Hey, welcome to another post about shadowing in English. This time I chose a speaker who is a first-generation Iranian American entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. Her name is Leila Hormozi, and in this particular video that I selected she talks about how she quit her job and started a multi-million-dollar business at a very young age.
If you want to see the entire video with Leila, you can find the link in the description box under my video. And to get the full benefit of my shadowing session, I recommend watching the video in addition to reading this post.
But if you choose to only read the post, here’s what’s going on in the video: I first play a 16-second clip from the video with Leila, I analyze it line by line, and then I say it together with her.
Ok, let’s begin.
I actually moved out to California
I didn’t have a job
I barely had any money
I didn’t know anything about California
But I was like, I have to go out there
and I have to learn from people who are the best
and I’ll work under them, I’ll work where I have to go
um because then eventually I can become the best
– because I’ve learned from the best –
and I can have my own business.
1. I actually moved out to California
I actually moved out to California
əˈæk.ʃi muːvd aʊt̚ təˌkæ.ləˈfɔːɹ.njə
- In the connected speech, she is blending I and actually together, and I is reduced to a schwa /ə/: [əˈæk.ʃi].
- Actually can be pronounced in two ways, as a 4 syllable word /ˈæk.tʃu.ə.li/, or as a 3-syllable word /ˈæk.tʃ.ə.li/. But in her fast speech, she is reducing it to two syllables, dropping the schwa /ə/. She also says [ʃ] in place of /tʃ/ and drops the /l/. And actually becomes: [ˈæk.ʃi].
- We have a held t [t̚] in the word out /aʊt/: [aʊt̚]. This final t is not released. She’s still putting the tongue behind the upper teeth for the t sound but she’s not releasing the air.
- She is reducing the vowel in the word to to a schwa /ə/: [tə].
2. I didn’t have a job
I didn’t have a job
aɪ ˈdɪd.ən hæv.ə ʤɑːb
- Here, we have dropped final /t/ in didn’t /ˈdɪd.ənt/: [ˈdɪd.ən].
- Notice the elongated vowel /ɑː/ in the word job /ʤɑːb/. How quickly she said I didn’t have a, and then elongated job.
3. I barely had any money
I barely had any money
aɪ ˈbɛɹli ˈhæ.də.ni ˈmʌni
- In fast speech, most Americans would say had any with /d/ pronounced as the flap t [ɾ]: [ˈhæ.ɾə.ni]. In general, this is the case, when /d/ or /t/ are between two vowels. Interestingly, despite speaking very fast, Leila doesn’t do it here; and pronounces /d/ in its pure quality: [d].
- When connecting had and any, she almost drops the first vowel in any /ˈe.ni/, there is almost no schwa there: [ˈhæ.də.ni]. This is probably the reason for not flapping the /t/ mentioned in the previous point.
- Check the video, where I play this part in slow motion.
4. I didn’t know anything about California
I didn’t know anything about California
aɪ ˈdɪ.dəˈnoʊ ˈɛniˌθɪŋ əˈbaʊt ˌkæ.ləˈfɔːɹ.njə
- Again, super-fast speech.
- She is dropping the final /t/ in didn’t /ˈdɪd.ənt/ (again): [ˈdɪ.dən].
- And because didn’t [ˈdɪ.dən] ends with an /n/ and the next word know /noʊ/ starts with the same consonant /n/, the two /n/ sounds are merged into one slightly elongated sound: [ˈdɪ.dəˈnoʊ].
5. But I was like, I have to go out there
But I was like, I have to go out there
bʌt aɪ wʌz laɪk aɪ ˈhæf.tʊ ɡoʊ aʊt̚ ðɛɹ
- She starts this phrase with I was like, which is very colloquial and means I thought to myself or I said to myself.
- She is stressing the word have and slightly raising her intonation here. This is because it is one of the most important or maybe the most important word in this particular sentence.
- She is devoicing /v/ to /f/ in have /hæv/: [hæf].
- In such a fast speech, we could expect her to reduce the vowel in to /tʊ/ to a schwa /ə/: [tə]. But interestingly she doesn’t do this, and pronounces /ʊ/ in its pure quality: [tʊ].
