Learners usually say every small word in full: I CAN COME TO THE SHOPS. It sounds slow and over-careful, and sometimes it sounds like you are arguing. Worse, when British people speak normally, the small words almost vanish, so learners miss them, and they cannot tell I can come from I can't come. In this episode: • What a weak form is • Can or can't: the british way • Contractions in speech • When to use the strong form • Listening lab: weekend plans • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: can (KUN) — I can help. (eye kun HELP) and (UN, or just N) — fish and chips (FISH-un-CHIPS) of (UV, or UH before a consonant) — a cup of tea (uh KUP uh TEE) to (TUH) — going to the shops (tuh thuh SHOPS) for (FUH) — It's for you. (its fuh YOO) from (FRUM) — a text from Mum (FRUM MUM) them (THUM, or just UM) — Tell them. (TEL-um) at (UT) — at home (ut HOHM) are (UH) — Where are you? (WEH-ruh-yoo) was (WUZ) — It was great. (it wuz GRAYT) some (SUM, very short) — some milk (sum MILK) I can come. (eye kun KUM) — can is weak and quick; the verb come carries the beat. I can't come. (eye KAHNT KUM) — can't is strong and long, with the long AH of bath. it'll (IT-ul) — It'll be fine. (it will) I'd (AID) — I'd love to. (I would) / I'd finished. (I had) we've (WEEV) — We've run out of bread. she'd've (SHEED-uv) — She'd've helped. (she would have, speech only) mustn't (MUS-unt) — You mustn't touch the oven. (the first T is silent) needn't (NEED-unt) — You needn't bring anything. (you don't need to) it's, there's (THEHZ) — There's some cake left. Real British English: the complete spoken course for learners worldwide — modern British accent, everyday grammar, phrasal verbs, idioms, slang, he/she/it for things, and real conversations at home. Listen, repeat out loud, then take the 52-question quiz. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair.