Pronunciation: How native speakers say TO, FOR, FROM in English

Want to speak more naturally in English? I'll show you what happens when native speakers use "to", "for", and "from" in normal conversation. Listen to how these words are reduced and shortened. Learn how to make these three simple changes in your own speaking style. After this lesson, you will understand native English speakers more easily and they will understand you!

TRANSCRIPT

Hi. I'm Rebecca from engVid. In this lesson I'm going to show you some simple ways in which you can understand native English speakers when they speak, and some simple changes you might want to make when you speak so that they can understand you more easily. Okay? So let's look at what they are.

They will involve these three prepositions, which we use very often. Right? They are: "to", "for", and "from". Now, normally, if we just say this word: "to", "for", or "from", then we would say it like that, but you don't normally just say the word: "to", or "for", or "from"; you usually use it in a sentence. Right? So what happens when a native speaker or you use this word in a sentence? Right now what you're probably doing is actually still saying it like that, as if it was alone, like: "to". But what happens when we use it in a sentence is we don't say: "to". With this one, we say: "t'". We say: "t'", "t'", "t'". So what happened to it? It became shorter, it became reduced, it became a little less stressed. Okay? Now, the word: "for", what do we actually say when we're using it in a sentence? We don't say: "for", we, again, shorten it or reduce it, and we say: "f'r", "f'r", "f'r". Okay? I know it sounds weird when I'm saying it like this, but you'll see how it works when it's in a sentence, and then you will be able to understand what people are saying when they speak at normal speed. All right? The third one: "from" by itself sounds like "from", but when we use it in a sentence we're shortening it and it ends up sounding like this: "fr'm", "fr'm", "fr'm". Okay? Did you hear that? All right.

Now, because you are used to saying what you see, what I'd like you to do for this first part just to train your ears right now is close your eyes and just listen to me as I read out some sentences. Okay? Doesn't matter. Just try to hear it. "I love to read.", "He wants to go home.", "She's going to the store." So what do you hear there? You can open your eyes for a second. Even though we had: "I love to read", we didn't say: "I love to read." I said: "I love t' read.", "He wants t' go home.", "She's going t' the store." So: "to" became "t'". Okay? All right.

Again, close your eyes for the next three. "I'm waiting for someone.", "Our house is for sale.", "Good for you." Okay? Open your eyes. Again, you had the word "for" there but it went much faster. Now try to match what I'm saying with what you see. "I'm waiting f'r someone.", "Our house is f'r sale.", "Good f'r you." See how the "for" became "f'r", "f'r"? Okay?

Close your eyes again. "I'm from Canada.", "It's from your brother.", "We work from 8:00 to 4:00.", "We work from 8:00 to 4:00." Okay? So: "I'm fr'm Canada", not: "I'm from Canada." Okay? We don't need to say each word separately. "I'm fr'm Canada.", "It's fr'm your brother.", "fr'm", "We work fr'm 8:00 t' 4:00." Okay? There you had two of them: "fr'm 8:00 t' 4:00". Okay? So, sometimes you have to train your ear and sometimes you have to train your eyes to not necessarily say exactly what you see. All right? And that's what we're going to practice next when you actually practice saying them. All right? Here we go.

Oh, I forgot something. When the word "for" is used at the end of a sentence or a question, then we do say: "for". Okay? That's a bit of an exception. For example: "What's this used for?" We don't say: "What's this used f'r?" Okay? That's was when it's in the middle somewhere, but when it's at the end then we do pronounce it that way. So: "What's this used for?", "What's this used for?" Okay? So then we are saying "for". Now we can practice.

Okay, so now let's see if you can make the small changes that you need to make in these three prepositions in order to sound a little bit more natural. So, what are those changes again? "To" becomes "t'", "for" becomes "f'r'", "from" becomes "fr'm". Okay? So, let's try it. "It's going to rain." You say it. "It's going to rain.", "It's going t' rain." Okay? You can repeat after me or you can try to say it with me, or before me. All right? Number two: "She worked there for a year.", "She worked there f'r a year." Not: "for a year", "f'r a year". Good. "I'm free from Sunday.", "I'm free fr'm Sunday." Good. […]