate words and phrases. Enhance the flow of your ideas by avoiding overused terms and incorporating a variety of expressions at the beginning of paragraphs. Keep your sentences concise and engaging to maintain the reader’s interest.

Preparing And Rehearsing Transitions:

• Craft a list of transitional words and phrases: To ensure smooth and seamless transitions between your ideas, compile a list of words and phrases that can serve as connectors. Examples include “however,” “in addition,” and “on the other hand.”
• Identify logical connections: Assess the flow of your speech and identify the logical connections between each point. This will help you determine the appropriate transitional words or phrases to use.
• Practice aloud: Once you have selected your transition words and phrases, practice incorporating them into your speech. Rehearse it several times to ensure that the transitions feel natural and help maintain the overall coherence of your ideas.

Using A Variety Of Transition Methods:

• Implement signposts: Signposts are words or phrases that indicate where you are in your speech and where you are going next. Examples include “firstly,” “next,” and “finally.” By using these signposts, you guide your audience through your speech, making it easier for them to follow along.
• Utilize parallel structure: Parallel structure involves using the same grammatical structure for each point in your speech. This creates a rhythm and consistency that facilitates smooth transitions. For example, instead of saying “i like hiking and to swim,” you would say “i like hiking and swimming.”
• Incorporate rhetorical questions: Asking a rhetorical question can help transition from one idea to the next seamlessly. It engages your audience and prompts them to reflect on the previous point before moving on to the next one.
• Use visual aids: Visual aids such as slides or props can serve as effective transition tools. By visually emphasizing the connection between ideas, you can make the transition more apparent to your audience.
• Provide summaries: Summarizing the main points of each section can be a powerful transition technique. It allows you to recap what has been discussed and prepare your audience for the upcoming topic.

Maintaining A Natural And Conversational Tone:

• Avoid using jargon: To keep your speech accessible and engaging, avoid using technical jargon or overly complicated language. Opt for words and phrases that your audience can easily understand.
• Vary sentence lengths: Using a mix of short and long sentences adds rhythm and variety to your speech. This prevents monotony and keeps your audience engaged.
• Practice active voice: Choosing active voice sentences instead of passive voice helps maintain a conversational tone. Active voice is more direct and engaging, making it easier for your audience to follow along.
• Engage with the audience: Encourage audience participation throughout your speech by asking for their thoughts or experiences related to your topic. This creates a more conversational and interactive atmosphere.
• Adjust your pace: Pay attention to your speaking pace and adjust it accordingly. Speaking too fast can make it difficult for your audience to process the information, while speaking too slowly can lead to disengagement. Aim for a rhythmic and natural pace.

Remember, effective transitioning is crucial for the cohesiveness and clarity of your speech. By preparing and rehearsing your transitions, utilizing a variety of transition methods, and maintaining a natural and conversational tone, you can ensure that your ideas flow smoothly and leave a lasting impact on your audience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are speech transitions.

Speech transitions are words and phrases used to connect ideas and help the audience follow your presentation more smoothly. They create a logical flow and make it easier for listeners to understand and remember your key points.

Why Are Speech Transitions Important?

Speech transitions are important because they enhance the coherence and clarity of your speech. They help your audience navigate through your ideas and maintain their attention. Transitions also make your speech more engaging and polished, leaving a lasting impact on your listeners.

What Are Some Common Speech Transition Words And Phrases?

There are various speech transition words and phrases you can use, such as “in addition,” “however,” “on the other hand,” “moreover,” “as a result,” “to summarize,” and “finally. ” These transition words and phrases can help you transition between different ideas, compare and contrast points, and summarize information.

How Can Speech Transitions Improve My Public Speaking Skills?

Using speech transitions in your presentations enhances your public speaking skills by making your speech more organized, coherent, and impactful. With effective transitions, you can smoothly guide your audience through your ideas, keeping them engaged and helping them understand and remember your message.

To sum up, utilizing effective speech transitions is essential for seamless and coherent delivery. By incorporating appropriate words and phrases, you can effectively connect your ideas and guide your audience through your speech. Whether you are emphasizing a point, introducing a new topic, or providing examples, utilizing transitional words and phrases enhances the overall flow of your speech.

Moreover, these transitions help to maintain your audience’s engagement and comprehension. From using simple transitional words like “firstly” and “next,” to employing complex connectors such as “in contrast” and “similarly,” the right speech transitions can transform your speaking style. By following these guidelines and practicing your delivery, you can become a confident and compelling speaker.

Remember, speech transitions are powerful tools that can transform your speech from disjointed to cohesive, ensuring that your ideas are conveyed clearly and effectively. So, the next time you give a speech, make sure to incorporate these essential speech transitions and watch your message resonate with your audience.

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How to Use Transition Words Effectively In Your Speech

• The Speaker Lab
• May 24, 2024

Table of Contents

Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or new to the speaking world, transition words are one tool you’ll want in your speaking toolbox. Although small and seemingly inconsequential, these transition words go a long way when included in your speech. Not only do they tie your concepts together, but they also ensure that your audience hangs on every word from beginning to end.

Of course, using transition words effectively is an art, but a teachable one. In this post, we’ll dive into the world of transition words for speeches and explore how you can use them to create a smooth speaking flow. Get ready to engage, inspire, and captivate your audience like never before!

What Are Transition Words and Why Are They Important in Speeches?

If you’ve ever listened to a speech that felt disjointed or hard to follow, chances are the speaker wasn’t using effective transition words. Transition words are like the glue that holds a speech together, allowing the speaker to move seamlessly from one point to the next.

If you want to keep your audience engaged during your speech, then transition words are an essential tool. Not only do they help your audience track where you are in your argument, but they also provide clarity to your speech.

Definition of Transition Words

So, what exactly are transition words? In a nutshell, they’re words or phrases that show the relationship between ideas. They act as bridges, linking one thought to another and helping the audience see how everything fits together.

Some common examples include “in addition,” “furthermore,” “on the other hand,” and “as a result.” These words signal to the audience that you’re about to expand on a point, offer a contrasting view, or draw a conclusion.

Role of Transition Words in Speeches

Transition words play a vital role in speeches by guiding the audience through your argument. They help highlight the key takeaways and main points, making it easier for listeners to grasp your message.

Think of them as signposts along the way, pointing the audience in the right direction and keeping them engaged. Without these signposts, the audience can quickly become lost or tune out altogether.

Types of Transition Words

There are several types of transition words , each serving a specific purpose. Some are used to show similarity or add information, such as “similarly,” “additionally,” or “in fact.” Others are used to contrast ideas, like “however,” “conversely,” or “on the contrary.”

You can also use transition words to show cause and effect (“consequently,” “as a result”), to provide examples (“for instance,” “specifically”), or to summarize points (“in conclusion,” “to sum up”). The key is to choose the right transition for the job, one that accurately reflects the relationship between your ideas.

Examples of Transition Words

To give you a better sense of how transition words work in practice, let’s look at a few examples:

• “ In addition to saving money, recycling also helps reduce pollution.” (adding information)
• “ While social media has many benefits, it can also be a major distraction.” (contrasting ideas)
• “ Due to the lack of funding, the project had to be put on hold.” (cause and effect)
• “There are several reasons why exercise is important. First , it helps control weight. Second , it reduces the risk of heart disease.” (listing points)

As you can see, each transition word serves a specific function, helping to clarify the relationship between ideas and keep the speech flowing smoothly.\

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How to Use Transition Words Effectively in Your Speech

Understanding transition words is just the beginning. To truly captivate your listeners, you’ll need to strategically sprinkle them throughout your speech.

Plan Your Transitions in Advance

While you can try using transition words on the fly, it’s much better to plan them out in advance, thinking carefully about how you’ll move from one point to the next. As you’re outlining your speech , jot down some potential transition words or phrases for each main point. This will help you stay on track and avoid those awkward pauses or “um’s” that can derail your momentum.

Use Transitions to Signal Key Points

Transitions are a great way to signal to your audience that you’re about to make an important point. By using phrases like “most importantly” or “the key takeaway is,” you’re priming your listeners to pay extra attention.

Transitions aren’t just fluff—they’re your secret weapon for driving home your main points. When you’re sharing a ton of info, strategic transitions keep your key messages front and center, so your audience never loses the thread.

Vary Your Transition Words

While transition words are essential, you don’t want to overdo it. Using the same transition over and over can start to feel repetitive and monotonous, causing your audience to tune out.

Elevate your speech by incorporating a diverse array of transitions. Venture beyond the comfort of “however” and “furthermore” and embrace the opportunity to innovate with original phrases. Rest assured, your audience will recognize and value the effort you’ve made to keep them engaged and attentive.

Practice Delivering Transitions Naturally

Of course, it’s not enough to simply sprinkle transition words throughout your speech. You also need to deliver them naturally, in a way that feels authentic and conversational.

As you’re practicing your speech, pay close attention to your transitions. Are they flowing smoothly, or do they feel forced and clunky? Keep tweaking and refining until they feel like a natural part of your speech.

Remember, the goal is to make your transitions invisible to the audience. They should seamlessly guide listeners from one point to the next, without drawing attention to themselves.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Transition Words in Speeches

Even the most seasoned speakers can fall into common traps when it comes to using transition words. Here are a few mistakes to watch out for.

Overusing Transition Words

As mentioned earlier, you don’t want to go overboard with your transitions. Peppering every sentence with “for example” or “in addition” can quickly become grating and distracting.

Use transitions judiciously, only when they genuinely help clarify the relationship between ideas. If you find yourself relying on them too heavily, it may be a sign that your speech needs more structure or clarity.

Using Inappropriate Transition Words

Not all transition words are created equal. Using the wrong transition can confuse your audience or undermine your point.

For example, if you’re trying to build on an idea, using a contrasting transition like “however” will send mixed signals. Similarly, if you’re summarizing your main points, starting with “in addition” will feel out of place.

Always make sure your transitions accurately reflect the relationship between your ideas. When in doubt, err on the side of clarity and simplicity.

Failing to Use Transition Words

On the flip side, neglecting to use transition words altogether can be just as problematic. Without these verbal cues, your speech may feel disjointed or hard to follow.

Even if your ideas are brilliant, failing to connect them effectively can leave your audience struggling to keep up. So don’t shy away from using transitions—just use them wisely and strategically.

Mastering Different Types of Transitions in Your Speech

Once you’ve got a good grasp on using transition words, it’s time to get creative. Mix things up by trying out different types of transition words—your audience will love the added variety and depth it brings to your speeches.

Bridging Transitions

Bridging transitions are your secret weapon for a smooth, engaging speech. They help you glide from one main point to the next, keeping your audience hooked without any awkward silences or sudden topic changes.

Some examples of bridging transitions include:

• “ Now that we’ve explored the benefits of exercise, let’s look at some practical ways to incorporate it into your daily routine.”
• “ With that background in mind, let’s dive into the specifics of our new marketing strategy.”

Summarizing Transitions

Summarizing transitions are used to recap key points and reinforce your main message. They’re especially useful in longer speeches, where you want to make sure your audience doesn’t lose sight of the big picture.

Some examples of summarizing transitions include:

• “ To sum up , the three main benefits of meditation are reduced stress, improved focus, and increased self-awareness.”
• “ In short , our new product line has the potential to revolutionize the industry and drive significant growth for our company.”

Signposting Transitions

Signposting transitions act as a guide, giving your audience a sneak peek of what’s to come in your speech. They help keep your listeners engaged and make it easier for them to follow along, like a trusty map leading them through your main points. Signposting transitions include phrases such as “meanwhile,” “subsequently,” and “as a result.” Here are some other examples:

• “ In the next section , we’ll explore the three key factors that contribute to employee satisfaction.”
• “ Moving on to my second point , let’s consider the environmental impact of our current practices.”

