How to pronounce "more and more" in English — Connected Speech Guide (IPA /ˈmɑrənˈmɑr/)

How native English speakers pronounce "more and more" (IPA /ˈmɑrənˈmɑr/) — connected speech rule, example sentences, and audio for GA and RP. Free. and→/ən/; RP linking r on first more

more and more pronunciation (IPA /ˈmɑrənˈmɑr/) — Linking

What happens in this phrase

and→/ən/; RP linking r on first more

Example sentences

It's getting more and more difficult.
She likes him more and more.
Prices rise more and more.
We hear it more and more.

Common mistakes by native language

Japanese speakers

Mistake: Pronouncing it as "MOA AN DO MOA" with three separated words and clear breaks.

Why: Katakana English preserves each word and cannot easily produce the and-reduction that natives use.

Fix: "And" reduces to just [n] between vowels: [ˈmɔːrənˈmɔːr]. Say "morenmore" — three words compressed into a smooth phrase.

Korean speakers

Mistake: Producing full [ænd] for "and" and clear syllable boundaries.

Why: Korean prosody favors careful articulation.

Fix: "And" is one of English's most heavily reduced words. In casual speech, it becomes just [ən] or [n]: [ˈmɔːrənˈmɔːr]. Same in "bread and butter" → "bredn-butter".

Spanish speakers

Mistake: Producing full Spanish r's (tapped/trilled) and clean [and].

Why: Spanish r is strong; Spanish rarely reduces function words.

Fix: English r in "more" is [ɹ] (approximant). And "and" reduces to [ən] or [n]: [ˈmɔːrənˈmɔːr]. In RP, the r may drop leaving lengthened [ɔː].

Similar phrase patterns

bread and butter — and-reduction to [n]: [ˈbrɛdnˈbʌtər]. Same reduction — one of the most common English collocations.
salt and pepper — and-reduction: [ˈsɔːltnˈpɛpər]. Same reduction, another everyday phrase.
back and forth — and-reduction: [ˈbæknˈfɔːrθ]. Same rhythm and same reduction principle.

Practice sentences

I'm getting more and more tired. (increasing state)
Prices keep going up more and more. (escalation)
She's becoming more and more confident. (positive growth)
The problem is getting more and more complicated. (worsening situation)
More and more people are working remotely. (trend observation)

Notes

"More and more" is a common intensification phrase in English (equivalent to "increasingly" in more formal register). Phonologically it showcases the and-reduction: "and" collapses to just [n] between two words in fluent speech, producing [ˈmɔːrənˈmɔːr]. This reduction is universal — "and" is one of the most heavily reduced words in English, sitting in a category with "of", "the", "to", "a" as function words that almost never carry stress. The pattern shows in dozens of everyday collocations: "bread and butter", "salt and pepper", "back and forth", "rock and roll", "cat and mouse". Learning to hear and produce the [n] reduction for "and" is one of the highest-return listening improvements — many students who can't parse fast native speech are stuck listening for full [ænd] that's never spoken.