"Excited" — The Word You Know But Can't Hear
My student knows the word "excited."
She can spell it. She can use it in a sentence. She knows exactly what it means.
Then I played her an audio clip.
"Now she feels ready and excited."
She heard "ready." She heard "now."
But "excited"? Gone.
The word she knows perfectly had become unrecognizable.
Start With the Three Strong Beats
Before chasing individual sounds, find the rhythm.
This sentence has three strong beats:
NOW. READY. EXCITED.
That's the entire meaning right there.
Someone is prepared and eager. Right now.
| Strong Beats | What They Tell You |
|---|---|
| Now | Timing — this moment |
| Ready | State — prepared |
| Excited | Emotion — eager |
Everything else in the sentence? Connection words. Grammar glue.
Here's the skill: Catch the strong beats first. Then work backwards.
The weak words become predictable once you have the main meaning.
Filling in the Gaps
You heard three strong beats: NOW, READY, EXCITED.
Now use common sense.
"Ready" and "excited" are both describing someone. Who?
You probably heard a short sound before "feels." Something like "sh."
Grammar pattern: Subject before verb. "She" fits perfectly.
What about between "ready" and "excited"?
Two adjectives describing the same person. Grammar pattern: They connect with "and."
You might not have heard "and" clearly. But you know it belongs there.
| What You Hear | What You Predict |
|---|---|
| Strong beats | NOW, READY, EXCITED |
| Short "sh" sound | "She" (subject needed) |
| Gap between adjectives | "And" (grammar pattern) |
The weak words aren't mysteries. They're predictable.
Rhythm gives you the skeleton. Grammar and context fill in the flesh.
Why "And" Disappears
| Reduction |
|---|
| When a word loses sounds in natural speech. The word "and" often reduces to just "n" — losing its vowel and final D sound. |
Students have a mental model of "and."
It's a separate word. Three distinct sounds. A-N-D.
Reality? In fast speech, it's just "n."
Glued onto whatever comes next.
Here's the proof: Listen to your students speak.
When they say "and," they enunciate it. Clearly. Separately.
"Ready... AND... excited."
That's their mental model showing.
Native speakers? "Ready-n-excited."
One smooth flow. No separation.
If your mouth says it separately, your ears expect it separately.
That's why "and" disappears.
The Liaison That Changes "Excited"
| Liaison |
|---|
| When the final sound of one word connects to the beginning of the next word, creating a seamless flow. The words merge at their boundary. |
Here's what happens to "excited."
"And" reduces to "n."
That "n" attaches directly to "excited."
Result: "n-excited" or "nexcited."
The word "excited" now starts with a different sound.
Your student knows "excited." Starts with an "eh" or "ik" sound.
But "nexcited"? That's unfamiliar.
The word hasn't changed. The sounds before it changed its beginning.
Your student is scanning her mental dictionary for "nexcited."
No match found.
The word she knows perfectly has become unrecognizable.
The Consonant Cluster Problem — "Feels Ready"
| Consonant Cluster |
|---|
| Multiple consonant sounds occurring together without vowels between them. In "feels ready," the LZ ending of "feels" meets the R of "ready" — creating an LZ-R cluster. |
"Feels" ends with two consonants: L and Z (the S sounds like Z).
"Ready" starts with R.
In natural speech: LZ-R. No pause. No vowel. Just consonants stacked together.
Students whose native language doesn't have consonant clusters do something interesting.
They add tiny vowels between the sounds.
Or they add a minuscule pause.
"Feel-uh-z... ready."
When they speak this way, their ears expect to hear it this way.
Then they hear a native speaker.
"Feelsready."
No separation. No tiny vowel. Just a blur of consonants.
To untrained ears? Garbled. Unintelligible.
The sounds are all there. But without the expected breaks, the brain can't parse them.
Action Steps
Step 1: Listen for the three strong beats
Don't chase every sound. Find NOW, READY, EXCITED first.
These anchor the meaning.
Step 2: Predict the weak words
Use grammar patterns. Use context. Use common sense.
"She" before the verb. "And" between adjectives.
Step 3: Practice the liaison in isolation
Say "and excited" as one unit.
"N-excited. N-excited. N-excited."
Twenty times. Build the neural pathway.
Step 4: Practice the consonant cluster
Say "feels ready" with no break.
"Feelsready. Feelsready. Feelsready."
Twenty times. Train your mouth, then your ears will follow.
Step 5: Shadow the full sentence
"Now she feels ready and excited."
Twenty repetitions with the audio.
Your mouth teaches your ears what to expect.
Key Takeaways
- Three Strong Beats Reveal Meaning: NOW, READY, EXCITED tells you everything important
- Work Backwards: Catch the rhythm first, then predict weak words using grammar and context
- "And" Reduces to "N": Your mental model may show it as separate — reality is glued
- Liaison Changes Word Beginnings: "Excited" becomes "nexcited" — same word, different entry point
- Consonant Clusters Sound Garbled: Without expected pauses, LZ-R becomes unintelligible to untrained ears
- Twenty Repetitions Build the Pathway: Practice creates expectation, expectation creates recognition
Practice This Sentence Now
The audio player on my site plays automatically twenty times.
No clicking. No counting. Just practice.
Go to the shadowing page for this sentence and train your ears to hear what you already know.
Practice "Now she feels ready and excited" →
Twenty repetitions. That's your homework.
The word "excited" will stop disappearing.