Aspects of Connected Speech: Assimilation & Elision

ASPECTS OF CONNECTED
ASSIMILATION & ELISION
Teacher : Tran Thi Dung
SPEECH
Group 10
Pham Thi Thanh Ngan
Bui Thi Minh
Ho Duong Minh Ngoc

CONTENT
I. Assimilation
1. Definition
2. Kinds of assimilation across word boundaries
II. Elision
1. Definition
2. Rules of elision
Assimilation
Definition
 Assimilation is the process which takes place when one sound adapts
itself to become similar to a neighboring sound in one or more aspects
 In other words, assimilation is the influence of one phoneme upon

another neighbouring phoneme, so that they become more alike
 Assimilation mostly happen in rapid, casual speech and less likely

in slow ,careful speech
Example :
Words Transcription After Assimilation
Light blue /laɪt bluː/
That person / ðæt pɜːsn/
That case / ðæt keɪs/

Diagram with two words are combined
--------Cf Ci---------
-
Word boundary
Cf : The first of which ends with a single final consonant

Ci : The second of which starts with a single initial consonant
Kinds of assimilation across word boundalier
 In terms of the direction of change
 In terms of the way in which phonemes change

 In terms of the direction of change
Regressive : Cf  Ci
The phoneme that comes first is affected by the one that comes after it
E.g : Meat pie /miːt paɪ/  / miːp paɪ/
Progressive : Ci  Cf
The phoneme that follows is affected by the one that comes before it
E.g: Get them /get ðəm/  / get təm/

In terms of the way in which phonemes change
Assimilation Assimilation
of place of manner Assimilation
of of of voice
articulation articulation
ASSIMILATION OF PLACE OF ARTICULATION
Kinds Rules Examples
/t/ becomes /p/ before

bilabials (/m/, /b/, /p/, /w/)
1. Alveolar
+ Bilabial =
Bilabial / d / becomes /b / before Hard path /hɑːd pɑːθ/ => [hɑːb pɑːθ]
bilabials (/m/, /b/, /p/, /w/) Good boy /gud bɔɪ/ => [gub bɔɪ]
/ n / becomes /m / before
bilabials (/m/, /b/, /p/, /w/)
Kinds Rules Examples

2. Alveolar + /t/ stands before dental
Dental = consonants /θ/, /ð/=> dental
Dentalized plosive
/t/ stands before /k/ and /g/

=> /k/
3. Alveolar +
Velar /d/ stands before /k/ and /g/
= Velar => /g/
/n/ stands before /k/ and /g/

=> /ŋ/
 NOTE
/s/ stands before /ʃ/ and /j/  /ʃ/
Ex : nice shoe / nais ʃuː/  [naiʃ ʃuː]
/z/ stands before /ʃ/ and /j/ /ʒ/
Ex : those years / ðəʊz jɪəz/ [ðəʊz ʒjɪəz]
Alveolar stops and a following /j/ may merge to form an affricate
Ex : want to /wɒnt tu/ [wɒntʃu]

ASSIMILATION OF MANNER OF ARTICULATION
1. Plosive + fricative  Fricative
• /t/ + /s/ /s/: that side /ðæt saɪd/  [ðæs saɪd]

• /d/ + /s/  /s/: good song /gud sɒŋ/  [ gus sɒŋ]
2. Plosive + nasal  Nasal
• /t/ + /n/ /n/: that night /ðæt naɪt/  [ðæn naɪt]

• /d/ + /n/  /n/ :good night /gʊd naɪt/ => [gʊn naɪt]
ASSIMILATION OF MANNER OF ARTICULATION
! Note
/ð/ follows a plosive or nasal at the end of a preceding
word  It becomes the plosive or nasal sound
 Get them /get ðəm/  [gettəm]

 In the /in ðə/ [ in nə]
ASSIMILATION OF VOICE
 Found only in regressive assimilation of voice

Cf (Lenis-voiced) + Ci (Fortis- voiceless)  Cf becomes
voiceless
Ex : Have to /hæv tuː/  [hæf tu:]

Big car /big kɑː/  [bik kɑː]
 Cf (Fortis) + Ci (Lenis)  Cf becomes voiced but assimilation of

voice never happens  should be avoided
Elision
Definition
 Elision is the omission of sounds, syllables, or words in speech

This is done to make the language easier to say, and faster
Example :
‘Hey, I am going to eat pizza , do you want to join me ?’
AFTER ELISION
 "Hey, I'm gonna eat pizza, do you wanna join me?"

