4 – Pronunciation: Reduction of “of”

A. A common reduction occurs when “of” follows a syllable that ends in a consonant sound. Many Americans change the “of” to “a”. Listen to the following statements from the dialogue. In the parentheses next to each statement, you can see how the reduced words appear if they are written out. (Note: some of these reductions are regional and may not be reduced by everyone.)

According to him, it’s difficult for security to watch some of the areas on the monitors.
(som’a)
I guess that’s the kind of thing he thinks is frivolous. (kinda)

B. Listen to and repeat each of the following statements.

1. I set aside a lot of money for this year’s holiday party.
2. None of the neighbors volunteered to help me.
3. My brother ate half of the pizza.
4. You have a spot of paint on your jacket.
5. All of these letters need to be delivered today.