Learning English

Tim
Hi. I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation workshop. Here, I'm going to show you how English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside. You see this? This is my lunch - well, either that, or it's some cat food. Anyway, do you know what we call this container? It's a can, right? Now this has the same spelling as the modal 'can', and the same pronunciation, hasn't it? Or has it? Listen carefully when we ask some people in London how many languages they speak.

Voxpops
I can speak one language.
I can speak two languages.
I can speak two languages.
I can speak two languages, English and Hindi.

Tim
They all used the word 'can'. But they didn't pronounce it as /kæn/. Listen again. How do they pronounce it?

Voxpops
I can speak one language.
I can speak two languages.
I can speak two languages.
I can speak two languages, English and Hindi.

Tim
In fluent everyday English, when the modal auxiliary 'can' is unstressed, its pronunciation changes to /kən/. 'I /kæn/ speak four languages' becomes: 'I /kən/ speak four languages'. This is what's known as a weak form and it can occur in questions as well. Here are some more examples.

Examples
Can you help me bring in the shopping, please?
I can swim further than I can run.
You can succeed if you work hard.
How far can you throw a tennis ball?

Tim
Right, so you've heard the examples, and now it's your turn. Are you ready? Listen and repeat.

Examples
Can you help me bring in the shopping, please?
I can swim further than I can run.
You can succeed if you work hard.
How far can you throw a tennis ball?

Tim
Well done. Now remember, if you want to learn more about pronunciation, then please visit our website, bbclearningenglish.com. And that is about it from the pronunciation workshop for this week. I'll see you soon. Bye bye! Right, now, time for lunch I think! Ahh. Do you think I can open this can, without a can opener? Hey. Oh no – it is cat food. Never mind, we can eat cat food, can't we? You know what? That is not bad. Salmon? Rabbit? Mouse?