Rules of elision
 LOSS OF SCHWA IN UNSTRESSED SYLLABLES

Loss of schwa /ə/ after ph , th , kh
potato tomato canary perhaps today
phıtĕɪtəʊ thıma·təʊ khıneəri phıhæ̌ps thıdeɪ

Rules of elision
Schwa /ə/ + n ,l ,r  syllabic consonants
tonight police correct
thnaɪt phli·s khrěkt

Rules of elision
Loss of schwa /ə/  omit one syllable
mystery restaurant camera Barbara
ˈmɪstri ˈrestrɒnt ˈkæmrə ˈbɑːbrə

 AVOIDANCE OF COMPLEX CONSONANT CLUSTER
1. Stop + (stop) + stop
 Looked back /lʊkt bæk/  /lʊk bæk/
 Stopped killing /stɒpt ˈkɪlɪŋ/ /stɒp ˈkɪlɪŋ/
2. Stop + (stop) + fricative
 Acts /ækts/  /æks/
 Scripts /skrɪpts/  /skrɪps/

3. Fricative + (stop) + fricative/stop
 Desks /dɛsks/  /dɛs/
 Must be /məst biː/ /məs biː/
 Most beautiful /məʊst ˈbjuːtəfʊl/ /məʊs ˈbjuːtəfʊl/

4 • /-…/ + stop, nasal, fricative -> /-…/
 Last time /lɑːst taɪm/  /lɑːs taɪm/
 Post picture /pəʊst ˈpɪkʧə/  /pəʊsˈpɪkʧə/
 Handkerchief /ˈhændkəʧɪf/  /ˈhæŋkəʧɪf/
 Camp fire /kæmp ˈfaɪə/  /kæm ˈfaɪə/

5. /-…/ + lenis stop, nasal /-…/
 Kind nurse /kaɪnd nɜːs/  /kaɪn nɜːs/
 Skimmed milk /skɪmd mɪlk/  /skɪm mɪlk/
 Sandwich /ˈsændwɪʤ/  /ˈsænwɪʤ/
6. /-…/ + fricative, nasal /-…/
 Lent me /lɛnt miː /  /lɛn miː /
 Give me /gɪv miː/  /gɪ miː/

 LOSS OF /V/ IN 'OF' BEFORE CONSONANTS /ɒv/
Lots of them Waste of money
A cup of coffee 10 o’clock

 SOME CONTRACTIONS OF GRAMMATICAL WORDS
1. Had, would:
Spelt 'd, pronounced /d/ (after vowels), /əd/ (after consonants)
 E.g : I would like to go for a walk. /aɪ d/

The next bus stop would be there. /stɒp əd/
2. Will:
Spelt 'll, pronounced /l/ (after vowels), /l/̩ (after consonants)
 E.g : I will do it carefully. / aɪ l/

Boys will be boys. / bɔɪz l/̩
3. Is, has:
Spelt ’s, pronounced /s/ (after fortis consonants), /z/ (after lenis
consonants), except that after s, z, ∫, t∫, ʒ, dʒ “is” is pronounced /iz/ and
‘has’ is pronounced /əz/ in contracted form
 E.g :It’s a good book. / ɪts/

Bob’s a cat. / bɒb z/
4. Have:
Spelt ’ve, pronounced /v/ (after vowels), /əv/ (after consonants)
 E.g : They’ve gone to Hanoi. / ðeɪ v/

There’ve been some changes in this neighbourhood. / ðer əv/
5.Not:
Spelt n’t, pronounced /nt/ (after vowels), /nt/ (after consonants)
There are also vowel changes associated with n‘t
 E.g :“can” /kæn/  “can’t” /kɑ:nt/

“do” /du:/ “don’t” /dəʊnt/
“shall” /∫æl/  “shan’t” /∫ɑ:nt/
6.Are:
Spelt ’re, pronounced /ə/ (after vowels), or /ər/ (after consonants) usually
with some change in the preceding vowel
 E.g : “you” /ju:/  “you’re” /jʊə/ or /jɔ:/

“we” /wi:/  “we’re” /wɪə/,
“they” /ðeɪ/  “they’re”
PRACTICE
PLAY
1. …..is the process which takes place
when one sound adapts itself to become
similar to a neighboring sound in one or
more aspects?
Assimilation
Next
2. How many types of assimilation across
word boundaries are there ? List of them
A. One B. Two
C. Three D. Four
Next
3. How many types of assimilation across
word boundaries by in terms of the way in
which phonemes change ?
A. One B. Two
C. Three D. Four
Next
4. Elision is the …. of sounds , syllables ,
or words in speech .
This is done to make the language … to
say , and faster
ommission , easier
Next
5. In rules of elision , loss of /v/ in ‘of’
before …
consonants
Next
Find out the rules of assimilation in these
sentences:
Can you see that girl over there ?
/ ðæt ɡɜːl/-> [ ðæk ɡɜːl]

