Chapter 2 Assimilation and elision A. Assimilation Speech sounds seldom occur in isolation. They are nearly al ways joined together to form words and groups of words. In connected speech, sounds, under the influence of their neighbors, are eplaced by other sounds. Sometimes two neighboring sounds influence each other and are replaced by a third sound which is different from both the original sounds. This process is called assimilation Assimilation is very common in colloquial and dialectal English. It takes place most frequently in consonant. The cause of the process is to save effort and to make the pronunciation of the two dissimilar consonants easier by taking short cuts Assimilation may be of 3 types as far as its direction is concerned 1)Progressive(Uia1), the assimilated sound is influenced by the preceding sound. For example What's this? /wots 'ois/ The consonant sound /z/ is replaced by the sound /s/ under the influence of sound /t/ assimilation of type I the strong voiceless consonant of a pair replaces the weak voiced consonant in the closely connected speech, but do not make it a general rule to replace the weak voiced consonant by the strong voiceless in other cases. And you must remember that a voiceless plosive or fricative(#FN E) is not assimilated to a voiced plosive or fricative which follows it not very /not veri/not /nod veri/ black door/black d: /not/blaeg d: this boy /ois b)i/not /oiz b)i/ if they come /if dei kAm/ not /iv dei kAm/ 2)Regressive(iga1), the preceding sound is influenced by the one following it. For example the voiced consonant /z/ in"news"/nju z/ is replaced by the voiceless sound /s/ in the compound word"newspaper"/nju speipa/ under the influence of the voiceless sound /p/ 3) Reciprocal, or double(相互同化), assimilation the neighboring sounds influence each other. For example, in "twenty/twente/the sound /w/ is assimilated to the voiceless plosive sound /t/by becoming partly devoiced. In its turn, the consonant /t/ is assimilated to the sound /w/by becoming labialized The following assimilations are common in English . Assimilation changing the work of vocal cords(s F) /itsi. zi/ has /hae/ What's happened?/wots haepnd/ used /ju Zd/ I used to / ai ju st tu/ 2. Assimilation changing the position of the li Before the bilabial sounds/m, p, b/, /n, t, d/ change to/m, p, b/ respectively. For example in bed im 'bed/ ten minutes /tem minits/ don't/d。unt dont be late. /'daump bi leit
Chapter 2 Assimilation and Elision A. Assimilation Speech sounds seldom occur in isolation. They are nearly always joined together to form words and groups of words. In connected speech, sounds, under the influence of their neighbors, are replaced by other sounds. Sometimes two neighboring sounds influence each other and are replaced by a third sound which is different from both the original sounds. This process is called assimilation. Assimilation is very common in colloquial and dialectal English. It takes place most frequently in consonant. The cause of the process is to save effort and to make the pronunciation of the two dissimilar consonants easier by taking short cuts. Assimilation may be of 3 types as far as its direction is concerned: 1)Progressive(顺同化), the assimilated sound is influenced by the preceding sound. For example: What’s this? /'wɔts 'ðis/ The consonant sound /z/ is replaced by the sound /s/ under the influence of sound /t/ In assimilation of type 1 the strong voiceless consonant of a pair replaces the weak voiced consonant in the closely connected speech, but do not make it a general rule to replace the weak voiced consonant by the strong voiceless in other cases. And you must remember that a voiceless plosive or fricative(摩擦音) is not assimilated to a voiced plosive or fricative which follows it. Examples: not very /nɔt veri/ not /nɔd veri/ black door/blæk dɔ:/ not /blæg dɔ:/ this boy /ðis bɔi/ not /ðiz bɔi/ if they come /if ðei kΛm/ not /iv ðei kΛm/ 2) Regressive(逆同化)，the preceding sound is influenced by the one following it. For example, the voiced consonant /z/ in “news”/nju:z/ is replaced by the voiceless sound /s/ in the compound word “newspaper”/nju:speipә/ under the influence of the voiceless sound /p/. 