In all languages, sounds affect each other when they
find themselves in proximity. One common process is
called assimilation. In this process, a sound
will take on one or more characteristics of its neighbor
or the neighboring sounds may merge into a new one.
Which sounds affect which other sounds with which results
is different from language to language.
In English, when sibilants (such as [s] or [z]) occur
before a jod [j] (that's a y sound), they combine.
So when you say the word "special", the [s] and [j] combine to form a "sh" sound. You don't say "spesyal"
but "speshal." Something similar happens with [t] and [d] before [j]. If you say the phrase
"what you said" at a fairly quick speed, you don't pronounce
each sound individually, but you combine the "what you" into
"whatcha". And no, you're not being lazy when
you do that, no matter what Miss Talkright told you
in grade school. It's a normal, linguistic process.
Well, in French, that doesn't happen. Assimilation does occur, but not with these sounds. So, in order to sound
more French and less American, remember to pronounce
your [s], [z], [t], [d] separately from your [j].