Find out the rules of assimilation in these sentences:
2. He’s a rather fat boy .
/fæt bɔɪ/ -> [fæp bɔɪ]

sentences:
3. He is a very good boy .
/ɡʊd bɔɪ/ -> [ɡʊb bɔɪ]

sentences:
4. There are ten men in the class
/ten mæn/ -> [tem mæn]

Full form of phonemic
Phrases Elision
transcription
1. Spend money /spend ˈmʌni/ [spen ˈmʌni]
2. Blind man /blaɪnd mæn/
3. Next to /nekst tə/
4. Six students /sɪks ˈstuːdnts/
5. A lot of candies /ə lɒt əv ˈkændiz/
6. I will call her /aɪ wɪl kɔːl hər/
7. You must tell him /ju məst tel hɪm/
8. Sent them /sent ðəm/
9. Confuse / kənˈfjuːz/
10. First thing /fɜːrst θɪŋ/
THANK YOU

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ASPECTS OF CONNECTED

ASSIMILATION & ELISION

Teacher : Tran Thi Dung

Bui Thi Minh

Ho Duong Minh Ngoc

 In other words, assimilation is the influence of one phoneme upon

 Assimilation mostly happen in rapid, casual speech and less likely

Words Transcription After Assimilation

Light blue /laɪt bluː/

That person / ðæt pɜːsn/

That case / ðæt keɪs/

Cf : The first of which ends with a single final consonant

 In terms of the direction of change

 In terms of the way in which phonemes change

E.g : Meat pie /miːt paɪ/  / miːp paɪ/

E.g: Get them /get ðəm/  / get təm/

Kinds Rules Examples

/t/ becomes /p/ before

Kinds Rules Examples

/t/ stands before /k/ and /g/

/n/ stands before /k/ and /g/

Ex : nice shoe / nais ʃuː/  [naiʃ ʃuː]

/z/ stands before /ʃ/ and /j/ /ʒ/

Ex : those years / ðəʊz jɪəz/ [ðəʊz ʒjɪəz]

Alveolar stops and a following /j/ may merge to form an affricate

Ex : want to /wɒnt tu/ [wɒntʃu]

1. Plosive + fricative  Fricative

• /t/ + /s/ /s/: that side /ðæt saɪd/  [ðæs saɪd]

2. Plosive + nasal  Nasal

• /t/ + /n/ /n/: that night /ðæt naɪt/  [ðæn naɪt]

 Get them /get ðəm/  [gettəm]

 Found only in regressive assimilation of voice

Ex : Have to /hæv tuː/  [hæf tu:]

 Cf (Fortis) + Ci (Lenis)  Cf becomes voiced but assimilation of

 Elision is the omission of sounds, syllables, or words in speech

‘Hey, I am going to eat pizza , do you want to join me ?’

 "Hey, I'm gonna eat pizza, do you wanna join me?"

 LOSS OF SCHWA IN UNSTRESSED SYLLABLES

potato tomato canary perhaps today

phıtĕɪtəʊ thıma·təʊ khıneəri phıhæ̌ps thıdeɪ

Schwa /ə/ + n ,l ,r  syllabic consonants

tonight police correct

thnaɪt phli·s khrěkt

Loss of schwa /ə/  omit one syllable

mystery restaurant camera Barbara

ˈmɪstri ˈrestrɒnt ˈkæmrə ˈbɑːbrə

1. Stop + (stop) + stop

 Looked back /lʊkt bæk/  /lʊk bæk/

 Stopped killing /stɒpt ˈkɪlɪŋ/ /stɒp ˈkɪlɪŋ/

2. Stop + (stop) + fricative

 Acts /ækts/  /æks/

 Scripts /skrɪpts/  /skrɪps/

 Desks /dɛsks/  /dɛs/

 Must be /məst biː/ /məs biː/

 Most beautiful /məʊst ˈbjuːtəfʊl/ /məʊs ˈbjuːtəfʊl/

 Last time /lɑːst taɪm/  /lɑːs taɪm/

 Post picture /pəʊst ˈpɪkʧə/  /pəʊsˈpɪkʧə/

 Handkerchief /ˈhændkəʧɪf/  /ˈhæŋkəʧɪf/

 Camp fire /kæmp ˈfaɪə/  /kæm ˈfaɪə/