Time Transitions

Time transitions are used to indicate a shift in time or sequence, such as moving from the past to the present or from step one to step two. They help create a logical flow and structure for your speech.

Some examples of time transitions include:

• “ Fast forward to today , and our company has grown from a small startup to a global enterprise.”
• “ In the following phase of the project , we’ll be focusing on user testing and feedback.”

Concluding Transitions

Concluding transitions are used to signal the end of your speech and leave a lasting impression on your audience. They help tie everything together and drive home your key takeaways. As you approach the final thoughts in your essay or article, try incorporating a concluding transition to guide your reader to the end.

• “ In conclusion , the path to success is never easy, but with hard work and determination, anything is possible.”
• “ Ultimately , the choice is yours. Will you settle for the status quo, or will you dare to dream big and make a difference?”

By mastering these different types of transitions, you can take your speeches to the next level and keep your audience engaged from start to finish.

Tips for Including Transition Words in Your Speech

Imagine your speech as a journey, and your transitions as the signposts guiding your audience along the way. They help your listeners understand how each idea relates to the next, preventing them from getting lost or disoriented. Crafting effective transitions is an art, but with a few simple techniques, you can keep your audience engaged and eager to explore the path you’ve laid out for them.

Use Transitions to Link Ideas

One of the most important roles of transitions is to link related ideas and show their relationship. By using the right transition phrases, you can help your audience see how your points build upon or contrast with each other. Some great go-to phrases for this are “similarly,” “in addition,” “however,” and “on the other hand.” These create those vital coherent relationships between concepts.

For example, let’s say you’re giving a speech on the benefits of exercise. You might transition between points by saying, “ In addition to improving cardiovascular health, regular exercise has been shown to boost mood and reduce stress.” That simple phrase “in addition” links the ideas and carries your audience to the next point smoothly.

Emphasize Key Points with Transitions

Transitions are also a powerful tool for emphasizing your most important information. By strategically placing transition phrases before key points, you can signal to your audience that they need to pay extra attention. Phrases like “most importantly” or “above all” cue the audience in that the next point is crucial.

For example, you’ve probably heard a speaker command an audience attention by saying, “If you take away one thing from my talk today, let it be this.” Transitions like this cue the audience so that they know the speaker is about to boil down the main message of a presentation.

Use Transitions to Manage Time

Transitions help you stay on track and manage your allotted speaking time . By using signposting transitions like “first,” “next,” and “finally,” you guide your audience through your speech structure. These act as verbal cues for how far along you are.

The next time you write a speech, take a moment to examine your transitions. Are they serving your audience well and allowing your message to flow smoothly? If not, don’t be afraid to mix them up or add more. Your audience will thank you.

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Practicing and Refining Your Use of Transition Words in Speeches

Now that we’ve explored the importance of transitions as well as different types, let’s talk about how you can put these principles into practice. Mastering speech transitions takes time and effort, but the payoff is well worth it. Here are some tips for sharpening your transition skills.

Incorporate Transitions in Speech Writing

The first step to delivering great speech transitions is to weave them into your speech outline . As you outline your main points, consider how you will move between them. What relationships do you want to highlight? What tone do you want to set? Choose transition phrases that match your intent.

To track your transitions, try highlighting them with a different color or font. That way, they stand out visually and remind you to pay extra attention to them when you’re practicing your delivery. It’s a simple trick, but it can keep transitions front and center in your mind.

Practice Delivering Transitions

Of course, writing good transitions is only half the battle. The real magic happens in the delivery. As you rehearse your speech, focus on nailing your transitions. Practice them out loud, paying attention to your pacing, intonation, and body language.

Remember, transitions are an opportunity to re-engage your audience and keep them on track. Experiment with pausing before or after a transition phrase for emphasis. Try changing your tone or volume to signal a shift. The more you practice, the more natural your transitions will become.

Seek Feedback and Critique

Transitions are a vital part of any speech, but it’s not always easy to tell if they’re working. This is where a second opinion comes in handy. Practice your presentation in front of a friend, coworker, or mentor you respect. Get their specific feedback on your transitions—did they make sense and flow naturally? Did they strengthen or weaken your overall point?

You can also record yourself delivering your speech and watch the video back with a critical eye. Take notes on which transitions worked well and which ones fell flat. Then, adjust accordingly. The more feedback you get, the better you’ll become at crafting seamless transitions.

Analyze Effective Transitions in Other Speeches

Finally, pay attention to the transitions in speeches by skilled orators. Analyze how they use transitions to link ideas, change tone, or emphasize key points. Take note of particularly effective transition phrases and consider how you might adapt them to your own speaking style.

Conquering speech transitions takes practice, dedication, and a willingness to learn. Sure, it might feel tough at first, but don’t let that hold you back. The more you dive in, write, and study successful speakers, the more natural it will become. Before you know it, you’ll be weaving transitions that keep your audience hanging on every word.

FAQs on Using Transition Words in Speeches

What are the best transition words for a speech.

To connect ideas smoothly, use “firstly,” “additionally,” “however,” and “therefore.” They guide your audience through your points clearly.

How do you transition between speeches?

Start by summarizing what was said. Then, introduce the next speaker or topic with phrases like “Let’s move on to” or “Next up.” This keeps things flowing.

What are 10 common transition words?

“Moreover,” “consequently,” “nevertheless,” “thus,” “meanwhile,” “furthermore,” “for example,” “on the other hand,” ”in contrast,” and “similarly” are all great transitions words to use in speeches.

What are speech transitions?

Speech transitions are phrases that link different sections together. They help maintain flow and ensure your audience can follow along easily. Think of them as bridges connecting your ideas.

In this article, we’ve covered a lot of ground when it comes to transition words for speeches. From understanding why they matter to mastering different types and crafting smooth transitions, we’ve explored it all. The best part is you’re now equipped with the tools you need to take your speaking game to new heights!

Remember, transition words as the glue that holds your writing together. They help you effortlessly move from one thought to the next, emphasize crucial points, and ensure your audience stays captivated until the very end. With transition words in hand, your speeches are sure to shine!

• Last Updated: May 24, 2024

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#257: Linking Words for Smooth Transitions When Speaking English

Nov 9, 2022 | English Conversation

Have you ever felt that heart-stopping panic when someone says “ What was that? I lost you. ” Or, “ Could you explain that again? I’m not following you. ”

It is stressful and frustrating when someone has a difficult time following your ideas.

And sure, it could be the noise in the background or the topic is unfamiliar, but it could also be a lack of smooth transitions between your sentences.

Let me show you what I mean. Listen and read the following examples: 

Helen walked to the store and bought groceries. She went to the bank to pay her bills. She didn’t go shopping. There wasn’t enough time.

Helen walked to the store and bought some groceries. Then , she went to the bank to pay her bills. However , she didn’t go shopping since there wasn’t enough time.  

What differences do you notice? Was one easier to follow than the other? Did one have more clarity? 

You may have also noticed that I sprinkled in a few extra words in the second example: Then, however, and since.

Those small but mighty words are linking words. 

Linking words, also known as sentence transitions and transition words , help your sentences to smoothly flow from one to another so you speak English with clarity .

And those smooth transitions make it easy for your listeners to follow you as you speak. 

In other words, they don’t feel lost.

In this Confident English lesson, you’ll learn 8 ways to use linking words and linking phrases for smooth transitions when you speak English.

Of course, I’ll give you multiple examples so you can use these sentence transitions with accuracy and confidence in your English communication. 

8 Ways to Use Linking Words for Smooth Transitions When Speaking English

Why are linking words useful .

Before we focus on the first way to use linking words, let’s look at all the ways linking words can help you with smooth transitions: 

• Linking words:
• Create a logical flow between ideas;
• Compare, contrast, add on, agree, or refute;
• Maintain cohesion;
• Act as signposts to guide listeners through each idea;
• Draw attention to and emphasize details;
• Express emotions or attitude

Put Them Where They Belong

Knowing where to place linking words is crucial to ensuring clarity and organization. 

Linking words may be placed:

• At the beginning of a sentence
• In between a sentence/idea
• Ex . At first , the book introduces the history of psychology. Later , it shifts to contemporary studies and theories.

Use #1: To Reiterate Or Repeat

There may be times when you will need to reiterate and repeat what has already been said. This is usually done in an attempt to clarify, draw attention to the fact that something was previously mentioned or covered, or emphasize the repetition of a point.

To indicate this, the following linking words may be used as a signpost:

• As I’ve said
• As mentioned in [X]
• As/Like X said

Ex . Scenario #1 : Imagine you’re in a meeting for the company’s social media strategy and a coworker suggests a change, you might say, “ Like Linny said , we should wait for more data before making any major changes to our strategy. ” 

Use #2: To Create A Sequence

When organizing and expressing a number of ideas at once, sequencing and time are especially important – sequencing helps us understand the order of events.

Linking words/phrases related to time and sequence not only allow for smoother transitions, but they help the listener to easily follow your train of thought. 

Some linking words/phrases for this purpose include: 

• First/Second/Third/Last
• Before/Beforehand
• After/Afterwards
• At the same time
• In the meantime
• To begin/start
• For [X time]

Ex . Scenario #2 : Think about the last time you shared a baked goods recipe with someone. When sharing the methodology, each step probably started with a time/sequence word. You might’ve said, “ First, cream the butter and sugar together. Then, add the eggs one at a time. ” 

Without those transitions, there’s a good chance that the recipe will go terribly wrong.

Use #3: To Express Conditions

Linking words can also be used to communicate conditional circumstances or ideas to express that something may only be true or occur due to another. 

To express a conditional, use the following words/phrases:

• As/So long as
• Granted/Provided that
• In the event that

Ex . Scenario #3 : Perhaps you’re discussing future plans of starting a business and say, “ I’m on track to start my business next year, so long as I continue to save my money in the same way .”

The same could also be expressed as: “ I’m currently on track to start my business next year, provided I don’t run into some unforeseen expenses. ”

Use #4: To Support Or Illustrate

Most often, linking words/phrases are used to introduce examples or expand on an idea for support. 

To support or illustrate an idea or a series of connected ideas, you may say: 

• For example/instance
• In other words
• To put it differently (or another way)
• That is to say
• To demonstrate/emphasize/explain
• In particular

Ex . Scenario #4 : Imagine that you’re explaining where to listen to podcasts. You might say, “ Podcasts are available everywhere. That is to say , you can find them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or even directly on a podcast’s website. ” The same could also be said in the following way: “ Podcasts are available everywhere. Namely , Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or any podcast’s website. ”

Use #5: To Compare and Contrast 

Linking words are particularly helpful to contrast opposing ideas or comparing them. Linking words enable us to compare and contrast concisely and clearly. 

When contrasting ideas, the following linking words are often used: 

• In contrast
• On the contrary
• On one hand [X]. On the other hand [Y].
• Even so / Even though
• In spite of
• While [X]…[Y]
• At first, [X]. But then, [Y]

Ex . Scenario #5 : To convince your coworker of the benefits of making a change to social media strategy, you might say “ On one hand , there are benefits to waiting until we see the data. On the other hand , the slower we are to react, the higher the risk of losing our audience. ” We could express the same by saying, “ While there are benefits to waiting until all the data is in, acting fast will ensure we don’t lose our audience. ”

When drawing similarities or making comparisons, the following linking words are often used: 

• In comparison
• In the same manner/way

Ex . Scenario #6 : Perhaps, you and your partner are narrowing down the options for a property you’re interested in purchasing. “ Just as the first house is by the water with great views, the last house also has the same, it’s just a bit cheaper. ”

Use #6: To Add On & Expand

When we’d like to add more to a statement or an idea, the following linking words/phrases are helpful:

• In addition (to)
• Additionally, 
• Furthermore
• Equally important

Ex . Scenario #7 : Imagine you’re telling a friend all the reasons why they should watch a particular show. To convince them, you might say, “ The show focuses on real stories and retells events in an exciting way. Plus , the actors are great! ”

Use #7: To Emphasize Or Draw Attention

In addition, linking words are useful for emphasizing or drawing attention to particular ideas. 

