Assimilation

� The different realization of a phoneme as a result ofbeing near some other phoneme belonging to aneighbouring word. (Roach, 2000: 138)

� Every consonant and every vowel is affected by its

FFHA-UNSJ_English Phonetics & Phonology I

� Every consonant and every vowel is affected by itsneighbouring consonants and vowels. This adaptation ofsegments to each other is sometimes referred to as“assimilation” (Brown, 1978: 58)

� It is often defined as a process of replacing one sound(or changing some properties of a sound) under theinfluence of another sound which occurs near to it. It hasalso been characterized as an adjustment of speechsounds to their environment (cf. Malmberg 1963: 60;Abercrombie 1967: 133–134; Jones 1972: 217–218)


� The process by which sounds are influenced byneighbouring sounds and come to share some or all oftheir phonetic characteristics (Ortiz-Lira, 1982: 77)

ASSIMILATION

Allophonic Phonemic Progressive Regressive

Fixed(similitude)

Voice


Place

Lip position

Voice

Place

Manner

� Only regressive

Cf lenis + Ci fortis > fortis


� Exception: -S suffixes, -ED endings (progressive)





ONLY IN VERY RAPID COLLOQUIAL SPEECHONLY IN VERY RAPID COLLOQUIAL SPEECHONLY IN VERY RAPID COLLOQUIAL SPEECHONLY IN VERY RAPID COLLOQUIAL SPEECHONLY IN VERY RAPID COLLOQUIAL SPEECHONLY IN VERY RAPID COLLOQUIAL SPEECHONLY IN VERY RAPID COLLOQUIAL SPEECHONLY IN VERY RAPID COLLOQUIAL SPEECH

Education

Assimilation