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CONNECTED SPEECH
IPA symbols represent the correct pronunciation of single words or segments of speech. However, we use single words or segments in isolation only occasionally. E.g ., we can say “ah!” /ɑː/ to express surprise, or “sh!” /ʃ/ if we want to tell somebody to be quiet.
Most commonly we use segments of speech or single words in a sequence, to form phrases or sentences. The sound “ah!” /ɑː/, for example, is likely to be found in whole sentences, to express:
- surprise (“ Ah, there you are! ”)
- pleasure (“ Ah, this coffee is good. ”)
- admiration or sympathy (“ Ah well, better luck next time. ”)
- when you disagree with somebody (“ Ah, but that may not be true. ”)
In fact, we commonly use language in continuous, connected speech. Connected speech means speech produced without pauses. A consequence of connected speech is that single segments of speech are influenced by neighbouring segments (that is to say, speech sounds that come before and after them), and may slightly change their place or manner of articulation, or may sometimes totally disappear. Therefore the pronunciation of an isolated word may be different from the pronunciation of the same word in connected speech. These changes fall into two main types: assimilation and elision.
ASSIMILATION
In assimilation, one sound becomes phonetically similar to an adjacent sound. For example, the two words this and shop in isolation are pronounced
In rapid speech, when the two words are pronounced together, the sound /s/ in this is influenced by the following initial sound and changes to /ʃ/. What we actually hear is:
In other words, the sound /s/ in this is assimilated to the following sound /ʃ/. The sound /s/ phonetically is a voiceless alveolar fricative, whereas /ʃ/ is a voiceless post-alveolar fricative. In this shop /ðɪʃʃɒp/, therefore, assimilation produces a change in the place of articulation of the preceding sound, from alveolar to post-alveolar: /s/ to /ʃ/.
Consider now another example of assimilation. If the word ‘have’ occurs in final position, its final consonant /v/ will usually be voiced; but when that /v/ is followed by a voiceless consonant, it too becomes voiceless. E.g. :
- Yes, I have. / jes aɪ hæv /
- I have to … / aɪ hæf tu / (e.g. I Have to go now )
The sound /t/ influences the preceding sound /v/. But in this case the influence is not in the place of articulation, as it was in this shop. In fact, when /v/ in have becomes /f/, it does not change its own place of articulation (labiodental); what changes is the voicing: /v/ is voiced, /f/ is voiceless. The sound /t/ assimilates the preceding sound /v/ to its voiceless quality.
Another case of assimilation involves a change from a ‘stronger’ consonant to a ‘weaker’ one. An example may be the rapid pronunciation of the sentence “Get some of that soap”. A word-by-word pronunciation would give:
- Get some of that soap /get sʌm əv ðæt səʊp/
In rapid speech assimilation takes place:
- Get some of that soap /ges‿sʌm ə ðæs‿səʊp/
The initial /s/ sounds of some and soap influence the final /t/ sounds of the previous words, and assimilate them to their own quality. In fact, while /t/ is a plosive sound, in rapid speech it becomes a fricative sound like the following /s/. We have a change in the manner of articulation, from plosive to fricative, from /t/ to /s/.
The examples given above show three types of assimilation:
- Assimilation of voice. A voiced segment may become voiceless when being adjacent to another voiceless segment:
I have to … / aɪ hæf tu /
We also have the opposite case: a voiceless segment becoming voiced because of the influence of an adjacent segment. An example is the -s suffix for the plural of nouns. While in words like parts , groups , cakes , the sound /s/ is voiceless because the previous sounds /t/, /p/, /k/ are voiceless, when the preceding consonant is voiced the /s/ too is voiced and becomes /z/:
dogs / dɒɡz / loves / lʌvz / slabs / slæbz / slides / slaɪdz /
Similarly, when the previous sound is a vowel, since vowels are always voiced, the plural suffix - s is also voiced as /z/:
bars / bɑːz/ boys / bɔɪz / doors / dɔːz / matches / mætʃiz /
Elision of vowels usually happens in rapid speech when a vowel occurs between some consonants, as in the following words:
- perhaps /pˈhæps/ (vowel between two voiceless consonants elided in the first syllable)
- potato /pˈteɪtəʊ/ (vowel between two voiceless consonants elided in the first syllable)
- bicycle /ˈbaɪskl/ (vowel between two voiceless consonants elided in the second syllable)
- philosophy /fəˈlɒsfi/ (vowel between two voiceless consonants elided in the third syllable)
Elision of consonants happens most commonly when a speaker ‘simplifies’ a complex sequence of consonants. E.g. :
- acts /ækts/ /æks/ (/t/ sound elided in rapid speech)
- Twelfth Night /twelfθ naɪt/ /twelθ naɪt/ or /twelf naɪt/ (/f/ or /θ/ sound often elided in rapid speech)
One final example, that joins elision and assimilation. Let’s look at the following sentence, first in a word-by-word pronunciation, then in rapid speech:
- There is much to say about that
- /ðɛɘrɪz mʌʧ tuː seɪ əˈbaʊt ðæt/
- / ðɘzˈmʌʧtɘˈseɪɘˈbaʊððæt/