The following phrases help us do just that: 

• It’s important to realize

Ex . Scenario #8 : Imagine you’re taking on part of a coworker’s workload but they’re worried it might be too much. To reassure them, you might say, “ Don’t worry about any of this. Besides , Kiko will be helping me as well. ”

Use #8: Summarize Or Conclude

Finally, when all is said and done, linking words help us wrap up our ideas – to come to a conclusion and summarize the main point. 

When summarizing, the following linking words/phrases are helpful:

• To summarize

Ex . Scenario #9 : Perhaps, you’re nearing the end of a long presentation and would like to reiterate some of the key points. 

At that moment, you could say, “ In brief , we can cut carbon emissions by carpooling, using renewable energy sources, and upgrading our homes to be energy-efficient. ”

Lastly, when concluding, the following linking words/phrases are helpful:

• In conclusion
• To conclude
• All things considered
• As a result/consequence

Ex . Scenario #10 : Take the previous example. To end your presentation, you might say, “ In brief , we can cut carbon emissions by carpooling, using renewable energy sources, and upgrading our homes to be energy-efficient. Thus , cutting carbon emissions at home is an easy and small step that we should all take.”

How to Practice Using Linking Words in English

After you’ve reviewed the lesson, try using linking words with this practice activity:

• Choose a topic that you feel strongly about. 
• Create a mind map for that topic and branch out to write three major points that support your opinion. 
• Then, expand on each point with an example or supporting argument. 
• Use your resulting mind map and record yourself expressing your thoughts. 
• Listen for areas in your argument where linking words/phrases could smooth the transition between ideas, draw comparisons, help you emphasize..etc.
• Reword your argument and record yourself speaking about the topic. 
• Listen for overuse of linking words/phrases. Remember the goal is to work them naturally into your communication and use them as signposts for your listener. 
• Repeat the activity with another topic.

You can share an example below.

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Hi! I’m Sophie and i need help with linking words.

Hi I’m Elsa , First of all, I would like to say thank you for sharing this lesson to me .I found it helpful .I really want to practice using linking words/phrases in English. I need your to recommend me some resources such as websites, podcasts…that you think helpful to me to improve English speaking skills using linking words or phrases.

This is a really important lesson and great approach to a weakness for most English-learning speakers. Thanks so much!

You’re so welcome, Ann.

it’s an incredible lesson of 8 strategies linking ideas including a variety of clues through which we will be able to understand the information and follow the instructions and so on. Thank you so much Annmarie for your extraordinary efforts and you are such an amazing teacher. This lesson is the most important for me in writing and understanding.

Thank you so much for your comment, Anju! We’re thrilled to know the lesson was helpful to you!

While  there are benefits ” to waiting ” until all the data is in, acting fast will ensure we don’t lose our audience. ” Question: Why ” to waiting ” and not ” to wait “, without ” ing ” ?? ________________

Hi Tania, thank you for your questions with the -ing form of the words “waiting” and “ensuring.” In both cases, we are using the gerund form of the word. This means we’re adding an -ing to the verb and using it like a noun, not a verb. Similar examples include: – There are benefits to meditation. Or, there are benefits to creating time for meditation. Both could be correct. I hope this helps.

I have the same question!

” Knowing where to place linking words is crucial to ensuring clarity and organization”.  Question: Why ” ing ” in to ensuring ?? Why not ” to ensure ??? ____________

Whereas I enjoy all of your lessons, I have to say; this lesson is the most favourite to me of them all.

Thank you, Rabab. I’m so pleased to hear that.

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Connected Speech In English: What It Is And How To Learn It

Published on, june 10, 2024, this article may contain affiliate links.

Speaking English is hard because we often don’t say words like we should. Here’s how to understand connected speech and how to speak naturally yourself.

Table of contents

Maybe you’ve been studying English for a while now and gotten pretty good. 

Perhaps you’ve learned all those pesky irregular verbs, you feel comfortable using the past perfect continuous tense in context, and maybe you even know the difference between “who” and “whom” .

But even with all your actual knowledge of English and your ability to use it correctly, you may not sound natural when you speak. 

Natural spoken English comes down to more than just pronunciation and speaking fluently . It requires using connected speech . 

I consider connected speech to be a fairly advanced language learning topic. If you’re still at the intermediate level, I wouldn't focus on this; I’d leave it for later. And if you’re a beginner, it’s definitely not the right lesson for you right now. 

But if you’ve got quite a good grasp of the language and you’re really now trying to polish up your speaking skills, you might be at the right level to try to think about connected speech. 

In this article, I’ll explain what connected speech is along with some real-world examples of it. Then I’ll suggest some activities that you can do to work on and practise your connected speech. 

What is connected speech in English?

The first thing to understand about speaking English naturally is that it is very different from speaking English clearly. 

In English, words bump into each other. We reduce words when we’re speaking, contract them, and then mash them together.

That’s what connected speech is: it’s continuous spoken language like you’d hear in a normal conversation. It’s called connected speech because the words are all connected, with sounds from one running into the next. 

Examples and types of connected speech

There are five types of connected speech:  Catenation (or linking), Intrusion , Elision , Assimilation and Geminates .

Don't worry about the names. Let me give you some examples.

1. Catenation or linking

Catenation happens when a consonant sound at the end of one word gets attached to the first vowel sound at the beginning of the following word.

For example, when native speakers say “an apple” you’ll usually hear them say, “anapple”. The “n” in “an” gets joined with the “a” sound in “apple” and it becomes almost like a single word. 

In some cases, the sound of the consonant sound changes when it’s linked. For example, if I were to say “that orange” you would probably hear me change the final consonant “t” sound to a “d” sound as in “thadorange”.

Here are some other examples: 

• “trip over” often sounds like “tripover”
• “hang out” often sounds like “hangout”
• “clean up” often sounds like “cleanup”

2. Intrusion

Intrusion happens when an extra sound squishes in between two words. The intruding sound is often a “j”, “w”, or “r”. 

For example, we often say:

• “he asked” more like “heyasked”
• “do it” more like “dewit”
• “there is” more like “therris”

Elision happens when the last sound of a word disappears. This often happens with “t” and “d” sounds. For example:

• “next door” often gets shortened to “nexdoor”
• “most common” often gets shortened to “moscommon”

4. Assimilation

Assimilation happens when sounds blend together to make an entirely new sound. Some examples include:

• “don’t you” getting blended into “don-chu”
• “meet you” getting blended into “mee-chu”
• “did you” getting blended into “di-djew”

5. Geminates

Geminates are a doubled or long consonant sound. In connected speech, when a first word ends with the same consonant sound that the next word begins with, we often put the sounds together and elongate them. For example:

• “single ladies” turns into “single-adies”
• “social life” turns into “social-ife”

Notice that in none of these cases does the spelling actually change. It’s just the sounds that change when we say them. 

Is connected speech important?

Yes and no. 

I like to think of learning connected speech in two halves: understanding it when you hear it, and recreating it when you’re speaking yourself. 

Understanding connected speech when it’s used is extremely important. This is how native English speakers really talk. If you can’t understand English as it’s really spoken, you’re not really able to use the language. 

So listening to connected speech and being able to parse it into meaning is very important. 

Producing connected speech isn’t very important. Native speakers don’t need you to use connected speech to understand you. If you speak English clearly, carefully enunciating each syllable, you may sound a bit unnatural, but you’ll certainly be understood. 

So being able to use connected speech yourself doesn’t have to be a priority.

How can you improve your connected speech?

You can get better both at understanding connected speech when it’s spoken by others and using it yourself. Here are some ways you can train yourself on it.

Listen as frequently as possible

The way that we get better at understanding native speakers is by listening to them . So listen to native speakers as frequently as possible. 

At higher levels, listen to different accents: American, British, Australian , and others. This will help you understand people using a range of different accents.

You can also use music to help you learn English. Music and songs are very helpful for connected speech. 

Use transcripts or subtitles as you listen

One of the most difficult things to do when we’re new to a language is figure out where one word ends and another starts.

A great exercise for this is listening to a native speaker while you also read what they’re saying. 

There are a few ways you can do this. You could listen to someone read an audiobook while you read the book itself. You could watch a show on Netflix or a YouTube video with the subtitles on .

And, of course, you could listen to an English podcast while reading the transcript of that podcast. ( Leonardo English conveniently provides transcripts to members for the English Learning for Curious Minds podcast for exactly this reason.)

Shadowing and recording yourself

Those are great for listening, but what about speaking?

Shadowing is the ideal exercise for practising connected speech. In shadowing, you mimic or imitate the sounds that you hear as you hear them. So you practise saying full sentences exactly like a native speaker.

This helps you see how native speakers really pronounce sentences—connected speech included. 

Recording yourself speaking is another activity that has similar benefits. It lets you listen and see how the way you say a sentence might be different from a native speaker so you can correct yourself or make changes. 

Have conversations

Speaking naturally is really only a skill you can develop through practice. 

So practise speaking! 

Find an online English conversation partner , join an English community, or find other ways of speaking English regularly . That’s how you’ll get better at speaking in general and also at using connected speech in particular. 

Use podcasts to improve your connected speech

Here’s how you can make the best use of English podcasts like English Learning for Curious Minds to work on understanding and using connected speech. 

• First, listen for understanding. The first time you listen to an episode, just try to grasp what’s going on. Try to pick out the general story or the main ideas. You can slow the episode to 0.75x or 0.5x if you need to.
• Next, listen for pronunciation. Choose a part of the episode (or the whole episode if you like) and notice places where the speaker uses connected speech. Reading while you listen may help you identify particular instances of connected speech. 
• Finally, shadow part of the episode. Now work on your speaking skills by shadowing part of the episode. It doesn’t have to be long—just a couple of minutes. Try to imitate the person speaking as closely as possible. Here’s our guide on Shadowing in English —you can find detailed instructions there.
• Challenge yourself by getting faster. If that feels easy or comfortable, make it harder by doing all that on a faster speed setting, or turn it back to 1x if you were doing it more slowly beforehand. 

This process will help you understand spoken English even when the words are mashed together. It will also help you get used to speaking more naturally in English yourself. 

Speaking naturally will come with time

To wrap up this article, I want to stress that connected speech is about practice, not memorisation . 

Earlier, I gave some names for different groups of connected speech sound changes—catenation, assimilation, and so on. I did that for your interest, but I don’t recommend trying to memorise them or learn those names by heart unless you’re a linguist. 

You certainly don’t need to know what “elision” means to speak naturally. Most native speakers wouldn’t have any idea what that word means.

Instead of learning that linguistic theory, just practise using English. Listen to it and speak it. Connected speech will come naturally to you as you use English more. 

Indeed, let’s remember that the reason connected speech happens is that it’s an easier way to speak. 

When you are singing Beyonce’s Single Ladies , it would feel really weird to clearly pronounce “single” separately from “ladies”. It’s much more natural to jam the words together into “Singl-adies”

Similarly, it’s much harder to say “that orange” than it is to say “thadorange”. As soon as you’re saying those words together, you’ll probably find your mouth making the connected speech sounds automatically. 

