 Types of assimilation:

 1. Progressive
 e.g. 1 washed /wɒʃt/ /d/ → /t/, 2. /bægs/ (bags) → /bægz/

 2. Regressive
 1. gunman /'gummæn/ /n/ → /m/ 2. can be /kæm bi:/

 3. Coalescent Did you? /Dɪdʒu:/

 Degrees of assimilation

 1. Partial (sit back) → /sɪpbæk

 2. Full/complete /ðæt pleɪs/ /ðæp pleɪs/
Which sounds are assimilated in the following
sentences? State the type and degree of assimilation
 Regressive partial assimilation (/t/ is the target, /b/ is the trigger

Regressive complete assimilation (/d/ is the target, /b/ is the trigger

Regressive complete assimilation (/n/ is the target, /m/ is the trigger

Regressive partial assimilation (/t/ is the target, /g/ is the trigger

There are three main types of assimilatory processes:

1. Assimilation of place
2. Assimilation of voice
3. Assimilation of manner
 This type of assimilation is most common across
syllable ( e.g. outcome, input) and word boundaries
(e.g. Good# pen, ten# players).

 It involves the change of a place of articulation feature

of a sound to match the neighbouring sound.
 For example:

A word ending in a word final alveolar consonants such as

/t, d, n/ is followed by a word whose initial consonant begins
with a bilabial, velar or dental; the word final alveolar
consonant is likely to change it place of articulation to match
that at the beginning of the second word.

1. Late calls [leɪt # kolz] [leik#kolz] /t/ </k/ (regr)

2. That girl [ðæt # ɡɜ:l] [ðæg # ɡɜ:l] /t/ </g/ (regr)
3. That boy [ðæt #bɔɪ] [ðæp#bɔɪ] /t/ </p/ (regr)
 4. good pen [ɡʊd#pen] [ɡʊb#pen] /d/ < /b/ regr
 5. ten players [ten#pleɪəz] [tem#pleɪəz] /n/ < /m/
 6. ten cups [ten#kʊps] [teŋ#kʊps] /n/ < /ŋ/
 7. outcome [aʊt.kʌm] [aʊk.kʌm] /t/ < /k/
 8. input [ɪn.pʊt] [ɪm.pʊt] /n/ < /m/

 Note: assimilation of words1-6 is across word

boundaries, while 7 and 8 the assimilation is across
syllable.
Assimilation of this kind is a regressive assimilation (Roach, 1998). Hence, /t/, /d/ and
/n/ tend to change their place of articulation to a position nearer to that of the following
sound.
In other words, alveolar stops /t, d, n/ may become bilabial if followed by bilabial
consonants /p, b, m/
Alveolar stops /t, d, n/ may also become velar stops /k, g/ if
they are followed by velars /k, g/
 Alveolar fricative assimilation:

The alveolar fricative /s/ may become post alveolar

fricative / ʃ/

Alveolar fricative /z/ may become /ʒ/ if followed by /ʃ/

or the palatal approximant /j/
 Identify instances of assimilation in the following
sequences and explain each case.
 last point
 gold mine
 glass shelf
 tin plate
 good guitar
 please shut up
 Identify instances of assimilation in the following
sequences and explain each case.

 last point /t/ changes to /p/ before bilabial sounds

 gold mine /d/ changes to /b/ before /before bilabials
 glass shelf /s/ changes to /ʃ/ before /ʃ/ or /j/
 tin plate /n/ changes to /m/ before /m, b, p/ (bilabials
 good guitar /d/ changes to /g/ before velars /k/ /g/
 please shut up /z/ changes to /ʒ/ before /ʃ/ or /j/
 Abid Dawood, H. & , Atawneh, A. (2015). Assimilation of
Consonants in English and Assimilation of the Definite
Article in Arabic. American Research Journal of English
and Literature Original Article. Volume 1, Issue 4.

 Ha, D. (2013, May 1). Assimilation. [Powerpoint slides].

Available from
https://www.slideshare.net/haty3392/assimilation-
20371675#8