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Silvia Barreiro Bilbao Variaciones fonético-fonológicas en la lengua inglesa
CONNECTED SPEECH PROCESSES
One of the most significant features of connected speech is the mutual influence which contiguous elements exert upon each other, provoking the appearance of other phonemes. Let's describe the most common processes:
1. ASSIMILATION
Assimilation is the process by which sounds are influenced by neighbouring sounds and come to share some or all of their phonetic characteristics. It varies in extent according to speaking rate and style; it is more likely in fast, colloquial speech.
The assimilation can be regressive -features of one phoneme are anticipated in the articulation of the preceding phoneme- or progressive -one phoneme markedly influences the following phoneme.
Sometimes coalescence (or fusion of phonemes) can take place in those cases when
/t, d, s, z/ are followed by /j/, giving /ʧ, ʤ, ʃ, ʒ /, respectively. It is very common
between words (when the word with the approximant is a grammatical word): wha t
y ou… /ˈwɒʧu/, woul d y ou ... /ˈwʊʤu/, in ca se y ou ... /ɪn ˈkeɪʃu/, ha s y our ....
/ˈhæʒɔː/. It is less common within a word (as it is not accepted by all speakers), as in
for tu ne /ˈfɔːʧən/ or sen su al /ˈsenʒuəl/.
Generally speaking, the cases that have most been described are assimilations that affect alveolar consonants. They can be affected in their place of articulation, their manner of articulation and/or in their voice.
1.1 Differences in place of articulation
Regressive assimilation is most clearly observable where a final consonant with alveolar place of articulation is followed by an initial consonant with a place of articulation that is not alveolar:
Silvia Barreiro Bilbao Variaciones fonético-fonológicas en la lengua inglesa
/t/ /p/^1 before bilabials /p, b, m/: tha t pen /ðӕt pen/ /ðӕ p pen/
/k/ before velars /k, g/: tha t cup /ðӕt kʌp/ /ðӕ k kʌp/
/d/ /b/ before bilabials /p, b, m/: goo d pen /gʊd pen/ /gʊ b pen/
/g/ before velars /k, g/: goo d girl /gʊd gɜːl/ /gʊ g gɜːl/
/n/ /m/ before bilabials /p, b, m/: te n boys /ten bɔɪz/ /te m bɔɪz/
/ŋ/ before velars /k, g/: te n cups /ten kʌps/ /te ŋ kʌps/
/s/ /ʃ/ before /ʃ, ʒ, j/: thi s ship (/ðɪs ʃɪp/ /ðɪ ʃ ʃɪp/) , Pea ce year (/piːs
jɪə/ /piː ʃ jɪə/. In this case, coalescence of phonemes is also possible (/piː ʃ ɪə/). Both possibilities are correct).
/z/ /ʒ/ before /ʃ, ʒ, j/: tho se young (/ðəʊz jʌŋ/ /ðəʊ ʒ jʌŋ/) , i s
Sean ship (/ɪz ʃɔːn/ /ɪ ʒ ʃɔːn/). In this case, the speaker would automatically produce a regressive assimilation towards voicelessness /ɪ ʃ ʃɔːn/, as explained below.
Progressive assimilation usually affects the alveolar syllabic nasal /n̩/ when
preceded by a non-alveolar plosive in the same word and followed by a consonant, or
a pause, as in toke n /ˈtəʊkŋ̍/.
1.2 Differences in manner of articulation
Assimilation of manner is much less noticeable and is only found in the most rapid and casual speech, and in many cases not very acceptable; generally speaking, the tendency is for regressive assimilation and the change in manner is most likely to be towards an "easier" consonant -one which makes less obstruction to the airflow.
(^1) It means that the alveolar /t/ becomes bilabial (/p/) before bilabials, but velar (/k/) before velars and so on.
Silvia Barreiro Bilbao Variaciones fonético-fonológicas en la lengua inglesa
There is a special case of progressive assimilation that affects the dental fricative /ð/
that becomes nasal but keeping its dental place of articulation, as in … in th e ... (/ɪn
ðə/ becomes /ɪn nə/ [ɪn n̪ə]).
1.3 Differences in voice
Voice assimilation is not very frequently found in current English. It may be possible, however, cases of regressive assimilation towards voicelessness that are commonly heard. In particular, it may affect a word-final voiced fricative when followed by a voiceless consonant in the following word, with which forms a close-knit group:
/ð/ /θ/: Wi th thanks /wɪð ˈθæŋks/ /wɪ θ ˈθæŋks/
/z/ /s/: The se socks /ðiːz sɒks/ /ðiː s sɒks/
/v/ /f/ : O f ˈ course /əv kɔːs/ /ə f ˈkɔːs/
It is not very common for word-final /b, d, g/ to become voiceless when followed by
voiceless consonants, although sometimes it is possible to hear it in some areas towards the north of the UK.
