V Elision in "of"
When "of" loses its V sound
What is it?
In connected speech, the word "of" often reduces from /ʌv/ or /əv/ to just /ə/, completely dropping the /v/ sound. This is one of the most common reductions in English.
kind of
→
/kaɪnd ʌv/
→
[kaɪndə]
This is why "kind of" sounds like "kinda" and "sort of" sounds like "sorta".
When does it happen?
V elision in "of" occurs:
- In connected speech — when "of" follows another word without pause
- When unstressed — the word "of" is almost always unstressed
**Note:** When the preceding word ends in T or D, you often get **both** V elision AND [cross-word flapping](/rules/flapping/). That's why "lot of" becomes [lɑɾə] and "sort of" becomes [sɔrɾə].
Examples
Common phrases
kind of → kinda
sort of → sorta
lot of → lotta
out of → outta
because of
instead of
With cross-word flapping
When the word before "of" ends in T or D, you get flapping too:
| Phrase | Phonemic | Phonetic | Spelled |
|---|
| sort of | /sɔrt ʌv/ | [sɔrɾə] | sorta |
| lot of | /lɑt ʌv/ | [lɑɾə] | lotta |
| out of | /aʊt ʌv/ | [aʊɾə] | outta |
Exceptions
- Stressed/emphasized: "I said OF, not OFF" — V is pronounced when stressed
- Careful speech: In formal contexts, the V may be retained
Informal spellings
These reductions are often written informally:
- kinda = kind of
- sorta = sort of
- lotta = lot of
- outta = out of