How to pronounce "kept going" in English — Connected Speech Guide (IPA /ˈkɛpˈɡoʊɪŋ/)

How native English speakers pronounce "kept going" (IPA /ˈkɛpˈɡoʊɪŋ/) — connected speech rule, example sentences, and audio for GA and RP. Free. t dropped (p_ɡ)

kept going pronunciation (IPA /ˈkɛpˈɡoʊɪŋ/) — Elision

What happens in this phrase

t dropped (p_ɡ)

Example sentences

We kept going anyway.
They kept going all night.
She kept going despite it.
He kept going for hours.

Common mistakes by native language

Japanese speakers

Mistake: Pronouncing it as "KEPUTO GOOINGU" with a full t release and epenthetic vowels.

Why: Katakana English preserves each consonant with a supporting vowel.

Fix: The t of "kept" is elided before the g of "going": [ˈkɛpˈɡoʊɪŋ]. Same pt-elision rule as "kept quiet" [ˈkɛpˈkwaɪət].

Korean speakers

Mistake: Producing clear released [t] and aspirated [ɡ] with syllable break.

Why: Korean releases word-final consonants clearly.

Fix: Elide the t of "kept": [ˈkɛpˈɡoʊɪŋ]. The [pt + g] cluster simplifies to [p + g] in fluent speech.

Spanish speakers

Mistake: Producing Spanish-style fricative [ɣ] between vowels for the g.

Why: Spanish g weakens between vowels.

Fix: English [ɡ] in "going" stays as a full stop: [ˈkɛpˈɡoʊɪŋ]. And elide the t of "kept".

Similar phrase patterns

kept quiet — pt-elision before /k/: [ˈkɛpˈkwaɪət]. Direct sibling — same t-elision, different following consonant.
kept back — pt-elision before /b/: [ˈkɛpˈbæk]. Same kept-family productive pattern.
kept doing — pt-elision before /d/: [ˈkɛpˈduːɪŋ]. "Kept + [verb-ing]" is a productive continuation construction.

Practice sentences

She kept going even when it got hard. (perseverance)
The car kept going despite the warning light. (narrative of stubborn continuation)
I kept going until I reached the top. (achievement narrative)
He just kept going and never looked back. (leaving without hesitation)
Sometimes you just have to keep going. (motivational statement)

Notes

"Kept going" is part of the productive "kept + [verb-ing]" construction, which describes continuous or persistent action in the past. Phonologically it illustrates the same [pt + Consonant] → [p + Consonant] simplification as its siblings: "kept quiet" [ˈkɛpˈkwaɪət], "kept doing" [ˈkɛpˈduːɪŋ], "kept back" [ˈkɛpˈbæk]. Semantically, "kept going" carries perseverance connotations — often used in motivational contexts ("she kept going despite the odds") or in narratives of endurance. The construction contrasts with "went on" (similar meaning) and "continued" (more formal). Understanding the pt-elision phonology helps learners produce this common past-continuation phrase naturally, avoiding the stilted full [kɛpt ˈɡoʊɪŋ] that immediately marks non-native speech. The pattern also appears in imperative advice ("keep going!") and future/present continuation ("I keep going back to that idea"), all sharing the same pt-elision when a consonant follows.