PHONETICS AND

PHONOLOGY I -
2013
PROCESSES OF
CONNECTED
SPEECH
LEVELLING
 WHAT DO WE UNDERSTAND BY “CONNECTED
SPEECH”?
In natural speech, there are many processes that result in
differences between isolated words and the same words in
occurring in connected speech.

When we speak naturally we do not pronounce a word, stop, and

then continue. FLUENT speech flows with a rhythm and the words
bump into each other. To make speech flow smoothly the way we
pronounce the end and beginning of some words can change
depending on the sounds at the beginning and end of those
words.

These changes that affect the quality of sounds are known as:
FEATURES OF CONNECTED SPEECH.
 ASSIMILATION

IT IS A PROCESS IN WHICH A SOUND IS AFFECTED BY ITS

NEIGHBOURING SOUNDS

PROGRESSIVE Progressive Assimilation of voice occurs whenever a

ASSIMILATION sound has an influence on the voicing of its following
phoneme.
REGRESSIVE OR
ANTICIPATORY Regressive Assimilation of voice occurs when a sound
has an effect on a preceding phoneme.
ASSIMILATION
Coalescent Assimilation of voice is a process in which
COALESCENT OR two phonemes merge into one and a new phoneme is
YOD ASSIMILATION formed.
 PROGRESSIVE ASSIMILATION
REALIZATION OF PLURAL MORPHEME

Days /deIz/: This is a case of progressive assimilation of voice.

The plural morpheme is realized as a voiced sound /z/ because the
previous sound is voiced too /ei/
Students /stju:dnts/ This is a case of progressive assimilation of
voice. The plural morpheme is realized as a voiceless sound /s/
because the previous sound is voiceless too /t/

REALIZATION OF PAST MORPHEME (REGULAR VERBS)

Started /stA:tId/ This is a special case of progressive

assimilation of voice. The past form of the verb “start” is realized as
an extra syllable /id/ because the final / last sound in the verb is /t/
Decided /dIsaIdId/ This is a special case of progressive
assimilation of voice. The past form of the verb “decide” is realized as
an extra syllable /id/ because the final / last sound in the verb is /d/
 PROGRESSIVE ASSIMILATION
REALIZATION OF GENITIVE MORPHEME (POSSESSIVE CASE)

Ann’s /nz/ This is a case of progressive assimilation of voice. The possessive case
is realized as a voiced sound /z/ because the last sound is voiced too /n/

Matt’s/mts/ This is a case of progressive assimilation of voice. The possessive

case is realized as a voiceless sound /s/ because the last sound in the noun is
voiceless too /t/

REALIZATION OF THE WEAKEST FORM OF THE “IS” AND “HAS”

John’s at home/dZnz/ This is a case of progressive assimilation of voice. The
weakest form of the verb to be “is” is realized as a voiced sound /z/ because the
previous sound in the noun is voiced too /n/
Mum’s been here/mVmz/ This is a case of progressive assimilation of voice.
The weakest form of the auxiliary verb “has” is realized as a voiced sound /z/
because the previous sound in the noun is voiced too /m/
 REGRESSIVE ASSIMILATION
ESTABLISHED / OBLIGATORY CASES

Newspaper /nju:speIp/ This is a case of regressive assimilation of

voice. The initial sound in the noun “paper” affects the preceding sound, so
it’s realized as a voiceless sound /s/.
Of course/f kO:s/ This is a case of regressive assimilation of voice. The
initial sound in “course” affects the preceding sound, so it’s realized as a
voiceless sound /f/.
Used to/ju:s t/ This is a case of regressive assimilation of voice. The
initial sound in “to” affects the preceding sound, so it’s realized as a voiceless
sound /s/.
Have to/hf t/ This is a case of regressive assimilation of voice. The
initial sound in “to” affects the preceding sound, so it’s realized as a voiceless
sound /f/.
COALESCENT ASSIMILATION

DID YOU
/did ju/ = /didZu/

ABOUT YOU
/baut ju/ =
/bautSu/
 ELISION

IT’S A PROCESS BY WHICH A PHONEME IS OMMITED OR IS

REALIZED AS ZERO IN SPECIFIC CONTEXTS.
Written /rItn/ This is a case of elision in which the // sound has
been elided because it is between two consonant phonemes /t/ and
/n/ in a weak syllable.

about him/baUt Im/ This is a case of elision in which the initial

glottal sound in “him” has been elided because the previous sound is a
consonant /t/
 LINKING “”

THE PHONEME // CAN NOT OCCUR IN FINAL POSITION IN A SYLLABLE IN

RP; BUT WHEN A WORD’S SPELLING CONTAINS A FINAL “R” AND A WORD
BEGINNING WITH A VOWEL FOLLOWS; THE USUAL PRONUNCIATION FOR RP
SPEAKERS IS TO PRONOUNCE // TO LINK THE TWO WORDS.

• for a few days /f  fju: deIz/

• a year ago / jI gU/