It is also unusual either to find in English modification of word final voiceless consonants into their corresponding voiced when followed by voiced consonants. It is normally heard in non-native speakers of English.
1.4 Special cases of assimilation and/ or elision
The weak forms of is or has , -that change according to the final consonant of the previous word-, can be considered possible cases of progressive assimilations with voice changes, as in cat’ s black /kæt s blæk/ or dog’ s gone /dɒg z gɒn/.
Silvia Barreiro Bilbao Variaciones fonético-fonológicas en la lengua inglesa
Also, the pronunciation of ‘s’ in plural endings as well as in possessive case forms can be instances of the same phenomenon, as in girl s /gɜːlz/, root s /ruːts/, Mary’ s /ˈmeəriz/ or Philip’ s /ˈfɪlɪps/. Furthermore, the pronunciation of the – ed suffix is also determined by the voice of the previous sound, as in work ed /wɜːkt/ and foam ed /fəʊmd/.
When there is an entire sequence of two of three alveolar plosives , if one consonant is assimilated, the rest of the consonants in the cluster will be affected by the phenomenon of assimilation. However, since alveolar plosives may often be omitted, -as explained in the following section-, you can either delete it or assimilate to the following sound. Examples: col d c ream /kəʊlg kriːm/ or /kəʊl kriːm/. Elisions are probably more frequent than assimilations in these cases. Therefore, omit the sound first, if possible, before considering it an instance of possible assimilation.
2. ELISION
Elision is the omission of a sound in rapid, colloquial speech, following certain rules, different in every language. Vowels and consonants can be elided in English, both between words and within a word.
2.1 Elisions between words
The alveolar consonants /t, d/ are generally elided when occur in coda position and
they are preceded by a consonant of the same voicing, and followed by another
consonant (except /h/) in the subsequent word, as in next turn /neks tɜːn/, cold lunch
/kəʊl lʌnʧ/ or stopped speaking /stɒp spiːkɪŋ/. If the preceding consonant is /n/
and followed by a word beginning with a consonant, /t, d/ are usually elided, as hand
that! /hæn ðæt/.
Silvia Barreiro Bilbao Variaciones fonético-fonológicas en la lengua inglesa
It is possible to find double schwa elisions, as in opt io n a l /'ɒpʃənəl/ becoming
/ˈɒpʃn̩əl/ and even becoming /ˈɒpʃn̩l̩/. Notice that the syllabic /n̩/ may become non-
syllabic as it is followed by a weak vowel /ˈɒpʃnl̩/, with the resulting effect of a
compression or loss of one syllable.
There are also possible cases of double elisions of /ə + r /, as in lit er ary (/ˈlɪtərəri/
becomes /ˈlɪtəri/). Notice that there may be a further elision of the schwa , with the
presence of a syllabic /r̩/ (/ˈlɪtr̩i/). Furthermore, as the syllabic consonant is followed
by a weak vowel /i/, it may be non-syllabic, with the resulting effect of a compression
(/ˈlɪtri/).
In some cases vowel elision may occur before the stressed syllable (including
consonants others than r l n, as the voiceless plosives), as in police (/pə'liːs/
becoming /pˈliːs/) or t o day (/təˈdeɪ/ becoming /təˈdeɪ/). They are not very common.
Consonant elision within a word normally affects the alveolar, especially when
preceded or followed by other consonants, as in han d some /ˈhænsəm/. Not accepted
by all native speakers.
3. LIAISON (or Sandhi r)
Linking r occurs when a word-final orthographic r or re is pronounced when followed
by any vocalic sound, as in fa r a way /fɑːr əweɪ/ or nea r e nough /nɪər ɪnʌf/.
Intrusive r occurs when a final r is pronounced even if the word has no final ortographic r or re. It occurs mainly when the word ends with a schwa , as in ide a o f
/aɪ'dɪər əv/, and in some cases with /ɑː, ɔː/, as in l aw a nd order /lɔːr ən ɔːdə/.
It never occurs after high close vowels (or diphthongs ending with one of the following
vowels /iː, ɪ, uː, ʊ/. Intrusive r is optional among speakers.
It must be noted that what has been said about Sandhi r only applies to non-rhotic accents. Rhotic accents, on the other hand, pronounce the orthographic r so that there
Silvia Barreiro Bilbao Variaciones fonético-fonológicas en la lengua inglesa
is no need for a linking phenomenon. They may use alternative strategies, such as the insertion of a glottal stop to clarify the boundaries between words in those cases where non-rhotic accents may feature intrusive r.
FINAL COMMENT: Those cases in which the process is optional, uncommon or not acceptable by all native speakers will not be shown in our transcriptions, unless it is indicated!