That’s important to remember: connected speech doesn’t happen randomly. It happens because it’s actually easier to say the words in that way. 

So yes, learn what connected speech is. Practise listening to native speakers so you can understand them even when they speak at a normal pace and words jam together. Do your regular speaking activities.

But then relax. Natural, connected speech will come.

You might also like

The Best Podcasts To Prepare For IELTS [2022]

The Guide To Transcription: A Powerful Technique for English Learners

10 Activities to Improve Your English Listening [Self-Study Guide #1]

Linking Words

Also called Connecting words — Overview

Linking & Connecting Words

It is essential to understand how Linking Words , as a part of speech, can be used to combine ideas in writing - and thus ensure that ideas within sentences and paragraphs are elegantly connected - for the benefit of the reader. This will help to improve your writing (e.g. essay, comment, summary (scientific) review, (research) paper, letter, abstract, report, thesis, etc.). It is also fundamental to be aware of the sometimes subtle meaning of these "small" words within the English language.

"Linking Words" is used as a term to denote a class of English words which are employed to link or connect parts of speech or even whole sentences. They are also called connecting words. There are 2 categories of Linking Words (or Connecting Words):

Conjunctions

Transition words, connecting words, relations between words.

A concept is an idea - and what is an idea? A thought which is in or on our mind. And what is that? Arguably, even more difficult to describe - if not impossible. So, to make it easier, how do we express ideas? With words - and more often than not - with attitude, gesture, movement, and any other kind of physiological behavior.

So, a concept can be expressed as something between a single word, and an elaborate and in extenso described philosophy.

A concept by itself does not necessarily communicate a clear, unambiguous, understandable meaning. Therefore, especially in written communication, it is more than helpful, to use words, which can join ideas (expressed in different words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs). For this, we need linking words or linking phrases. These are a set of words used to join concepts and to express the relationships between concepts. Depending on the linking words selected, the connection between the concepts becomes more apparent, clear, vivid, self-explanatory, definite or on the contrary, more nebulous, vague, inexplicit, ambiguous or obscure.

Complete List of Linking & Connecting Words

Please feel free to download this concise and comprehensive guide as a 2 page cheat sheet Linking Words & Connecting Words — the PDF contains all the Conjunctions & Transitional devices listed on these 2 pages.

Writing Tip : Finding the right word for a text, letter, review or essay not only involves your brain 's intuition and memory, but in these days frequently the use of search engines (although Synonym Lists can be a big help either). Read this concise article, peppered with examples, of How to Choose the Right Words for Best Search Results and your results will vastly improve.

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Connectors in English: How to Use Them

Are your essays in English marked poorly despite your grammatically correct sentences?

Have you ever been told that your paragraphs don’t connect to each other even though they talk about the same topic?

This is where English connectors come in—a.k.a., the words I’ve marked in bold above!

Today, I’m going to talk about what connectors in English are, the most common ones you’ll come across and how to practice them.

Once you’re done with this article, I hope you’ll agree that these words and phrases are simply magical!

What Are English Connectors?

English connectors for cause and effect, english connectors for illustration, english connectors for emphasis, english connectors for comparison, english connectors for contrast, english connectors for sequence, english connectors for conclusion, tips for practicing english connectors, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

English connectors are little words and phrases that help you connect sentences, paragraphs and ideas. Used both in spoken and written English, they help make your English sound more logical and structured.

You can think of connectors as like the thread that holds a necklace’s beads (i.e. sentences, paragraphs and ideas) together.

In fact, you probably already use them without even realizing it!

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Note that English connectors are different from English conjunctions . While conjunctions link two or more words or clauses within a sentence, connectors establish that two separate sentences or ideas are related to each other. 

To help you understand further, I’m going to walk you through some of the most common connectors in English and how they’re used. Some are used formally, while others are more casual. Some are even  interchangeable —that is, you can use them in place of similar words.

In everyday conversations , we often need to explain things.

Perhaps you were late for school because your car ran out of gas. Or you want to buy chocolates because you want to surprise your mother on her birthday.

Explaining things will be much easier if you throw in these important English connectors.

Let’s take a look at them!

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Giving illustrations or examples helps us prove our point and convince other people to believe us. These words help people understand what you’re trying to say and can help them see why you believe what you believe.

While discussing an issue or idea, you may want to focus on a particular point or example. To make the listener understand the importance of that specific idea, you can use the following connectors.

Sometimes, we need to draw attention to certain similarities to make a point or explain something. This is especially important in writing!

To make better comparisons, use the following English connectors.

Sometimes, we need to express different or contradicting ideas side-by-side. Doing this helps the listener or reader focus on important differences and makes them aware of the many sides of a topic.

These connectors are useful when you’re giving step-by-step instructions or listing points.

Finally , how do you let your reader know that you’ve reached the end? (See what I did there?)

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There are certain connectors that we usually use during conclusions or when we’ve reached the end of what we wanted to say. When writing or stating conclusions, you usually repeat the most important points.

Here are some quick tips that’ll help you learn English connectors more efficiently.

Make Your Own Sentences

To explain the meanings and uses of different connectors, I’ve provided example sentences for each. However, you’ll remember them much better if you come up with your own examples.

You can start by using connectors in your diary entries, notebooks, essays and the like. Soon, you’ll find yourself using these connectors in everyday speech as well!

Write a Short Story or Essay

To see the huge difference English connectors can make, try writing a paragraph without any connectors and then rewrite it using some of the connectors above. You’ll quickly realize that your sentences will flow better, sound more logical and become easier to understand.

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Learn English with Authentic Content

You probably want to speak English like a native (or at least try to). So why not learn from natives? Try watching a speech in English to get a good idea of how these fit together. Look for the ones with transcripts that you can write notes in, maybe even circling all of the connecting terms as you see them. 

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Do Online Exercises

Finally, to check whether you’ve understood how to use connectors correctly, you can try online exercises from websites that cover English grammar .

For example, the ones on English Daily  and English Grammar are pretty short and can be completed in a few minutes.

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There’s also ToLearnEnglish , which provides a brief list of common connectors before you solve the exercise, making it a great resource for review.

Now that you know the most commonly-used English connectors, you can use them in sentences and paragraphs with great confidence. Try your hand at some of the exercises I’ve suggested for practice.

So what are you waiting for?

Get out there and start incorporating these useful English connectors into your everyday life!

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For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

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SpeakUp resources

How to sound more natural: by linking words.

• By Anita Collins

Many English learners pronounce each word separately because they want to make sure their speech is clear and easily understood or because they may “think” in individuals words instead of thought groups. Speaking this way may help with clarity, but it also creates speech that sounds non-native and a bit choppy and mechanical, somewhat like computer-generated speech.  Linking words is key to avoiding this unnatural sound.

Native English speakers connect, or “link,” words together when communicating one thought group. Linking means connecting the last sound of one word to the first sound of the following word. The result? Smooth, natural, fluent-sounding English.

Do you sometimes drop word endings by not pronouncing the final consonant? This problem will be solved if you apply the rules of linking to your speech since linking requires you to connect the final consonant with the following word, if it begins with a vowel. As a result, the final sound becomes the first sound of the word that follows it. 

You know what? This will make things easier for you, too! 

Linking Consonants to Vowels

Let’s look at an example.  

Which is more difficult for you to pronounce: “burned out” or “burn doubt?”

We’re guessing the first one is more of a challenge for you.  The good news is that a native speaker would pronounce “burned out” as we would read “burn doubt.” 

Another example? “It’s – a – cold – evening” can be a mouthful when pronounced separately, but if you say “it sa col devening,” you’ll sound more natural and will spend less effort getting that phrase out! 

Linking ing + Vowel

Be careful not to skip the /g/ sound when linking the ing ending of a word to the vowel sound of the following word. For example, “going on” should not be pronounced as “goin’ on” in standard English. Be sure to create a quick nasal “ng” /ŋ/sound by touching the back of your mouth with the back of your tongue.

Try linking in these examples

• I’m think ing a bout it
• How about stay ing i n tonight?
• Are we really do ing i t? 
• This just isn’t work ing o ut

Linking Consonant to Same Consonant

When the final consonant of one word is the same as the first consonant of the next word, the consonant is pronounced only once, with a slightly lengthened sound.  

Linking Two Different Consonants

 In our section on consonants, we explained the difference between stops and continuants. Remember that “stops” are consonants that are pronounced with a stop in airflow (ex. /b/) while “continuants” are pronounced with a continuation of airflow (ex. /s/). 

Understanding these two types of consonants will help you sound more natural when linking words.  

Here are the rules of linking two different consonants: 

• When a stop sound is followed by another consonant, you must hold the stop sound. What does this mean?  Instead of releasing air after you create the sound with your lips or tongue, hold the pressure inside your mouth. This applies to both to linking words (ex. “Sit  down”) and consonant combinations within words (ex. “lobster”)
• Linking continuants is easier since you can just continue from one consonant to the next without stopping the airflow.  For example, “aims to” sounds “aim Stu,” “it’s tall,” sounds like “it stall.” 

Make sure that you hold the final consonant of the first word.

up top             baked buns          great day          cookbook

help now      fried beans            big dog            dark night

Need help? 

For more tips on how to make your English speaking sound more natural, check out these articles on connected speech:

• Intrusive Sounds (when sounds are added) 
• Elision (when sounds are removed) 
• Assimilation (when sounds change)

Would you like a little more coaching on your pronunciation with a professional ESL teacher?  To learn more about English pronunciation and practice it in conversation, join SpeakUp , a dynamic program that engages you in authentic conversations on relevant topics and provides you with feedback from a professional experienced English teacher.  The first week is free for you to try it out!  

Anita Collins

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Speakers connect words when speaking naturally and it can be hard to understand the individual words. When people speak naturally, they do not say a word, stop, and then say the next word. Some two word groups are joined together to help with the  rhythm . The pronunciation of the end and the beginning of the words may change too. These changes are part of ‘connected speech’. 

To understand connected speech, you need to know the difference between  vowels  and  consonants . The 5 vowels are: a, e, i, o, u. Consonants are all the other letters of the English alphabet. It will also be helpful to learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), so that you can learn the sounds. The IPA sounds and the English alphabet are not always the same. Tophonetics is a great website that will change a word or sentence into IPA. 

Learn more about the five main types of connected speech.

Catenation (linking words)

Linking consonant to vowel: connect the final consonant in the first word to the vowel that starts the next word. This will make it sound like the second word starts with a consonant. 

For example:

• I want this orange –> thi sorange
• This afternoon –> thi safternoon
• Cats or dogs? –> Ca tsor dogs?
• I want that orange –> tha dorange 

Intrusion (adding an extra sound)

Linking vowel to vowel: when the first-word finishes in a vowel sound and the next word starts with a vowel sound, connect the 2 words and add an extra sound. The three sounds added are /w/, /r/ or /j/. /j/ sounds like the ‘y’ in yellow.  

For example: 

• I saw a movie –> I saw ra movie
• Law and order –> Law rand order
• Tuna oil –> Tuna roil
• Victoria and Albert museum –> Victoria rand Albert museum
• Do it –> Do wit
• Go out –> Go wout
• True or false? –> True wor false?
• How are you? –> How ware you?
• I agree –> I jagree
• He asked –> He jasked
• She answered –>She janswered
• Tea or coffee? –> Tea jor coffee?  

Elision (deleting a sound)

If the first word finishes in a consonant sound and the next word starts with a consonant sound, the first sound disappears. This often happens with a /t/ or /d/ sound.

