Pronunciation when two vowels collide: Noi siamo arrivati

Hi Italian speakers,

I haven't seen it said in the course anywhere, but when I listen to the conversation, it seems often that when one word ends in a vowel and the next starts with one, that the two sounds blend into one.

An example from unit 4.10: "Noi siamo arrivati ..."
Sounds like "Noi siamarrivati ..."

Is this right? Are there any rules for how people generally speak like this?

Cheers,
Drew

Hi Drew,

We generally speak so fast that we can end up "eating" diphtongs between words. The "o" is there, but it's so short and weakened that it's barely audible. There is no rule for this, as it depends on your talking speed. If you try to say "siamo arrivati" close to the speed of the registration (note: normal conversation goes even faster!), you'll see that you'll automatically weaken the "o" sound.

Keep up the listening practice!

Lucia

Hi Lucia,

Thanks for the explanation. That's what I thought was happening but I was wondering if there were any rules we can follow. Doesn't look like it .. just like English! 

Cheers,
Drew