If you have ever wondered why native speakers sound like they are saying "tell im", "give er", or "help em", you just discovered one of the most powerful rules of spoken English: object pronouns have weak forms. Understanding these weak forms will transform both your listening and your speaking.
The Core Rule
When him, her, them, us are unstressed (which is almost always), native speakers drop the /h/ or /ð/ at the start and weaken the vowel to schwa /ə/. The result: these tiny words almost disappear, merging into the verb before them.
- him → /ɪm/, often attached to the previous word ("tell im")
- her → /ɚ/ ("give er")
- them → /əm/, written informally as 'em ("help 'em")
- us → /əs/ (preserved mostly in "let's")
Why the H and TH Drop
English pronouns beginning with H or TH are function words, not content words. Function words carry grammatical meaning but no new information, so English speakers weaken them. The /h/ in "him, her, he, his" and the /ð/ in "them, their, they" are the first to go when the word is unstressed and in the middle of a phrase.
Practice Phrases
The Linking Effect
Once the H is gone, the pronoun starts with a vowel. English then links it to the preceding consonant, creating new syllables:
- "tell him" → /tɛl ɪm/ → sounds like "tell-lim"
- "get her" → /ɡɛt ɚ/ → sounds like "getter" (and the /t/ often flaps in US English)
- "call him" → /kɔl ɪm/ → sounds like "call-lim"
- "love him" → /lʌv ɪm/ → sounds like "loveim"
Quick Reference Table
| Pronoun | Strong form | Weak form | Written as |
|---|---|---|---|
| him | /hɪm/ | /ɪm/ | (n)im |
| her | /hɚ/ | /ɚ/ | 'er |
| them | /ðɛm/ | /əm/ | 'em |
| us | /ʌs/ | /əs/ | 's (let's) |
| he | /hi/ | /i/ | (n)'e |
| she | /ʃi/ | /ʃi/ | (rarely reduced) |
| they | /ðeɪ/ | /ðeɪ/ | (rarely reduced) |
When the Strong Form Comes Back
- Start of a sentence: "Him? I don't know him." (first him = strong /hɪm/)
- Contrast or emphasis: "I told HIM, not her."
- After a pause: "And then I saw... him." (strong /hɪm/)
- In careful speech or singing: full forms become natural.
Common Mistakes
- Always saying /hɪm/: sounds over-pronounced and robotic in casual speech.
- Missing the weak forms in listening: you will think you heard "tell" when the speaker said "tell him". Train your ear for the mini-vowel /ɪm/ at the end.
- Confusing /ɚ/ (her) with /ɚ/ at the end of a word (teacher): they sound similar, context decides.
Bonus: Weak "he" and "his"
Inside a sentence, he often becomes /i/ and his becomes /ɪz/:
- "Did he go?" → /dɪd i ɡoʊ/
- "What's his name?" → /wʌts ɪz neɪm/
Summary
Object pronouns him, her, them, us almost always go weak in fluent speech: /ɪm, ɚ, əm, əs/. The /h/ and /ð/ disappear, the pronoun links onto the verb, and the whole phrase sounds like one word. Master this and your spoken English jumps up a level; your listening improves too, because you finally hear what native speakers actually say.