• Next door –> Nexdoor
• Dad take –> Datake
• Most common –> Moscommon
• Used to –> Useto

Assimilation (joining sounds to make a new sound)

Sometimes when two consonant sounds are joined, it is very difficult to pronounce the new sound. A new sound is made instead. This often happens with /t/ and /j/ which make /ʧ/. Note: ʧ = ch. It also happens with /d/ and /j/ which make /ʤ/. Note: ʤ = dg.

• Don’t you — donʧu
• Meet you — meeʧu
• Did you — diʤu
• Would you — wuʤu

Geminates (twin sounds)

These are like twins — two of the same consonant sounds back-to-back. When the same letter ends a word and starts the next word, you should connect the two words in your speech. In this connection, you will say only one sound of that letter. 

• Social life –> socialife
• Pet turtle –> Peturtle
• I want to –> I wanto 

For more practice :

• Tim’s Pronunciation Workshop  (these lessons focus one-by-one on all the consonants, vowels and connected speech elements) 
• Linking in connected speech
• Linking in connected speech practice
• Independent Learning Skills
• Learn English

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Connected speech in english: how to use it to sound even clearer.

• Episode Transcript
• December 6, 2022

When we listen to a new language we’re not familiar with, we’ll often find it hard to know where one word ends and the other one starts. Not all of the time, of course. After all, people do pause sometimes to breathe 🙂 But between breaths, it’s really hard sometimes to understand what is said. The reason why that happens is that speakers connect words together. We do that in our first language as well.

But when it comes to a second language we speak, especially in the beginning of our speaking journey in it, we sometimes feel like every word should be pronounced separately and carefully so that we’re extra clear. Moreover, as learners of a second language, we usually tend to rely on the spelling, on the written language, and there – every word is shown fully in all its glory. So we carry that to our speech as well. There’s all the more reason for us to say what we want to say one word at a time.

But actually, not connecting words together can sometimes undermine our clarity. We connect words for a reason. We have a thought and we turn it into words. Those words are not necessarily a full sentence but they are a thought unit. And that thought unit conveys the thought we had and wanted to get across. If we cut that thought group into separate words, our message becomes choppy, our thought doesn’t land as well as it should, and how it is organized with respect to the context in which it is shared.

Knowing how to connect words in English is therefore extremely valuable for us as communicators. Not only when we speak but when we listen to others as well. Because others use it all the time. Therefore, it’s important to know it, notice it and make it our own.

Watch the video below to understand better how you can use connected speech in your speech:

Podcast intro:

Hey everyone. Welcome to the In Fluency Podcast. I’m Hadar, and today we are going to talk about connected speech. Yeah.

Hey everyone. Thank you so much for tuning in for another episode of the InFluency Podcast. A lot of words on one breath. It is a part of what connected speech is, which is the topic of today’s episode. Connected speech is such an important concept when it comes to communicating clearly and effectively in English, and it’s also a lot of fun. When people start using it more spontaneously, it makes a difference in how we feel and how we sound. And this is why I wanted to talk about it.

It’s funny, when I coach my students in our programs, a lot of times when I ask people, ‘What do you struggle with’ or ‘What do you think your biggest challenges’, a lot of them talk about connected speech. Because either they’re not used to doing it or it confuses them, it overwhelms them, people feel like it means that they have to speak faster. And a lot of times that is totally untrue. A lot of times people might think that they need to work on it while they’re actually connecting all their words together. And sometimes they think it means more than it does.

Sometimes it’s the opposite: people don’t connect words and they’re not even aware of it. And then when they learn about it, it makes a huge impact on their speech. So, I love talking about connected speech, and this is why we wanted to share a bit more about that, what that actually means. Because it doesn’t mean to speak faster or to just reduce words and function words. No, it’s more than that. And I also brought a few fun examples from TV shows of people saying sentences while connecting everything together, we have such great examples.

So whether you are already well versed in connected speech or this is a totally new concept for you, this episode is going to be so much fun for you to practice with and to listen to.

And while we’re at it, this is a quick reminder that if you enjoy listening to the Fluency podcast, if you can take a moment and rate and review the podcast on the platform that you listen to, I would so appreciate it because it would help the podcast reach more people who need it. So, thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy today’s episode.

Video transcript:

Hey everyone, it’s Hadar. Thank you so much for joining me. Today, I’m going to talk about a topic that I absolutely love, and I think it is so useful and helpful. And that is connected speech. Connected speech is the idea of connecting words together within the same thought group or unit inside the sentence.

Let’s take, for example, the sentence ‘You already know what I think about it’. So, without connected speech, meaning if I separate the words intentionally, or unintentionally, sometimes, this is what you’re going to hear. “You already know what I think about it”. And when I connect the words together, this is how it sounds: ‘You_already_ know_what_I_think_about_it’.

So, this idea of connected speech is not only to help me sound more American, right, it will eventually cuz this is how it’s spoken. But that is not the purpose. The purpose is that when I connect words together, it is a message that I send that this is a unit within the phrase. And why do we need that? Think of writing an email, sending an email to someone that you care about. And think of you typing out the entire email without breaks, without stops, without spaces – it would be very overwhelming, right? And think as if maybe every word would be underlined. It would be really hard to understand what this email is about: what the message is, what is the important part, how to organize the thoughts.

Now, it will be clear eventually, but the person reading would have to work a little harder to get that. And this is exactly the same with connected speech. Because connected speech on one hand and pauses and breaks on the other is a way for you to organize what it is that you’re saying. And if you separate the words when you speak, it feels like every word is emphasized and the speech is not organized, and it’s harder to receive the message.

So, when you work on connected speech, understand that it’s not an accent thing, it’s a delivery thing, it’s a communication thing. And it will help you organize your thoughts better when you think of connected speech, one. And two, it would help you get to the next stage of what words you wanna stress and what words you want to reduce.

Now, I have a lot of videos that explain that aspect of stress and reductions and all of that, so I’m gonna link to all of those in the description below. Because that’s not what we’re talking about today. We’re talking about how to connect the words together.

Now what we’re gonna do is we’re gonna look at a bunch of examples and see what people do when they speak, and we’re gonna analyze it and practice it together. Now, as we go into this exercise, I want you to think of connected speech as if it’s a unit within the sentence, like I said, where one word is connected to another.

Now, there is a technical aspect on how to do it, and I’m gonna cover it today, but this is how I want you to think about it. I want you to think about saying this sentence or phrase without stopping your voice. Because when you don’t stop your voice and you keep your voice going, that’s what connects the words together.

Let’s take the phrase ‘you missed your train’. ‘You missed your train’. If I try to emphasize every word individually, then I won’t connect them: ‘you’ ‘missed’ ‘your’ ‘train’. But when you try to say it while connecting the words, without stopping your voice or breath between those words, that’s where the magic happens.

Listen: ‘you_missed_your_train’. ‘you_missed_your_train’. Right? I didn’t do anything special here. I just didn’t pause between each word. And here’s the thing, a lot of times people separate the words to be clearer, right, so that they’re more understood. Where in fact, what that causes is for people to be less clear. Cuz then the speech sounds like staccato, you know, instead of legato, which is what English requires, in a way.

Now, here is the technical aspect of connecting. When you connect two words, you have a few options. Vowel to vowel – you_already_know, and then we just connect one vowel to another. And sometimes we get intrusive sounds, like in this example right here – you(w)already_know, you know, the W sneaks in to help me connect the ‘u’ sound with the ‘a’ sound – you(w)already_know. Or ‘he is the best’. ‘he_is’, right, if I connect those two vowels – he(y)is – you hear a small ‘y’ sound there. So that’s what happens when you connect two vowels together.

And sometimes when we connect two words, it could be a consonant that connects with a consonant: good_thing, nice_hat. And then we just wanna glue those consonants together without adding vowels in between. Sometimes, and that’s the easiest case when you have a vowel and then a consonant: play_with_me, say_something – that’s pretty easy.

And then, and that is my favorite part, sometimes you have a word that ends with a consonant, and then another word that starts with a vowel. And what happens here is really interesting because what happens is that the consonant of the first word becomes the beginning of the next word, right, it connects to the vowel in the next word.

For example: all_over, all_over. So, I could say ‘all over’ and then kinda like stop my breath in between. But ‘all_over’ makes it smoother, makes it sound like it’s one word, which is what we want, really. she’s_all_over. she’s_all, s_all, right, the Z of ‘is’ becomes the beginning of ‘all’, and the L of ‘all’ becomes the beginning of ‘over’. she’s_all_over. So this is the technical aspect of what’s happening, but remember that the whole idea is to just keep your voice going as you are saying a certain phrase or part of the sentence.

Now let’s look at a few examples and see what that sounds like. “Rach, come on, I’m not gonna wear any of this!” Let’s listen to it again. “Rach, come on, I’m not gonna wear any of this!”. Good. So we have “Rach,”, so there is a break, he’s not connecting ‘Rach’ to anything else. ‘Come on’, ‘come on’ – this is a phrasal verb, and here it’s a unit that is connected. The stress is on the second part of the phrasal verb. And in this case, the M of ‘come’ becomes the beginning of the next word: come_on.

And then he says, “I’m not gonna wear”. I’m_not_gonna_wear. Right? So not only that he connects everything together in this phrase, he’s also reducing a lot of things, right? I am – I’m, not going to – not gonna, wear. I’m_not_gonna_wear. And then we have ‘any of this’, ‘any_of_this’. So, ‘any of this’, this is the proper phrase, but the ‘of’ is reduced to a schwa – uh. He connects the ‘any’ with a schwa: any_uh – that’s the intrusive sound – ‘yuh’. any_uh. And then ‘this’. ‘any_uh_this’. Let’s do it together. “Rach, come on, I’m not gonna wear any of this!”.

Let’s look at another example. “I just don’t wanna take a photo”. A lot of reductions and a lot of connections here. So, the phrase is “I just don’t want to take a photo”. So, “I just”, I j’s, I j’s. She’s not pronouncing the T in the word ‘just’, and that is okay, especially when you connect it to another word that starts with a consonant. You will notice that often people drop the T. Instead of “I just don’t” – I j’s don’t.

Let’s listen to it again in a slower speed. “I just don’t wanna take a photo”. ‘I just don’t wanna’, ‘don_wanna’, ‘don_wanna’, ‘don_wanna’. So we connect everything together. The T’s also dropped between the ‘don’t’ and the ‘want’, right? The T after an N, when it’s unstressed in this case, and a function word, is often dropped. I_j’s_don_wanna, I_j’s_don_wanna, I_j’s_don_wanna, take a photo, right? So here we see what happens when the K sound becomes the beginning of the next part. take_a_photo. I_j’s_don_wanna_take_a_photo. I_j’s_don_wanna_take_a_photo.

Now, here is something important. Even though the example I used has a lot of reductions and she speaks really fast, connecting words together doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to go faster, right? So that is an important part. It just means that you don’t stop your breath and voice between words.

Let’s look at another example. “What are the odds?” ‘What are the odds?’ What_are_the_odds? So here we have another reduction of the R – wa-da. So we connect the ‘what’ with a schwa sound, that is the reduction of R. wa-da. And then going into ‘thee-aadz’, connecting the word ‘the’ with ‘odds’. wa-da-thee_aadz? ‘What are the odds?’

All right, let’s look at a slightly longer example, a longer sentence where everything is pretty much connected. Let’s listen. “I picked up a lot about dramatic structure from doing my scenes in acting class.”