3) Reciprocal, or double(相互同化)，assimilation the neighboring sounds influence each other. For example, in “twenty”/twenti/ the sound /w/ is assimilated to the voiceless plosive sound /t/ by becoming partly devoiced. In its turn, the consonant /t/ is assimilated to the sound /w/ by becoming labialized. The following assimilations are common in English: 1.Assimilation changing the work of vocal cords(声带) /z/→ /s/ is /iz/ It’s easy. /its 'i:zi/ has /hæz/ What’s happened? /'wɔts 'hæpnd/ used /ju:zd/ I used to. /ai 'ju:st tu/ 2. Assimilation changing the position of the lips: Before the bilabial sounds /m,p,b/, /n,t,d/ change to /m,p,b/ respectively. For example: in /in/ in bed /im 'bed/ ten /ten/ ten minutes /'tem 'minits/ don’t /dәunt/ don’t be late. /'dәump bi 'leit/
good /gud/ /gub bai/ 3. Assimilation changing the place of articulation a)Before the velar sounds/k,g/,/n, t, d/ change to/n, k, g/ In case I dont care. /ai 'dunk k E a od girl /gug '.: 1/ b)Before/j/, /s, z/ change to/,3/respectively this /ois/ this shape/oi∫"∫ eip/ this year/oi∫i has/haez/ has she come /ha3ikA where's yours /wEap: 7/ education/ edsukei'Sn/ not / edjukei'/ ed c)The combinations of sounds/tj/and /dj/ have changed into/t/and/3/in an unstressed syllable situation / situei'n/ not/ sitjuei n/ I'm glad to meet you. /aim geld to mi: tu/ Did you like it? /'didsu ' laik it/ Assimilations of types 2and 3 may be regarded as optional and they are only used in repid, B Elision Elision means the omission of a sound or sounds, either within the body of a word or at a junction of words. There are two different kinds of elisions. Historical elisions(历史省音) and contextual elisions(语境省音) 1. Historical elisions(历史省音) a sound which exists in an earlier form of a word is omitted in a later form this kinds of elisions of unstressed vowels, especially /a/ and /i/, are common in English history /histari/-/histri/ university /ju ni'vasiti/-/ju ni'vesti/ family /'faemili/-/faemli/ easily/'i Zili/-/i: zli/ the full forms of these words may still be heard in careful speech. 2 contextual elisions(语境省音) A sound which exists in a word said by itself is omitted in a compound or in a connected phrase In rapid speaking, a group of consonants may be dropped out, especially /t/ and /d/ st now/吗d∧st I want to /ai wont tu/or /ai 'won tu/ blind man / blaind 'man/ or /blain 'maen/ stand guard/ 'ga d/or/stand 'ga: dI
good /gud/ good-bye /gub bai/ 3. Assimilation changing the place of articulation: a)Before the velar sounds /k,g/, /n,t,d/ change to /ŋ,k,g/ in /iŋ/ in case /iŋ 'keis/ don’t /dәunt/ I don’t care. /ai 'dәuŋk 'kεә/ good /gud/ good girl /gug 'gә:l/ b) Before / ʃ,j/, /s,z/ change to / ʃ, ʒ / respectively. this /ðis/ this shape /'ði ʃ ' ʃ eip/ this year /'ðiʃ'jiә/ has /hæz/ has she come /'hæʒ ʃi 'kΛm/ where’s yours /'wεәʒ 'jɔ:z/ c) The combinations of sounds /tj/ and /dj/ have changed into /ʧ/and/ʤ/in an unstressed syllable: education /,eʤukei'ʃn/ not /,edjukei'ʃn/ situation /,siʧuei'ʃn/ not /,sitjuei'ʃn/ I’m glad to meet you. /aim 'gæld tә mi: ʧu/ Did you like it? /'diʤu 'laik it/ Assimilations of types 2and 3 may be regarded as optional and they are only used in repid, colloquial speech. B.Elision Elision means the omission of a sound or sounds, either within the body of a word or at a junction of words. There are two different kinds of elisions. Historical elisions (历史省音) and contextual elisions(语境省音). 1.Historical elisions (历史省音) A sound which exists in an earlier form of a word is omitted in a later form. This kinds of elisions of unstressed vowels, especially /ә/ and /i/, are common in English. history /'histәri/ → /'histri/ every /'evәri/ → /'evri/ university /ju:ni'vәsiti/ → /ju:ni'vәsti/ family /'fæmili/ → /'fæmli/ easily/'i:zili/ → /'i:zli/ the full forms of these words may still be heard in careful speech. 2.contextual elisions(语境省音). A sound which exists in a word said by itself is omitted in a compound or in a connected phrase. In rapid speaking, a group of consonants may be dropped out, especially /t/ and /d/. just now /'ʤΛst 'nau/ or /'ʤΛs 'nau/ I want to /ai 'wɔnt tu/ or /ai 'wɔn tu/ blind man /'blaind 'mæn/ or /'blain 'mæn/ stand guard /'stænd 'ga:d/or/'stænd 'ga:d/
