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ASSIMILATION

IN ENGLISH
“Assimilation is a process of
adjustment in connected speech,
during which a given sound (the
assimilating sound) takes the
characteristics on of a neighbor
sound (the conditioning sound)”
“ don’t be silly”
E
X
A
M
P
L
E /n/ and /t/ in don’t
O
F
are assimilated to
A
/m/ and /p/ by the
S
S following /b/
I
M
I
L
A
T
I (“dombesilly”)
O
N
Types of assimilation
1.

2.

3.
Progressive Assimilation ( Perseverative)

This type of assimilation occurs in the regular plural /s/ vs. /z/
alternation and also in the regular past tense /t/ vs. /d/ alternation.

The final sound of the stem conditions the voiced or voiceless


form of the suffix.
• Contractions

it + is it’s
Assimilation
Progressive
/It/ + /Iz/ /Its/

• Reductions

had to
/hædə/
Regressive Assimilation ( Anticipatory)

Examples of this type of phenomenon are the words:


grandpa, where the /p/ causes the /nd/ to be articulated as /m/:
/græmpa/

pancake the /k/ causes the /n/ to become /ŋ/:


/pænkeyk/
Regressive have + to = “hafta”
assimilation occurs /hæv/ + /tuw/ /hæftə/
commonly in the
periphrastic modals Has + to = “hasta”
has/have to (when /hæz/ + /tuw / = /hæstə/
expressing
obligation) and used
used + to = usta
/yuwzd/ + /tuw/ = /yuwstə/
to (when expressing
habitual action).
• in
inflexible
Examples
indifferent
inexcusable
ALLOMORPHIC • im
imbalanced
VARIANTS immobile
impartial
• il
illegal
illegible
illiberal
• ir
irreplaceable
irrelevant
irregular
In rapid speech, sequences of sibilants having the form
(/s/ or /z/ + /š/) are particularly susceptible to this
type of assimilation

For example:

• /s/ + /š/ Swiss chalet horseshoe


[š] [š]

• /z/ + /š/ his shirt one’s shadow


[š ] [š]
With stop consonants, a final /t/ or /d/ may
assimilate to a following initial /b, g/ or /p, k/
respectively
For example:

• good boy good girl


[b] [g]

• at peace pet kitten


[p] [p]
Final nasal consonants, especially /n/, may also adjust
their place of articulation according to the following
conditioning consonant.
For example:

• He is in pain They’re in Korea


[m] [ŋ]

• It rains in May be on guard!


[m] [ŋ]
There are also some cases of regressive assimilation
with a change in manner of articulation.

For example:

• Could you give me a call?


/m/

• Let me do that for you.


/m/
Coalescent Assimilation
Sound A + Sound B
Sound C

This process occurs when final alveolar consonants such as /s, z/


and /d, t/ or final alveolar consonants sequences such as /tš,
dž/ are followed by initial palatal /y/.

They then become palatalized fricatives and affricates.


Rule Examples

/s/ /š/ Issue / He’s coming this year.

/z/ /ž/ Pleasure/ Does your mother


know?
/t/ /tš/ Stature/ Is that your dog?
+ /y/
/ts/ /tš/ She lets your dog in/ He
hates your hairdo.
/d/ /dž/ Procedure/ Would you mind
moving?
She needs your help.
/dž/ /dž/
THANK YOU!!

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