‘I picked up a lot about dramatic structure by doing my scenes in acting class’. So we have a few units here, and within each unit all the words are connected. So the first unit is ‘I picked up a lot about dramatic structure’. Everything is connected. ‘I-pik-tuh’ – the T of ‘picked’, I-pik-tuh-p, and yeah, the D is pronounced as a T. I-pik-tuh-puh. So the P becomes the beginning of the next word ‘a lot’. I-pik-tuh-puh-laa-duh – the T becomes at the beginning of the next word. I-pik-tuh-puh-laa-duh-bawt druh-ma-dik. So the T connects with the D, no breaks there. uh-bawt-druh-ma-dik-struhk-ch’r, right? The K sound connects to the S, no breaks there.

This is how it would sound if I did pronounce every word separately. ‘I picked up a lot about dramatic structure’. And quickly: I picked up a lot about dramatic structure. Feels very staccato, right? Feels like, you know, like every word is stressed. Versus: I_picked_up_a_lot_about_dramatic_structure. So notice that I don’t have to go faster to connect the words together. It’s just about this idea of one word going into another. I_picked_up_a_lot_about_dramatic_structure.

And then the next part is: “from doing my scenes in acting class.” ‘From doing my scenes’, ‘from doing my scenes’, from_doing_my_scenes. Almost all connections here are consonant to consonant, right? from_doing_my_scenes. So when you practice it, just make sure that you’re not separating the words. It’s not ‘from’ ‘doing’ ‘my’ ‘scenes’, but from_doing_my_scenes.

And then: i_nacting_class, i-nak-ting, i-nak-ting – the N becomes the beginning of the next word. i-nak-ting. It’s almost like we’re creating new words that are comprised of a bunch of other words. i-nak-ting-klas. Let’s do this one together: ‘I picked up a lot about dramatic structure from doing my scenes in acting class’.

And one last one. “I just said hi”. ‘I just said hi’. Again, another example of ‘just’ that is reduced. The T is dropped and it’s connected to the next word: ai-j’s-said-hi, everything’s connected. ai-j’s-said-hi. I just said connected speech.

All right. Now I wanna hear from you, on a scale of 1 to 10, how hard is it for you to connect words together or even to think about it? 1 – being very, very, very hard, “I never connect my words together and I don’t know how to do it.” To 10 – “Oh, I always connect my speech”, whether you practiced it or it comes organically to you.

Now, I do want you to remember that in your native language, you are very likely connecting the words together without even thinking about it, because that happens in any language. But sometimes when we learn a new language, we try to be clear or we don’t know exactly how to do it or we structure the sentence differently, and we end up separating the words. And like I showed you, sometimes it’s not helpful to do that, on the contrary.

So, in the upcoming week, I want you to think about this idea of connected speech. I want you to think about this idea of keeping your voice going as you’re speaking, especially when you say small parts inside the sentence. And of course, practice with this video a few times until you start feeling it and enjoying it more and more.

Thank you so much for being here. If you don’t follow me on my other social channels, then I’m inviting you to do that. We have my podcast – the InFluency podcast, you can listen to it on your favorite podcast platform, I release there two episodes a week.

You can also sign up for my newsletter to get my weekly lesson to your inbox every single day, along with special things that are happening or events that are happening inside of our community. And you can connect with me on Instagram at @hadar.accentsway, or TikTok – @hadarshemeshenglish, where I share daily, fun and helpful content.

Have a beautiful, beautiful rest of the day. And I will see you next week in the next video.

Learn more about stressed and reduced words in English with these videos:

• Are you struggling with understanding word stress? Watch this ✨
• American English INTONATION – How to Understand Native English Speakers Better
• Can you hear the rhythm of words in English?
• How to speak English FASTER (without sounding unclear) 💫| Fast speech in American English

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How to Speak Sophisticated English using Linking Words

/ Steven Hobson / Business English , Vocabulary

A common goal for professionals with an intermediate to advanced level of English is to sound more sophisticated when participating in meetings, writing emails , or just in general conversation.

An excellent way to speak English with more sophistication is by replacing basic linking words (e.g. “but,” “and,” “because”) with advanced linking words (e.g. “in spite of,” “due to”).

Doing this will enlarge your vocabulary and improve your structure at the same time, which are the two main ways of speaking English with more sophistication.

Remember that your first and most important objective when using English should always be to communicate your message clearly.

And once you feel confident that you can express yourself in a clear way, you can then advance and start looking at ways of sounding more sophisticated and native-like .

By the end of this post, you’ll know how to sound more sophisticated by using advanced linking words. You’ll also learn three ways to improve your memory and confidence using them in real-life situations.

Quick Review: What are linking words?

A linking word is a word or phrase which links parts of a sentence, or two sentences together.

“But,” “because,” “and,” “so,” are examples of basic linking words (also called conjunctions), which we use frequently.

“However,” “although,” “therefore,” “in spite of,” “nevertheless,” are examples of advanced linking words. We use these less frequently than the basic linking words.

How to Start Using Advanced Linking Words to Sound More Sophisticated

The idea here is not to completely replace basic linking words with advanced linking words, as they form part of the foundation of the English language.

Our objective is to use advanced linking words from time to time . You only need to use them a little to sound more sophisticated.

We are going to look at three common functions when using linking words:

1. Adding ideas.

2. Explaining expected results, outcomes, and consequences.

3. Conflicting ideas.

Then I’ll demonstrate how you can replace basic linking words with advanced linking words.

Function 1: Adding ideas.

Typically we use the basic linking words “and,” “also,” and “too,” to express “adding” ideas.

You can replace these basic linking words, with the advanced linking words, “besides,” “in addition to,” “as well as,” and “furthermore.”

In this example, we look at the “adding” idea of a company acquiring two other companies.

Basic linking word examples:

Last year we acquired two companies: ABC and XYZ. Last year we acquired ABC. We also acquired XYZ. Last year we acquired the company ABC. We acquired XYZ too .

Advanced linking words examples:

Besides acquiring ABC last year, we took over XYZ. In addition to acquiring ABC last year, we took over XYZ. As well as acquiring ABC last year, we took over XYZ. Last year we acquired ABC company. Furthermore , we took over XYZ. (“Furthermore” implies that taking over XYZ was more important than acquiring ABC.)

* You can also use synonyms to add sophistication to your speech. Instead of using the verb “acquire” twice in the same sentence. I used the phrasal verb “take over” in the second sentence clause.

Function 2: Explaining expected results, outcomes, and consequences.

When we express expected results, outcomes, and consequences, we typically use the basic linking words: “because” and “so.”

You can replace these basic linking words with the advanced linking words, “as a result,” “as a consequence,” “consequently”, “due to,” and “therefore.”

In this example, I use the idea that a smaller advertising budget will result in fewer sales.

Because of our smaller advertising budget, we made fewer sales. We made fewer sales because of our smaller advertising budget. We had a smaller advertising budget, so we made fewer sales.

Advanced linking word examples:

As a resul t of the smaller advertising budget, we made fewer sales. We had a smaller advertising budget and, as a consequence , we made fewer sales. We had a smaller advertising budget. Consequently , we made fewer sales. Due to having a smaller advertising budget, we made fewer sales. We had a smaller advertising budget. Therefore,  we made fewer sales.

Function 3: Conflicting ideas (explaining unexpected results/outcomes).

When we talk about two conflicting ideas in one sentence, we often use the basic linking word, “but.”

You can replace “but” with more advanced linking words: ”although,” “however,” “in spite of (the fact that),” “despite (the fact that),” “nevertheless”, and “yet,” to sound more sophisticated.

In this example, we’ll use the conflicting idea of selling fewer products, but making more profit.

Basic linking word example:

We sold fewer products but made more profit.

Although we sold fewer products, we made more profit. We sold fewer products. However , we made more profit. In spite of selling fewer products, we made more profit. In spite of the fact that we sold fewer products, we made more profit. Despite selling fewer products, we made more profit. Despite the fact that we sold fewer products, we made more profit. We sold fewer products. Nevertheless , we made more profit. We sold fewer products, yet made more profit.

3 Ways to Improve Your Memory and Confidence Using Advanced Linking words

1. Check the structure when using advanced linking words in emails and speeches for presentations with these two tools: Grammarly and Linguee .

2. Take advantage of the SRS (Spaced Repetition System) for remembering new vocabulary and language. I recommend Flashcard Deluxe , which is a flashcard app for IOS and Android. Instead of reviewing individual words (e.g. “Despite”), practice saying the whole phrase, (“Despite selling fewer products, we made more profit.”).

3. Use advanced linking words by integrating them into your business presentations, meetings and emails in English. The more you integrate them in real-life situations, the more confident you’ll feel using them.

How to Apply This Information Now

• Choose one of the three functions which you think you would use the most, e.g. explaining expected results.
• Select an advanced linking word (“due to”) and replace a basic one (“so”).
• Go to Linguee and research “due to” so that you are clear about how to structure a sentence. Or check the form in a good grammar book.
• Write some sentences with “due to” in your flashcard app or notebook and practice saying them until you feel confident.
• The next time you have to talk about an expected result, use “due to.”

Although I have shown you how to use advanced linking words, it is still important to use the basic linking words, like “and,” “also” “too,” “because,” and “but,” as they are critical in day to day speech.

By using advanced linking words from time to time, you will widen your vocabulary and improve your structure, so it’s a great way to speak English with more sophistication.

Author: Steven Hobson

Steven is a business English coach, a certified life coach, writer, and entrepreneur. He helps international professionals build confidence and improve fluency speaking English in a business environment.

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Linking Words: List of Sentence Connectors in English with Examples!

Struggling to connect ideas? ‘Connectors in English’ have your back. Connect, express, and impress – all with Connectors in English!

Connectors Definition

6. ON THE OTHER HAND

11. ALL THE SAME

👉 SIMILARITY

Read more: Difference between COMPARED TO and COMPARED WITH

👉 SEQUENCING

2. TO BEGIN WITH

👉 ORDER OF IMPORTANCE

1. MOST IMPORTANTLY

👉 PARTICULARIZATION

👉 examplification, 👉 explanation, 👉 emphasising, 👉 focusing and linking, 👉 conclusion, 👉 correction.

3. AFTERWARDS

👉 DISMISSAL

(of what was said before)

Linking Words Quiz › TEST YOURSELF

👉  connectors synonyms, 👉  sentence definition.

Through sentences we tell other people what we think, feel, or what we want to do . In order to relate those thoughts we string together words into groups. These finally relate our message to other people and the world.

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Linking Words in English with Examples

Linking words, also known as transition words or connectors , are defined as words or phrases that connect clauses, sentences, paragraphs, and ideas together, and convey the intended meaning more clearly and effectively. These words not only make the text readable but also help the readers to understand the writer’s perspective. We can use these words to express ideas, contrast, comparison, order, cause and effect, time, and many other functions. Linking words is an essential part of writing to “link” all your ideas in a way that helps create a smooth flow and connections between different parts of a text. In this article, we will take a comprehensive look at what linking words are, their functions with examples, and how to use them effectively. So, let’s get started!

Table of Contents

What are linking words?

Linking words are words or phrases that we use to link or connect different parts of a text. They help make the writing smoother and show how different ideas are related to each other. Linking words make it easier for readers to understand the flow of information and how one idea leads to another. Linking words can be used to indicate contrast, similarity, cause and effect, time, addition, conclusion, and more. Examples of linking words include “and,” “but,” “because,” “however,” “also,” “for example,” “therefore,” and so on. For instance,

She wanted to go shopping; however , it started raining.

Here connecting word “However” indicates a contrast between her desire to go shopping and the unexpected rain, helping the reader understand the change in the situation.

Why use linking words?

