If you have ever listened to a native English speaker and struggled to catch the small words, pronouns are often the culprit. In natural, connected speech, pronouns like him, her, them, and you are almost never pronounced in their full dictionary form. They reduce, blend, and sometimes seem to disappear entirely.
Understanding reduced pronouns is key to two things: improving your listening comprehension and developing a more natural speaking rhythm. This guide will show you exactly what happens to pronouns in fast speech, when it happens, and when it does not.
For background on weak forms in general, see our guides on weak forms and reductions in natural English speech and preposition weak forms.
Why Pronouns Reduce
English is a stress-timed language. That means speakers fit roughly the same number of stressed syllables into each unit of time, regardless of how many unstressed syllables there are between them. Content words (nouns, main verbs, adjectives, adverbs) carry stress because they carry new information. Function words (pronouns, prepositions, articles, auxiliary verbs) carry old or known information, so they get de-stressed and reduced.
When you say "Tell him to call me," the important words are "tell" and "call." The pronoun "him" is just a reference to someone already known in the conversation. Native speakers compress it to /ɪm/ and move on. This is not laziness; it is the rhythm of English.
Subject Pronoun Reductions
Subject pronouns reduce in the middle of sentences, especially when they immediately follow an auxiliary verb or appear between two content words.
HE: /hiː/ becomes /i/ or /ɪ/
The /h/ at the start of "he" drops in connected speech. "He went" sounds like /ɪ wɛnt/. The full /hiː/ is used only when the pronoun is stressed for contrast or emphasis.
SHE: /ʃiː/ becomes /ʃɪ/
"She" reduces slightly: the long /iː/ shortens to /ɪ/. The /ʃ/ consonant stays. It sounds noticeably shorter than the citation form but keeps its identity.
WE: /wiː/ becomes /wɪ/
Like "she," the vowel in "we" shortens from /iː/ to /ɪ/ in unstressed position. This is subtle but contributes to the natural rhythm of the sentence.
YOU: /juː/ becomes /jə/
"You" is one of the most dramatically reduced pronouns. After auxiliaries and verbs, /juː/ becomes /jə/ (like "yuh"). In fast speech before a vowel, it can trigger assimilation: "did you" becomes /dɪdʒə/ (sounds like "didja") and "could you" becomes /kʊdʒə/.
THEY: /ðeɪ/ becomes /ðə/ or stays /ðeɪ/
"They" reduces less consistently than other pronouns. In fast casual speech, the diphthong can shorten. The /ð/ always remains. Focus on keeping it short rather than fully stressed.
Object Pronoun Reductions
Object pronouns reduce even more dramatically than subject pronouns, especially when they come in the middle of a phrase. The most noticeable reduction is the loss of the initial consonant.
HIM: /hɪm/ becomes /ɪm/
The /h/ drops completely. "Tell him" becomes /tɛl ɪm/ and "Give him" becomes /ɡɪv ɪm/. The /m/ at the end often blends into the next word.
HER: /hɜːr/ becomes /ər/
"Her" loses its /h/ and reduces to just /ər/ (the schwa-r sound). "Tell her" sounds like /tɛl ər/ and "Ask her" sounds like /æsk ər/. This is one of the most dramatic reductions in English.
THEM: /ðɛm/ becomes /ðəm/ or /əm/
"Them" first reduces to /ðəm/ (schwa replaces the vowel), and in very fast speech the /ð/ can also drop, leaving just /əm/. "Tell them" becomes /tɛl əm/, which sounds like "tell'em."
US: /ʌs/ becomes /əs/
"Us" reduces from the full /ʌs/ to a quick /əs/. The famous phrase "let us" reduces so far it becomes the contraction "let's" /lɛts/ in everyday speech.
Pronoun Plus Auxiliary Contractions
When pronouns combine with auxiliary verbs, they form contractions. In natural speech, even the contracted forms reduce further.
Quick Reference Table
| Full Form | Reduced Form | IPA (Reduced) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| he | 'e / i | /ɪ/ | He went → /ɪ wɛnt/ |
| she | she (shorter) | /ʃɪ/ | She said → /ʃɪ sɛd/ |
| we | we (shorter) | /wɪ/ | We need → /wɪ niːd/ |
| you | ya | /jə/ | Did you → /dɪdʒə/ |
| him | 'im | /ɪm/ | Tell him → /tɛl ɪm/ |
| her | 'er | /ər/ | Tell her → /tɛl ər/ |
| them | 'em | /əm/ | Tell them → /tɛl əm/ |
| us | 's (in let's) | /əs/ | Let us → /lɛts/ |
When Pronouns Do NOT Reduce
Pronoun reduction is not automatic in every context. There are clear situations where you should use the full, strong form.
- Emphasis or contrast: "I told HIM, not her." The stressed pronoun gets its full pronunciation: /hɪm/ with full vowel and /h/.
- Sentence-final position: "I saw him." When "him" is the last word, it reduces less because it is at the end of an intonation unit.
- After a pause: If there is a natural pause before the pronoun, it tends to receive more stress and less reduction.
- Formal or careful speech: Presentations, announcements, and deliberate communication use strong forms.
- When clarifying: If there is any ambiguity about who is being referred to, speakers stress the pronoun to make it clear.
Practice Sentences
Read these sentences aloud at natural speed. The key words in bold carry stress; the pronouns should be quick and light.
- "Ask him to call me" /æsk ɪm tə kɔːl mi/
- "Did you tell her about the meeting?" /dɪdʒə tɛl ər əbaʊt ðə miːtɪŋ/
- "Give them the keys and let them in." /ɡɪv əm ðə kiːz ən lɛt əm ɪn/
- "Should we call her or send her a text?" /ʃʊd wɪ kɔːl ər ər sɛnd ər ə tɛkst/
- "He said he'd meet us there." /ɪ sɛd ɪd miːt əs ðɛr/
Listening Tip
When listening to native speakers, do not try to catch every single word in real time. Instead, focus first on the stressed content words (the nouns, main verbs, adjectives). These words will be longer, louder, and clearer. Once you have the content words, your brain can fill in the reduced pronouns around them. This is exactly how native listeners process speech, and with practice it becomes automatic.
A great exercise: listen to a short clip and write down only the stressed words first. Then listen again and fill in the function words, including the reduced pronouns. You will be surprised how much you understood even without catching every pronoun clearly.