By Chris Nkwocha and Esther John
Unknown to many, consonants are the real conjunctions. They are the actual connectors of words not ideas in spoken English. The superb rule strongly holds here: When a word ends in a consonant, and the next word begins in a vowel, connect or link them and say them as one word. This rule applies especially to some words that come in pairs when we speak. In fact, they come naturally as we speak. Consonants connect words.
Do you know how to connect or link words when you speak? See how it works in real life below. We treat a word that ends in a consonant followed by and like a hyphenated word. We usually close the space between hyphenated words and make them sound like one word. For example, ‘check up’ is pronounced checkup, leaving no space between ‘check’ and ‘up’. Say the words listed below like they are hyphenated. Don’t forget: Consonants connect words.
WRITTEN WRITTEN SPOKEN
- Actor and boss actorand boss actor-n boss
- Again and again againand again again-n again
- All or nothing allor nothing allor nothing
- Bag and baggage bagand baggage bag-n baggage
- Before and after beforeand after before-n after
- Big and small bigand small big-n small
- Black and blue blackand blue black-n blue
- Black and white blackand white black-n white
- Body and soul bodyand soul body-n soul
- Bolt and nut boltand nut bolt-n nut
- Boys and girls boysand girls boys-n girls
- Bread and butter breadand butter bread-n butter
- Bread and egg breadand egg bread-n egg
- Bride and groom brideand groom bride-n groom
- Buy and sell buyand sell buy-n sell
- By and large byand large by-n large
- Coat and tie coatand tie coat-n tie
- Coming and going comingand going coming-n going
- Cut and paste cutand paste cut-n paste
- Day and night dayand night day-n night
- Dead or alive deador alive deador alive
- Do or die door die do-or die
- Do’s and don’ts do’sand don’t do’s-n don’t
- Dog and sheep dogand sheep dog-n sheep
- Dribs and drabs dribsand drabs dribs-n drabs
- Each and every eachand every each-n every
- Facts and figures factsand figure facts-n figure
- Far and wide farand wide far-n wide
- Fat and short fatand short fat-n short
- First and last firstand last first-n last
- Fish and chips fishand chips fish-n chips
- Fits and starts fitsand starts fits-n starts
- Flesh and blood fleshand blood flesh-n blood
- For and against forand against for-n against
- Forgive and forget forgiveand forget forgive-n forget
- Fork and knife forkand knife fork-n knife
- Front and back frontand back front-n back
- Give and take giveand take give-n take
- Good and bad goodand bad good-n bad
- Hale and hearty haleand hearty hale-n hearty
- Heaven and earth heavenand earth heaven-n earth
- High and dry highand dry high-n dry
- High and tall highand tall high-n tall
- Home and dry homeand dry home-n dry
- Huffing and puffing huffingand puffing huffing-n puffing
- Husband and wife husbandand wife husband-n wife
- Hustle and bustle hustleand bustle hustle-n bustle
- In and out inand out in-n out
- Jack and Jill Jackand Jill Jack-n Jill
- Kick and start kickand start kick-n start
- Kith and kin kithand kin kith-n kin
- Ladies and gentlemen Ladiesand gentlemen Ladies-n gentlemen
- Left and right leftand right left-n right
- Look and see lookand see look-n see
- Lost and found lostand found lost-n found
- Make or mar makeor mar make-or mar
- Man and woman manand woman man-n woman
- Milk and sugar milkand sugar milk-n sugar
- More and more moreand more more-n more
- More or less moreor less more-or less
- Nice and easy niceand easy nice-n easy
- Nook and cranny nookand cranny nook-n cranny
- Now and then nowand then now-n then
- Now or never nowor never now-or never
- Null and void nulland void null-n void
- On and off onand off on-n off
- Park and shop parkand shop park-n shop
- Pick and drop pickand drop pick-n drop
- Plant and harvest plantand harvest plant-n harvest
- Plants and animals plantsand animal plants-n animals
- Profit or loss profitor loss profit-or loss
- Pure and simple pureand simple pure-n simple
- Question and answer questionand answer question-n answer
- Read and write readand write read-n write
- Rich and poor richand poor rich-n poor
- Right and wrong rightand wrong right-n wrong
- Rise and fall riseand fall rise-n fall
- Rise and still riseand still rise-n still
- Rock and roll rockand roll rock-n roll
- Room and parlour roomand parlour room-n parlour
- Root and branch rootand branch root-n branch
- Safe and sound safeand sound safe-n sound
- Shirt and tie shirtand tie shirt-n tie
- Sick and tired sickand tired sick-n tired
- Signed and sealed signedand sealed signed-n sealed
- Skirt and blouse skirtand blouse skirt-n blouse
- Slow and steady slowand steady slow-n steady
- Soak and wash soakand wash soak-n wash
- Sooner or later sooneror later sooner-or later
- Sow and reap sowand reap sow-n reap
- Spick and span spickand span spick-n span
- Strong and reliable strongand reliable strong-n reliable
- Supply and demand supplyand demand supply-n demand
- Sure and certain sureand certain sure-n certain
- Tall and fat talland fat tall-n fat
- Taste and see tasteand see taste-n see
- Thin and thin thinand thin thin-n thin
- This and that thisand that this-n that
- Thunder and lightning thunderand lightning thunder-n lightning
- Tie and dye tieand dye tie-n dye
- To and fro toand fro to-n fro
- Tom and Jerry Tomand Jerry Tom-n Jerry
- True or false trueor false true-or false
- Try and see tryand see try-n see
- Ups and down upsand down ups-n down
- Wait and get waitand get wait-n get
- Wait and see waitand see wait-n see
- Wash and wear washand wear wash-n wear
- Weak and tired weakand tired weak-n tired
- Wear and tear wearand tear wear-n tear
- Wide and deep wideand deep wide-n deep
- Young and old youngand old young-n old