Why do native speakers sound like they're swallowing their words? Because sometimes, they are. This is called elision — when a sound is quietly dropped to make speech flow more naturally. Elision most often happens when two consonants sit next to each other. The first one softens or disappears entirely. Listen: ▶ friendship ▶ next day ▶ mostly ▶ old man ▶ first time ▶ next door Try it yourself: Say each word slowly, then at natural speed. Notice what disappears.