Linguistics

The sixth week

Chapter 2 The Sounds of

Language
2.2.5 Variations of sounds

Key points
1. Liaison
2. Elision and assimilation

Difficult points
Elision
Assimilation

Liaison
We sometimes link words together.
Such as [r], a word beginning with a
vowel follows: here are
Such a phenomenon of the linking of
words in speech, in particular when
the second word begins with a vowel,
is called liaison.

Elision
Some sounds may disappear. The loss
of a sound or sounds in speech like
these is called elision.

Assimilation
sounds belonging to one word or one
syllable can cause changes in sounds
belonging to neighboring words or
syllables. This is called assimilation.

Regressive assimilation(
): Progressive
assimilation ()
As the following sounds bring about
the change, this process is called
regressive assimilation():
impossible, intolerant. The preceding
sounds bring about the change is
progressive assimilation ():
dogs, cats.

Assimilation
ex. 1-1
Dentalization
a. tent [tent]
tenth [ten]
b. ninety [nainti]
ninth [nain]
ex. 1-2
Nasalization
a. leap [li:p]
lean [li:n]
b. tap [tap]
tan [tn]
ex. 1-3
Velarization
a. since [sins]
silk [silk]
b. mince [mins]
milk [milk]

 ex. 1-4
Devoicing
a. late [leit]
plate [pleit]
b. ray [rei]
pray [prei]
ex. 1-5
aspiration
a. top [tp]
stop [stp]
b. pit [pit]
spit[spit]

Assimilation can occur across

syllable or word boundaries, as
shown by the following:

Ex. 2-1

a. pan [n] cake

b. sun [n] glasses

ex. 2-2

a. you can [n] keep them

b. he can [n] go now

The followings show how fricatives and

affricates in English may be assimilated
invoicing.

Ex. 3-1

a. five past
[faivpa:st]
[faifpa:st]

b. love to
[lvte]
[lfte]

c. as can be shown
[ezkenbifoun]
[eskenbifoun]

Phonological rules
(1) voiced fricative voiceless________
voiceless.
(2) Nasalization rule

[- nasal] [+nasal] ___________ [+

nasal]
(3) Dentalization rule

[-dental] [+dental] ___________ [+

dental]
(4) Velarization rule

[-velar] [velar] ___________ [+ velar]

(5) [n]
[e]_________ v
Ex. 4-1
a. a hotel, a use, a wagon, a big
man, a yellow rug, a white house
b. an apple, an honor, an orange
curtain, an old lady

Assignment
Review the part of assimilation