- Notice the transition between the words out /aʊt/ and there /ðɛɹ/. She holds the final /t/ in out [aʊt̚] – she holds the tongue in the position for /t/ but doesn’t release the air, and then she moves the tongue slightly forward for the following /ð/: [aʊt̚ ðɛɹ].
6. And I have to learn from people who are the best
And I have to learn from people who are the best
ænd ˈaɪ.əf.tə ˈlɝ:n.fɹəm ˈpi.pəl huː ɑːɹ ðəˈbɛst
- In contrast to the previous I have to, where have was stressed, now she is reducing it. She drops the /h/, and reduces the vowel to a schwa /ə/: [ˈaɪ.əf.tə].
- She is devoicing /v/ to /f/ in have: [ˈaɪ.əf.tə].
- She is reducing the vowel in to /tʊ/: [ˈaɪ.əf.tə].
- We have another vowel reduction in from /frʌm/: [fɹəm].
- She is stressing the word best, which is the last content word. She elongates it and raises her intonation.
7. and I’ll work under them, I’ll work where I have to go
and I’ll work under them, I’ll work where I have to go
ənˈaɪl wɝ:k ˈʌn.dər ðɛm aɪl wɝ:k wɛɹ aɪ ˈhæf.tʊ ɡoʊ
- She is reminiscing on her own thoughts from the past; almost like reciting her thoughts.
- This part is very rhythmic.
- We have a vowel reduction and a dropped /d/ in the word and /ænd/: [ən].
- Same as earlier, even though she is super-fast, she is not reducing the vowel /ʊ/ in to /tʊ/ to a schwa /ə/ and pronounces /ʊ/ in its pure quality: [tʊ].
8. um because then eventually I can become the best
um because then eventually I can become the best
ʌm bɪˈkʌz.ðən ɪˈvɛn.tʃə.li ˈaɪ.kən bɪˈkʰʌm ðəˈbɛst
- She starts with um /ʌm/, which is a filler word showing some hesitation.
- We have vowel reduction in then /ðɛn/: [ðən].
- She is putting a stress and raising her intonation on the second syllable of the word eventually [ɪˈvɛn.tʃə.li].
- We have another vowel reduction in I can /aɪ kɛn/: [ˈaɪ.kən].
- We have another stressed word and rising intonation on become [bɪˈkʰʌm].
- She is aspirating /k/ in become [bɪˈkʰʌm]. /k/ is one of the voiceless stops (/p/, /t/, /k/). These voiceless stops are aspirated if they come at the beginning of a word, but also at the beginning of a stressed syllable, which is the case with the /k/ in become. Aspiration means puffing of air during the release of the consonant sound and delaying of the release of the voice (VOT – voice onset time).
9. — because I’ve learned from the best —
— because I’ve learned from the best —
bɪˈkʌz aɪv ˈlɝ:nd.frəm ðəˈbɛst
- Notice the intonation here. It is way lower in pitch, and more monotonous. This is because this part is a parenthetical statement, which is some extra, but not essential information.
- We have vowel reduction in from /frʌm/ (again): [fɹəm].
10. and I can have my own business.
and I can have my own business.
æn aɪ kæn hæv maɪ oʊn ˈbɪz.nəs
- Here we have falling intonation, because it is the end of the sentence.
- She is dropping the /d/ in the word and /ænd/: [æn].
★
Watch the video where I say the full text together with Leila and practice with me. I have to admit that this exercise was exceptionally difficult.
I chose Leila, who speaks faster than the speed of light, because – first – I like her voice, and – second – I was up for a challenge. I also wanted to show you how many words and phrases you can pack within 16 seconds. 😅
I have another post/video where I tell you why non-native speakers of English usually think that native speakers speak super-fast. I also point out that not many native speakers speak very fast. So, don’t be scared by listening to Leila. She actually does speak extremely quickly, which is not typical.
When you choose a speaker for your shadowing practice go with someone who appeals to you. Try to extract a short part of their speech and analyze it the way I just showed you. Your mouth muscles will eventually thank you because shadowing is a great practice to get used to different pronunciation patterns.
Practicing with a short but challenging speech could be even better than saying tongue twisters. If you do it the right way, you will learn a lot about rhythm, stress, intonation, vowel reductions and connected speech. You can also use a part from the speech in real life, which is not the case with most tongue twisters.
Let me know in the comments if you find shadowing helpful and how often you do it.
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