Sound More Natural with 1 Little Word: Reducing the Word “to”

It's kinda crazy.

Some of the most common words in English don't sound like you would expect when spoken out loud.

If you’ve been following my lessons, you know that a reduction is a word that sounds different in spoken English than you would expect it to when looking at the written word.

In this lesson, we’re going to practice pronouncing one of the most common reductions in English. 

To.

Integrating this reduction into your spoken English can definitely help you achieve a more natural sounding rhythm.

Wanna give it a try?

Practice phrases and paragraphs used in this lesson:

To go

I’d love to go.

Is it time to go yet?

To see

You have to see it to believe it.

I can’t wait to see you!

To work

Let’s get to work.

I need to work on this today.

To be

It’s supposed to be hot.

We need to be careful.

To feel

It’s ok to feel uncertain.

I don’t want you to feel bad.

To do

You have to do this first.

We’re not sure what to do.

Like to

I’d like to try it.

She doesn’t like to talk about it.

I'm trying to be better about getting to the gym. I bought a membership to the place down the street, and I'm trying to get there every morning before I go to work. It's hard for me to get up that early. I'm a night person- I like to stay up late. That's my time to relax- to read, to write in my journal, to watch a show on Netflix. I know I'll need to change my routine and get to bed earlier to be sure I get enough sleep. It's hard to change habits, but I know it's what I need to do to live a healthier life.

Is it too late to sign up for the retreat? I meant to register last week, but I’ve had so many things to deal with, and I completely forgot to take care of it. I’ve read over all the details, it’s clear to me I need to do this. I need to get away for a few days- to unwind, to breathe, to recenter myself. And it’ll be great to spend some time outdoors. It’s supposed to be gorgeous this weekend! Oh great, it’s not too late? What do I need to do to make sure I get a spot? I had to miss last year and I don’t want to miss it again!