Linking words are essential for effective writing because they:

• Improve flow and coherence
• Help establish relationships between ideas
• Make writing smoother to read
• Create clear transitions between paragraphs
• Enhance reader comprehension and understanding
• Linking words can help to emphasize and clarify important points

How to use Linking Words

Here are some basic rules for the placement and usage of linking words:

• Before using linking words, make sure you understand what they mean and how they are used. For example,

Some words are used to add new ideas such as, ( “furthermore” or “moreover” ) while others are used to show contrast or contradiction, ( “however” or “nevertheless” ) etc.

• Choose the appropriate linking word based on the context, for example,

(“Additionally” for adding, “For example” for illustrating)

• Place linking words at the beginning or middle of sentences for smooth transitions.
• Use a comma after starting a sentence with a linking word, for example,

However , I decided to give it a try.

Add commas around the linking word if placed in the middle, for example,

In this case , however , the outcome was unexpected.

• Coordinating Conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet) connect equal parts ( independent clauses ), use a comma before them. for example,

I like apples , but he prefers oranges.

• Subordinating Conjunctions (although, because, since, while, when) introduce dependent clauses , use commas when dependent clause precedes the main clause. for example,

Although it was raining , we went for a walk. (Comma before main clause)

No comma if subordinate clause follows main clause. for example,

We went for a walk although it was raining. (No comma)

• Maintain parallel structure (similar grammar) when using multiple linking words in a list. for example,

She likes reading, to cook, and watching movies. ❎

She likes reading, cooking, and watching movies. ✅

Functions of linking words

Different linking words serve different purposes/functions:

Linking words like “and,” “also,” “besides,” “furthermore,” and “moreover” are used to introduce additional information or ideas that are related to the previous point. Common linking words for addition include: and, also, as well as, additionally, furthermore, moreover, in addition, besides, not only…but also, etc.

Example: I love both chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

Contrasting Ideas

Words such as “but,” “however,” “although,” and “on the other hand” help introduce a contrasting idea or point that is different from what was previously mentioned. Examples of contrastive linking words are:  but, however, on the other hand, yet, and, although, nevertheless, in contrast, whereas, although, and even though, etc.

Example: He wanted to go out. However, it started raining heavily.

Cause and Effect

Linking words indicate the relationships between cause and effect. They help explain why something happened or the consequences of an action. Common cause-and-effect linking words are; because, so, therefore, due to, resulting in, consequently, therefore, thus, hence, etc.

Example: He missed the bus; consequently, he arrived late.

These words help you show similarities or likenesses between ideas. They allow you to compare and contrast different concepts. Examples include; like, similarly, in the same way, and compared to, likewise, just as, just like, in contrast, on the contrary, unlike, etc.

Example: The first book was good, but the second one was even better.

Time Sequence

Linking words help arrange ideas chronologically or in a specific order. They guide readers through a sequence of events or steps. Common time sequences linking words are; first, next, then, finally, meanwhile, after, before, afterward, subsequently, eventually, etc.

Example: First, we went shopping. Then, we had lunch at a cafe.

Example/Illustration

Linking words are used to provide examples that clarify or support the main point. They make your ideas more concrete and relatable. Examples of these words include “for example,” “such as,” “specifically,” and “in particular” etc.

Example: There are many outdoor activities you can try, such as hiking, biking, and camping.

Conclusion/Summary

Linking words are used to provide examples that clarify or support the main point. They make your ideas more concrete and relatable. Examples of these words include “for example,” “such as,” “specifically,” and “in particular.” etc.

Example: To sum up, regular exercise has numerous health benefits.

These words can be used to emphasize a point or to highlight its significance. They guide readers to pay attention to specific information. Examples are “especially,” “notably,” “indeed,” and “importantly.”

Example: The view from the top of the mountain was truly breathtaking.

Clarification

These words aid in clarifying or restating an idea to ensure readers understand it correctly. They help avoid confusion. Examples include “in other words,” “that is,” “to put it differently,” and “namely.”

Example: “The concept is a bit complex. In other words , it might take some time to fully understand.”

Expressing Purpose

Linking words like “in order to,” “so that,” and “for the purpose of” indicate the purpose or intention behind a certain action or statement.

Example: He worked overtime for extra money.

Sequence/Order

Words like “firstly,” “next,” “then,” “finally,” and “in conclusion” help to organize and sequence ideas in a logical order.

Example: First, we went to the park. Then, we had a picnic.

Linking words like “if,” “unless,” “provided that,” and “in case” introduce conditions or circumstances under which something else will happen. They show that one thing depends on another.

Example: If it rains, we will stay indoors.

List of Linking Words & Connecting Words

• Additionally
• Apart from this
• As well as that
• Coupled with
• Furthermore
• In addition
• In addition to this
• In the same fashion
• Not only…but also
• Not to mention
• Together with
• What’s more

• Alternatively
• By contrast
• In spite of
• As opposed to
• Contrary to
• Differing from
• In contrast to
• In opposition
• Nevertheless
• Nonetheless
• Notwithstanding
• On the other hand

Showing Cause and Effect

• As a result
• Consequently
• For this reason
• On account of
• Resulting from
• Under the circumstances
• In consequence of
• As a consequence
• The outcome is that
• The effect of this
• This has led to
• Such is the case
• Accordingly

• In comparison
• In the same way
• Correspondingly
• Compared to/with
• In a similar fashion
• On the contrary
• At the same time

Time sequence

• First of all
• In the beginning
• To start with
• Subsequently
• Following that
• Simultaneously
• Concurrently
• In the meantime

• For example
• For instance
• To illustrate
• In particular
• Specifically
• As an illustration
• To demonstrate
• As shown by
• In the case of
• One example is
• As evidence
• In other words
• As a case in point
• To put it differently
• As revealed by
• A good example of this is
• In a similar manner
• This can be seen when
• As a specific instance
• To exemplify
• As a sample
• In one instance
• Let’s consider
• As an example of

• All things considered
• As demonstrated above
• As shown above
• As you can see
• By and large
• Given these points
• In any event
• In conclusion
• Generally speaking
• In the final analysis
• On the whole
• To conclude
• To summarize

• Clearly, then
• Importantly
• Most importantly
• Significantly
• Undoubtedly
• Without a doubt
• Unquestionably
• It’s worth noting
• It should be emphasized that
• It’s important to highlight
• A key point to remember
• To highlight
• It’s important to note
• To draw attention to
• It cannot be overstated

• In explanation
• To be clear
• Let me explain
• To put it clearly
• Simply stated
• That is to say
• To break it down
• More precisely
• To clearly define
• Allow me to clarify
• To put it in another way
• To simplify

Expressing Purpose, Reason

• For the purpose of
• Granted that
• With this purpose
• Provided that
• Seeing that
• With this in mind
• In order to
• With this intention
• With the aim of

• First/ firstly
• Second/ secondly
• Third/ thirdly

• Although this may be true
• In that case
• On the condition that

• Option 1 or Option 2
• Either… or…
• Whether… or…
• Preferably… or…
• In either case…
• While… In comparison…
• Select between… or…
• Choose either… or…

Restatement

• Expressed simply
• In a nutshell
• Otherwise stated
• Put in another way
• In simple terms
• What I mean by this is
• To rephrase

Generalize information

• In most cases
• In the majority of instances
• For the most part
• In a general sense
• Without exception
• Universally
• Across the board
• Without distinction
• In a broader context
• Without specific regard to
• In a global perspective
• Without pinpointing

Q1. What are linking words?

Linking words, also known as transition words or connectors , are words or phrases that create a connection between ideas, sentences, or paragraphs in a text.

Q2. What is the importance of using linking words?

Connecting words help to create cohesion and coherence in writing, making it easier for readers to understand the relationships between different ideas.

Q3. Why are linking words important in writing?

Linking words help writers to make their writing coherent and logical. They allow the writer to smoothly transition from one idea to the next, which helps keep the reader engaged and ensures that the writing flows logically.

Q4. Can I use the same linking word more than once in a paragraph?

While it’s generally better to use a variety of linking words to create a sense of flow and variety, there may be instances where using the same linking word multiple times in a paragraph is appropriate.

Q5. What are some commonly used linking words?

Some commonly used linking words include and, but, or, because, since, therefore, however, furthermore, in addition, and despite.

Q6. What is the difference between conjunctions and linking words?

Conjunctions are a type of linking word that connects two clauses within a sentence. Linking words, on the other hand, connect different sentences or paragraphs within a text.

Linking Words List PDF

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5 Connected Speech Secrets for Fast, Native English Pronunciation

What is Connected Speech?

Learn how connected speech will help you to speak English faster, more fluently, and much more like a native speaker. Unfortunately, many language learners don’t know about this subject, but we should! First of all, let’s make sure we have a basic understanding. What is connected speech?

Connected speech means that when we speak a language, words have some effect on each other. We do not always pronounce words completely separately with a neat pause in between. In fact, many words affect each other when you put them into phrases and sentences. The end sound of one word often affects the beginning of the next word.

Connected Speech Includes Many Sub-Topics

There are many different ways that connected speech happens. Sometimes sounds are added, or omitted, or changed, in different ways.  It is actually a big subject and we could spend a long time talking about the several sub-topics in it!

In this lesson, you’ll learn a bit about five different kinds of connected speech: catenation or linking, intrusion, elision, assimilation and geminates.

Catenation or Linking

Catenation, or Linking is probably what most people think of first when they think of connected speech. Linking happens when the end of one word blends into another. When the last sound of a word is a consonant and the first sound of the next word is a vowel, you get linking.

For example:

I want this orange –> thisorange

I want that orange –> thadorange

This afternoon –> thisafternoon

Is he busy? –> Isi busy?

Cats or dogs? –> Catserdogs?

Intrusion means an additional sound “intrudes” or inserts itself between others. It is often is a /j/ or /w/ or /r/ sound between two other vowel sounds.

He asked –> Heyasked

She answered –? Sheyanswered

Do it –> Dewit

Go out –> Gowout

Shoe on –> Shoewon

Elision means when a sound disappears. Basically, a sound is eaten by other stronger or similar sounds next to it. This often happens with a /t/ or /d/ sound.

Next door –> Nexdoor

Dad take –> Datake

Most common –> Moscommon

Assimilation

Assimilation means two sounds blend together, forming a new sound altogether. This often happens with /t/ and /j/ which make /ʧ/ and with /d/ and /j/ which make / ʤ  /.

Don’t you — donʧu

Won’t you — wonʧu

Meet you — meeʧu

Did you — di ʤu

Would you — wu ʤu

Finally, geminates are like twins — two same sounds back-to-back. Often when one word ends with the same letter as the beginning of the next word, you should connect the two words in your speech.

Social life –> socialife

Pet turtle –> Peturtle

These five points and examples may make you feel like you have a lot to study!

Try learning the International Phonetic Alphabet so that you can take notes about how words sound together. Or, you could keep an audio journal on your smart phone where you record how words and phrases sound with connected speech.

Here is a cool tool you can try making English sentences into IPA . Keep in mind that sometimes real life pronunciation will be different because of variations.

If you liked this lesson, you’ll love my lesson about pronunciation and the “schwa” sound. Click here to view it now. 

And click on our video lesson below if you’d like to hear more about connected speech!

Would you like training to improve your English speaking faster? pre-register today for information about the Complete Go Natural English Course, Fluent Communication!

How to Stop Translating in Your Head and Start Thinking in English

Gabby Wallace, M.Ed TESOL

About the Author Gabby Wallace is the Founder of Go Natural English, where you can quickly improve your confidence speaking English through advanced fluency practice. Even if you don't have much time, this is the best place for improving your English skills. Millions of global intermediate - advanced English students are learning with Gabby's inspiring, clear, and energetic English lessons. Gabby has a Masters Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Boston University and 20+ years experience helping students become fluent through her online courses and membership program.

