Aspects of Connected Speech | Language Structure Usage & Linguistics II

 Aspects of connected speech 

 Linking- C+C, C+V, V+V, intrusion

 Assimilation- Progressive, Regressive

 Elision

ASSIMILATION 

/əˌsɪməˈleɪʃən/ n assimilate /əˈsɪməˌleɪt/ v

When a speech sound changes, and becomes more like another sound which follows it or precedes it, this is called Assimilation. For example,

in English then negative PREFIX appears as im- before words such as possible - impossible . 

As possible starts with a BILABIAL sound the prefix im- ends in a bilabial sound. Before words like tolerant, however the prefix in- : intolerant. As tolerant starts with an ALVEOLAR sound, the prefix in- ends in an alveolar sound. As the following sounds bring about the change, this process is called regressive assimilation.

On the other hand, the difference between the /s/ in the English words cats and the /z/ in the English word dogs is an example of progressive assimilation because the preceding sounds bring about the change.

Assimilation n

a process in which a group gradually gives up its own language, culture, and system of values and takes on those of another group with a different language, culture, and system of values, through a period of interaction. 

see also ACCULTURATION, SOCIAL DISTANCE.

When two sound segments occur in sequence and some aspect of one segment is taken or “copied” by the other, the process is known as assimilation. If we think of the physical production of speech, we realize that this regular process happens simply because it‟s quicker, easier and more efficient for our articulators as they do their job In isolation, we would typically pronounce [ɪ] and [æ] without any nasal quality at all.

However, when we say words like pin and pan in everyday speech, the anticipation of forming the final nasal consonant will make it easier to go into the nasalized articulation in advance and consequently the vowel sounds in these words will be, in more precise transcription, [ı˜] and [æ˜] This is a very regular feature of English speakers‟ pronunciation. It is so regular, in fact, that a phonological rule can be stated in the following way: “Any vowel becomes nasal whenever it immediately precedes a nasal.” This type of assimilation process occurs in a variety of different contexts.

By itself, the word can may be pronounced as [kæn], but, when we say I can go, the influence of the following velar [ɡ] will almost certainly make the preceding nasal sound come out as [ŋ] (the velar nasal) rather than [n] (the alveolar nasal). The most commonly observed conversational version of the phrase is [aɪkəŋɡoʊ]. Notice that the vowel in can has also changed to schwa [ə] from the isolated-word version [æ].

In many words spoken carefully, the vowel receives stress, but in the course of ordinary everyday talk, that vowel may no longer receive any stress and naturally reduce to schwa. We may, for example, pronounce and as [ænd] by itself, but in the normal use of the phrase you and me, we usually say [ən], as in [juənmi].

ELISION

/ɪˈlɪʒən/ n elide /ɪˈlaɪd/ v

The leaving out of a sound or sounds in speech. For example, in rapid speech in English, suppose is often pronounced as/spəʊz/, factory as /fæktri/ and mostly as /məʊsli/.

see also ELLIPSIS, EPENTHESIS

In the last example, illustrating the normal pronunciation of you and me, the [d] sound of the word and was not included in the transcription. That‟s because it isn‟t usually pronounced in this phrase. In the environment of a preceding nasal [n] and a following nasal [m], we simply don‟t devote speech energy to including the stop sound

[d]. This isn‟t laziness, it‟s efficiency.

There is also typically no [d] sound included in the everyday pronunciation of a word like friendship [frɛnʃɪp].

This process of not pronouncing a sound segment that might be present in the deliberately careful pronunciation of a word in isolation is described as elision.

In consonant clusters, especially in coda position, /t/ is a common casualty in this process, as in the typical pronunciation [æspeks] for aspects, or in [himəsbi] for the phrase he must be. We can, of course, slowly and deliberately pronounce each part of the phrase we asked him, but the process of elision (of /k/) in casual conversation is likely to produce [wiæstəm].

Vowels also disappear, as in [ɛvri] for every, [ɪntrɪst] for interest, [kæbnət] for cabinet, [kæmrə] for camera, [prɪznər] for prisoner and [spoʊz] for suppose.

 EN1214_LSLU_Note from Lecturer Mrs.Nadeeka Laksiri_Typed and edited by Nisal Wanigasuriya