SUBMITTED BY: SHAHNEEL TARIQ

ROLL NO 31 SECTION B

SUBMITTED BY: DR MUSHTAQ AHMED

Topic: Assimilation and its types with examples

University of Sahiwal
 ASSIMILATION
Definition:
● in linguistics, assimilation is a common phonological process by which one sound
becomes more like a nearby sound.Or more easily, assimilation is when two sounds
cometogether and change or melt into a new sound.
● It can occur either within a word or between words when thefinal sound of a word
touches the first sound of the next word(because when we speak we join all the
words together)
● It varies in extent according to speaking rate and style, morefound in rapid, casual
speech and less likely in slow, carefulspeech.
● General speaking, the cases that have most often beendescribed are assimilations
affecting consonants.
Examples Words

Transcription After assimilation

Types:
 The direction of changes The diagram below describes the case where 2
words are combined
· · · · ·Cf |Ci· · · · ·
Word boundary
 -Cf : the first of which ends with a single final consonant
 -Ci: the second of which starts with a single initial consonant
●Regressive:
The phoneme that comes first is affected by the one that comes after it.
Ci affects to Cf
Ex: good bye: /gud bai/ → /gubbai/
 ● Progressive: the phoneme that follows is affected by the one that comes
before it.
Cf affects to Ci
Ex: read this: /ri: d ðis/ → /ri: ddis/
 The way phoneme changes
The way phoneme changes
Assimilation of place
Assimilation of manner
Assimilation of voicing

 ASSIMILATION OF PLACE:
:-/s/ stands before /ʃ/ and /j/ → /
/ʃEx: nice shoe /nais ʃu:/ → /nai u:/ʃ ʃ-/z/ stands before /ʃ/ and /j/ →/Ʒ/
Ex: those years /ðəuz jiəz/ → /ðəu Ʒjiəz/

ASSIMILATION OF MANNER:
● Assimilation of manner is typical of the most rapid and casual speech, in which
case one sound changes the manner of its articulation to become similar in manner
to a neighbouring sound.
● Rules: -plosive + final plosive → fricative when it stands before a fricative
Ex: good song /gud s ηͻ / → /gus s ηͻ /+plosive → nasal when it stands before a
nasal
Ex: good night /gud nait/ → /gun nait/that night /ðæt nait/ → / ðæn nait/
 However, most unlikely that a final fricative or nasal would become a plosive.-
dentalized: when a word initial /ð/ follows a plosive or nasal at the end of a
preceding word, it is very common to find that the Ci becomes identical in
manner to the Cf but with the dental place of articulation.
Ex: in the /in ðə/ → /in n ə/̪ g
̪ et them /get ðəm/ → /get təm/̪ ̪

ASSIMILATION OF VOICE:
This may refer to assimilation involving the feature [+/- voice]. In a certain
environment we can consequently observe the voicing or devoicing of a segment.
 If Cf is voiced and Ci is voiceless, the voiced consonant often has no voicing.
voiced + voiceless → voiceless (regressive)(b,d,g) (p,t,k)
 b,d,g → p,t,k- b + p → p e.g: rob Peter /rͻb pi:tə/ → /rͻp pi:tə/- d + t → t
e.g: bad tongue /bæd tʌη/ → /bat tʌη/- g + k → k e.g: big car /big ka:/
→ /bik ka:/
  When Cf is voiceless and Ci is voiced, a context in which in many
languages,Cfwould become “voiced”, assimilation of voice never takes
place.voiceless (A) + voiced → no assimilation (A0)
E.g: sit down /sit0daun/black dog /blæk0dͻg/
What is the pronunciation of these words after assimilation?
1. Should win A. /∫ubwin/ B. /∫udwin/ C. /∫utwin/ D. /∫upwin/
2. Bad gate A. /bækgeit/ B. /bædgeit/ C. /bægeit/ D. /bætgeit/
3. This shop A. /ðis∫ p/ B. /ði∫∫ p/ C. /ði∫ p/ D. /ðiɔ ɔ ɔ t∫ p/ɔ
4. Seen Bill A. /si:bil/ B. /si:nbil/ C. /si:mbil/ D. /si:ɳbil/
Answers
1. A. /∫ubwin//d/ → /b/ when it stands before bilabial consonant /w/
2. A. /bækgeit//d/ → /g/ when it stands before /k/ and /g/
3. B. /ði∫∫ p/ɔ/s/ → /∫/ when it stands before /∫/ and /j/
4. C. /simbil//n/ → /m/ if it stands before bilabial /b/
 Find out the rules of assimilation in these sentences
5. He’s a rather fat boy.
6. He is a very good boy.
7. There are ten men in the class.
8. Can you see that girl over there?
Anwers
5. He’s a rather fat boy./fæt b i/ → /fæɔ pb i/ɔ Because of the rule /t/ stands before
bilabial consonants/b,p,m,w/ → /p/
6. He is a very good boy./gud b i/ → /guɔ bb i/ɔ Because of the rule /d/ stands before
bilabial consonants/b,p,m,w/ → /b/
7.There are ten men in the class./ten mæn/ → /temmæn/Because of the rule /n/
stands before bilabial consonants/b,p,m,w/ → /m/
8. Can you see that girl over there?/ðæt gə:l/ → /ðækgə:l/Because of the rule /t/
stands before velar consonants/k, g/ → /k/
9. /t/ + /j/ = /tʃ/ (T+Y=CH)
Nice to meet you arrow3 meet + you /mi:t ju:/ = /mi:tʃu:/
picture arrow31 /pɪktjʊə*/ → 2 /pɪktʃʊə*/ → 3 /pɪktʃə*/ (1= old fashioned
pronunciation, 2= transitional pronunciation, 3= present pronunciation, the vowel /ʊ/
weakened and disappears)
10. /d/ + /j/ = /dʒ/ (D+Y=J)
would you like some tea? arrow3 would + you /wʊd ju:/ = /wʊdʒu:/
soldier arrow3 /səʊldjə*/ = /səʊldʒə*/
11. /s/ + /j/ = /ʃ/ (S+Y=SH)
special arrow3 /spesjəl/ = /speʃəl/
it's just you = it's jus' you arrow3 /dʒʌs ju:/ = /dʒʌʃu:/ (in conversational English "just"
often loses its final T and it sounds "jus", so S + Y = SH)
12- /z/ + /j/ = /ʒ/
treasure arrow3 /trezjʊə*/ → 2 /treʒʊə*/ → 3 /treʒə*/ (1, 2, 3= see comments to the
word "picture" above)
learning centres such as universities arrow3 as + universities /əz ju:nɪvɜ:*sɪtɪz/ =
/əʒu:nɪvɜ:*sɪtɪz