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Linking Words & Phrases In English

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Connecting words and phrases in the English language is one area you will need to master, as you are learning the language. The English language is difficult, but hopefully, this short article will help you understand how to use linking words and phrases correctly.

When Would You Need to Connect Words and Phrases in English?

Words and phrases need to be connected for a variety of reasons. For example, you may want to make a comparison, contrast, show purpose or demonstrate condition. Most of the connectives, words that form the connection, are used to join two clauses together or start a new sentence expanding on the previous statement.

Linking Clauses Within A Sentence

The words included here are used when you want to join two parts of the sentence together.

Although/even though

• Although she is old, she can still run far.
• She is pretty and single, but even if she wasn’t pretty, she would still be single.
• You might want to take flat shoes; in case you want to dance later.

  In spite of/despite

• In spite of/despite the fact she was busy, she still made time to volunteer.
•   He took a large umbrella so that if it rained, he wouldn’t get wet.
•   You can rely on me whatever happens.
•   Samantha has a dog, whereas Billy does not.
•   I would lend money to you whenever you need it.
•   I will still care for you wherever you go.

Above are different word choices you may use when you are linking two parts (or clauses) of a sentence. This list is by no means extensive and you may find other connectives that fit your subject better.  These are just a few examples to show you some different connectives and how they can be used within a sentence.

Linking Two Separate Sentences

The linking words and phrases included here are used when you want to link two complete sentences together. Remember, if a connective word starts the sentence it should be followed by a comma. The words in this section will be grouped, as they can often be used in place of one another.

As a result/Consequently/Furthermore

•   The company is growing. Consequently, there will be more jobs on offer.

Besides/Furthermore/In addition/More over

•   The holiday is too expensive. Besides, I don’t really want to go.

However/Nevertheless/Nonetheless

•   The shop was open. However, nobody came to the kiosk.

In the same way/ Likewise/ Similarly

•   I believe that teenagers are respectful. Similarly, research has shown this.

The above words can be used if you are linking two separate sentences together. As stated before, the list is not exhaustive. However, this should give you a good idea of the connectives out there and the way to use them to join two sentences.

The English language is tricky to learn and connecting words (or connectives) are part of that. Hopefully, there are enough examples of linking words and phrases included here to get you started. You may even be able to add more to the list yourself.

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No, Biden Did Not Mistakenly Read 'End of Quote' During Speech About Supreme Court Ruling

Online users criticized u.s. president joe biden in july 2024 after he properly advised viewers he had finished reading a quote., jordan liles, published july 2, 2024.

About this rating

On July 1, 2024, numerous online users  criticized U.S. President Joe Biden for reading aloud the words "end of quote" from a teleprompter during a White House speech he delivered the same day. Some other users' posts only vaguely implied Biden made the purported mistake.

For example, the X account for TheLeadingReport.com (@LeadingReport) posted ( archived ), "BREAKING: Joe Biden reads 'end of quote' during his speech."

Outkick.com founder Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) claimed ( archived ) on X, "After four days of debate criticism, Joe Biden Ron Burgundy'd it and reads 'end of quote' from the teleprompter during a four minute speech after which he took no questions."

A user named @DonaldTNews also posted ( archived ), "BREAKING: King Biden just read 'end of quote' on the teleprompter once again. What's your reaction?"

The truth was Biden did not "Ron Burgundy" his remarks (a reference to  scenes from the 2004 film "Anchorman"), as the X post claimed.

Biden correctly read the words "end of quote," notifying viewers and listeners he had finished reading an excerpt from a dissenting opinion written by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The remark occurred during Biden's July 1 speech addressing the court's ruling earlier that day that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution.

We contacted the White House by email to ask whether they had a statement to share regarding this misinformation promoted about the president. We will update this story if we receive a response.

Here's What Biden Said Prior to 'End of Quote'

A video of Biden's speech revealed the truth of the matter. Here's what he said:

I know I will respect the limits of the presidential power, as I have for three and a half years. But any president, including Donald Trump, will now be free to ignore the law. I concur with Justice Sotomayor's dissent today. She… here's what she said. She said, "In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law. With fear for our democracy, I dissent." End of quote. So should the American people dissent. I dissent. May God bless you all. And may God help preserve our democracy. Thank you. And may God protect our troops.

Misinformers Repeatedly Seize on Biden's Public Appearances

Throughout Biden's presidency, online users promoted misinformation regarding his public appearances, no matter the function's seriousness, theme or list of attendees.

For example, during Biden's first year in office, users shared an altered picture claiming Biden's teleprompter displayed the words "leave now" to help alert him when he should exit the room.

In 2022, users falsely claimed  Biden read "end of quote" aloud during a speech when he wasn't supposed to. The following year, users  shared a misleading video featuring altered audio from an event at which he simply attempted to share an early Thanksgiving meal with U.S. soldiers and their families. Users also posted  false information and at least one fake video regarding his visit to the site of the 2023 Maui wildfires.

In the months leading up to the 2024 presidential election, users claimed , without evidence, that videos of Biden purportedly "freezing" and "malfunctioning" at public events indicated some undisclosed medical issue. In another widely shared false rumor, users claimed Biden attempted to sit in an "invisible chair" while honoring past military members in Normandy, France, during a ceremony on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Evon, Dan. "Did Biden Have a 'Ron Burgundy' Moment?" Snopes , 24 Nov. 2021, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/biden-ron-burgundy/.

Liles, Jordan. "Biden's Teleprompter Did Not Say 'Leave Now' at End of Afghanistan Speech." Snopes , 17 Aug. 2021, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/biden-teleprompter-leave-now/.

---. "Did a Military Chaplain Pray with Biden for Trump to Come Back to the White House?" Snopes , 5 Dec. 2023, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/chaplain-praying-biden-trump/.

---. "The Facts About Biden's Purported 'Freeze Up' at Fundraiser and Obama Walking with Him Off Stage." Snopes , 19 June 2024, https://www.snopes.com//news/2024/06/19/biden-freeze-up-obama/.

---. "The Facts About GOP Videos Showing Biden 'Malfunctioning' During June 2024 Speech." Snopes , 20 June 2024, https://www.snopes.com//news/2024/06/19/biden-malfunctioning-june-2024/.

"President Biden Delivers Remarks on the Supreme Court's Immunity Ruling." YouTube , The White House, 1 July 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL1GXCOfWI8.

"Remarks by President Biden on the Supreme Court's Immunity Ruling."  The White House , 2 July 2024, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/07/01/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-supreme-courts-immunity-ruling/.

Richer, Alanna Durkin, et al. "What to Know about the Supreme Court Immunity Ruling in Trump's 2020 Election Interference Case." The Associated Press , 1 July 2024, https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-supreme-court-capitol-riot-trial-72ec35de776315183e1db561257cb108.

Sherman, Mark. "Supreme Court Rules Ex-Presidents Have Broad Immunity, Dimming Chance of a Pre-Election Trump Trial." The Associated Press , 1 July 2024, https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-immunity-2dc0d1c2368d404adc0054151490f542.

By Jordan Liles

Jordan Liles is a Senior Reporter who has been with Snopes since 2016.

Article Tags

Much Of Usher's BET Acceptance Speech Was Inaudible — And People Are Pissed

BET Awards viewers were wondering why they got it bad as a sizable portion of Usher ’s acceptance speech wasn’t audible for those watching from home on Sunday.

The singer and Super Bowl halftime show performer was honored with a star-studded tribute before hitting the stage to accept the BET Lifetime Achievement Award at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater.

“By the way, I should caution you that I like to talk and I have a way with words,” warned Usher, who added that his remarks were unprepared because he wanted to be “present” in the moment.

Usher proceeded to declare that he still loves “this shit” as he spoke of his career and, later, appeared to be censored for cursing more — and some more— before larger portions of the speech were inaudible for those watching the broadcast.

“And I get it, I understand, sometimes you gotta go through some shit to get to something,” said the singer before his words seemed to cut out more. Although viewers wondered if the muting was due to his use of expletives, a Billboard reporter said the singer did not swear much through the speech.

In a statement Monday, a BET spokesperson, cited “an audio malfunction during the LIVE telecast” as cause for parts of Usher’s speech being “inadvertently muted.”

“We extend our sincere apology to USHER as we couldn’t be more grateful for his participation in Culture’s Biggest Night,” wrote the spokesperson, who added that those who missed the full speech can watch the uploaded speech on BET’s YouTube channel.

Social media users quickly mocked the network and weren’t feeling how it handled sound on Sunday.

The person censoring Usher’s speech: #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/PaqtdhkjPH — patweetme (@patweet_me) July 1, 2024

Are they gonna upload Usher’s unedited speech on BET+ or something, because this consistent muting is ridiculous. #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/OCHI1p2HQK — AD III 👑 (@anseldeangelo) July 1, 2024

Usher’s acceptance speech: #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/33pAU8M3zz — shannon’s breathalyzer (@johnthesecond_) July 1, 2024

they full on muted usher’s acceptance speech?? #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/QqE2eEFy64 — mikal (@fcrgiveme) July 1, 2024

They really cut Usher's whole damn speech. Cannot believe we really waited around for Usher to FINALLY get on the damn mic and #BETAwards really cut the whole damn thing other than 4 words and claps. That's that BS, Gelado!! pic.twitter.com/hRWrgwlkQT — Dr. Nicki Washington (@dr_nickiw) July 1, 2024

The censor person in the back during Usher speech #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/cVjmXMfWOO — LENA (@_sdm26) July 1, 2024

Centered the whole show around Usher just for the sound to go out during his acceptance speech? 🤨 #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/0abiPYYAUk — PleighboyBarbie ᥫ᭡ (@xlaurenlacey) July 1, 2024

me all up on my tv trying to figure out why the sound don't work during usher speech #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/E6EXBhq7lc — Trippie (@TrippieLuxxe) July 1, 2024

why tf are they muting Usher’s whole speech?????? #BetAwards pic.twitter.com/i60T7vx5eZ — justice (@justicexlambiIy) July 1, 2024

I wanna hear the uncensored version of Usher’s speech! WHO GOT IT?! pic.twitter.com/EkmA5E1rWE — Big Mama 🤌🏽 (@OriginalSonji) July 1, 2024

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Sarah Nicole Landry Talks Journey to Connecting With Her Body Again Postpartum

Cara o’bleness | 5 hours ago.

Model and mom of four Sarah Nicole Landry is incredibly open and honest about her postpartum experience. The content creator never shies away from using her platform, The Birds Papaya, to talk about all things motherhood and finding her way back to herself again and again after giving birth.

While in Florida for Miami Swim Week , we caught up with the podcast host to learn more about the latter. Landry, who most recently welcomed a child in 2021, notes that instead of forcing herself to be confident and happy with her postpartum body, she allowed herself to grieve her former self, which ultimately led her back to feelings of self-love.

“I really realized that going through grieving who I was in order to become who I am was so important because now I feel so connected with my body again,” Landry tells us. “But it took me grieving my old one to get to where I am now and I feel like a lot of people really feel like they are not told about that step. It’s not about just ignoring it, [you need to] really face it head on. Your feelings are valid. When you’re struggling with your body change, that’s a valid thing. Your body went through so much, your life went through so much, you’ve changed. It’s O.K. to grieve because grief is a processing tool for change. And so it allows us to sort of honor that former self and then meet our new selves where we’re at.”

Whether you can relate to Landry’s postpartum journey or not, the 39-year-old is always sharing inspirational views on body confidence and more on her platform that is bound to resonate. Read more about her game-changing self-love advice for women here .

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.

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Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Daniel Wallis

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