Linking

C.  Linking

In rapid speech, sound segments tend to become linked or connected.  This segmental phenomenon in speech is called linking.  Linking is especially prominent when a vowel occurs before another vowel and [r] sound is heard before the vowel speech sound.  For examples:

Formula A              [fɔ:mjʊlə 'eI]  -----  [ fɔ:mjʊlər'eI]

media event    [mIdIə Ivent]  -----  [mIdIərIvent]

two apes         [tu:  eIps]       -----  [tu:reIps]

free of charge  [fri: əv ʧɑ:ʤ]  -----   [fri:rəvʧɑ:ʤ]

all agree         [ɔ:l əgri:]        -----  [ɔ:lrəgri:]

three elephant  [θri: eləfənt] ----- [ θri:reləfənt]