Assimilation: intro (1-4)

 

Assimilation

Assimilation is a sound change where some phonemes or sound segments change to be similar to their nearby sounds, and thus saying them becomes easier. The process by which a segment is modified by its neighbors is called assimilation. When assimilation happens, one sound becomes phonetically similar to an adjacent sound. Assimilation can occur either within a word or between words. It occurs in normal speech, and it becomes more common in more rapid speech. A sound can be changed either by the sound that precedes it (called progressive assimilation) or that follows it (regressive assimilation). How consonant sounds change in speech depends on where and how the consonants are pronounced. Naturally, our study of consonants based on their place and manner of articulation is very useful when we study the assimilation of consonants. 

Assimilation

Types of assimilation

Assimilation means nearby sounds become similar. Assimilation can occur either within a word or between words when the final sound of a word touches the first sound of the next word. It varies in extent according to speaking rate and style, and is mostly found in  rapid, casual speech.

Assimilation can be analyzed in terms of its direction, meaning whether a preceding sound influences its subsequent sound or a subsequent sound influences its preceding sound. When a sound is changed by the sound that precedes it, it is called progressive assimilation, and when a  sound is changed by the sound that follows it, it is called regressive assimilation.

Progressive assimilation

In progressive assimilation, the first sound influences its following sound. Compare these two words: bleed vs plead. The /l/ sound in ‘bleed' is different from the /l/ sound in ‘plead.’ For bleed, since /b/ is voiced, the vocal folds continue to vibrate for /l/, but for plead, since /p/ is voiceless, the vocal folds do not vibrate for /l/. So the general rule is that, when voiced phonemes follow voiceless phonemes in consonant clusters, the voiced phonemes become devoiced. As we can see, in progressive assimilation, a property of the first sound is preserved and moves forward onto the following sound. For this reason, progressive assimilation is also called preservative assimilation, left to right  assimilation or lagging assimilation. These are examples of progressive assimilation in voicing

students /-ts/; books /-ks/

girls /-lz/; pictures /-rz/

He writes /-ts/; He speaks /-ks/ 

She reads /-dz/; She plays /-z/

worked /-kt/; laughed /-ft/ 

learned /-nd/; played /-d/

students’ books /-ʧ b/ → /-ʧ p/ 

girls’ pictures /-lz p/ → /-lz b/

Regressive assimilation

In regressive assimilation, speech sound is influenced in anticipation of the sound that’s about to be spoken after it. These are examples of regressive devoicing.

have to → haf to/-f t-/ 

used to /-zd t/ → uset to /-st t-/

five people /v p/ → fife people /-f p-/

rob Peter /b p/ → rop Peter /p p/

bad tongue /d t/ → bat tongue /t t/ 

big car /g k/ → bik car  /k k/ 

Regressive assimilation is also called anticipatory assimilation or right to left assimilation. Anticipatory assimilation happens most commonly with alveolar consonants since they are unstable and can be easily influenced by the following sounds.  For example, 

green boat→ greem boat

good night → goon night 

Coalescence 

Coalescence is a special type of assimilation process where the process of assimilation is bi-directional and two segments combine to produce one. In English this often happens when an alveolar plosive or fricative (/t, d, s, z/) is followed by a palatal approximant (/j/). In this condition, the allvelor consosnt and /j/ together creates a palatal consonant. Since the final sound is a palatal consonant, this process is also called palatalization.

let you /-t j-/ → /-ʧu/  

this year /-s j-/ → /-ʃi-/

Assimilation can also be classified as assimilation of place, assimilation of manner, or assimilation of voice. We have already examined the assimilation of voice, which can happen both progressively and regressively. 

Assimilation of place

Assimilation of place mostly happens with alveolar consonants as they are unstable and assimilate to the place of the following sounds.

good bye→ goob bye 

good girl → goog girl

nice shoe /-s ʃ-/ → /-ʃ ʃ-/ (cf: gemination of sibilants)

Palatalization is an example of the assimilation of the place.

just you /-s j/ →  /-ʃu-/ (/t/ is elided)

those years /-z j-/ → /-Ʒj-/

Assimilation of manner

One sound changes the manner of its articulation to become similar in manner to a neighboring sound.

• /ð/: plosive or nasal + /ð/ => plosive or nasal

get them /get ðəm/ → /gettəm/ (flap t)

in the /in ðə/ → /innə/

read this: /ri:d ðis/ → /ri:ddis/ (flap t)

• plosive + fricative => fricative

good song /-d s-/ → /-s s-/ 

• plosive + nasal => nasal

good night /-d n-/ →  /-n n-/ 

that night /-t n-/  → /-n n-/