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Listen and compare · 3

CEFR B1

Review the contrast after listening

bitten

[ˈbɪtən]

to ask: careful form

bitten

[ˈbɪtn̩]

to ask: reduced form

What tells the two sounds apart

  • [ən] / [n̩]In bitten you may hear [ən] in careful speech or syllabic [n̩] in everyday speech. Both are valid. Try the indicated reduced forms without losing n or shifting stress to the ending. Do not apply [n̩] mechanically after every consonant: these examples delimit the practice.

Why it is hard

In bitten you may hear [ən] in careful speech or syllabic [n̩] in everyday speech. Both are valid. Try the indicated reduced forms without losing n or shifting stress to the ending. Do not apply [n̩] mechanically after every consonant: these examples delimit the practice.

Wir müssen draußen warten, bis die Gäste ihre Karten zeigen.

To practise

  1. Wir warten draußen.[viːɐ̯ ˈvaʁtn̩ ˈdʁaʊ̯sn̩]We wait outside.
  2. Sie retten das Tier.[ziː ˈʁɛtn̩ das tiːɐ̯]They rescue the animal.
  3. Wir müssen das prüfen.[viːɐ̯ ˈmʏsn̩ das ˈpʁyːfn̩]We must check that.
  4. Die Kosten sinken.[diː ˈkɔstn̩ ˈzɪŋkən]Costs fall: reduce Kosten, retain [ən] in sinken.