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Aspects of Connected Speech

The document discusses aspects of connected speech, focusing on rhythm, assimilation, elision, and linking in English. It includes examples and exercises to illustrate these concepts, emphasizing the importance of understanding these phonetic processes for effective communication. The content is structured to aid in teaching and revising key elements of connected speech in English language learning.

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Mai Đặng Ngọc
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16 views24 pages

Aspects of Connected Speech

The document discusses aspects of connected speech, focusing on rhythm, assimilation, elision, and linking in English. It includes examples and exercises to illustrate these concepts, emphasizing the importance of understanding these phonetic processes for effective communication. The content is structured to aid in teaching and revising key elements of connected speech in English language learning.

Uploaded by

Mai Đặng Ngọc
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Aspects of

connected speech
Nguyen Thanh Thuy, Ph.D.
Lecturer, English Department
Hanoi University
Outline

1. Quiz
2. Quick revision
3. Connected Speech
Let’s clap

1 2 3 4

1 and 2 and 3 and 4

1 and then 2 and then 3 and then 4

1 and then a 2 and then a 3 and then a 4


The rhythm of English

English has STRESS-TIMED RHYTHM, which means….

Stressed syllables tends to occur at relatively regular intervals whether


they are separated by unstressed syllables or not. (Roach, 2009:107)
The rhythm of English

Ann washes dishes

Ann washes the dishes

Ann is washing the dishes

Ann has washed the dishes

Ann has been washing the dishes


The rhythm of English

The big brown bear ate two white mice

(Ladefoged & Johnson, 2011)


Love stories
“You make me wanna be a better man”
(As good as it gets, 2:56)

“Don't forget, I am also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking


him to love her.”
(Notting Hill, 3:30)
Complete this table
bilabial Labio- dental alveolar Post- Palato-alv palatal velar glottal
dental alveoalr eolar

plosive

fricative

affricate

nasal

lateral

Appoxima
nt
Complete this table
bilabial Labio- dental alveolar Post- Palato-alv palatal velar glottal
dental alveoalr eolar

plosive /p/- /t/- /k/-


/b/+ /d/+ /g/+
fricative /f/- /θ/- /s/- /ʃ/- /h/-
/v/+ /ð/+ /z/+ /ʒ/+
affricate /tʃ/-
/dʒ/+
nasal /m/+ /n/+ /ŋ/+

lateral /l/+

Appoxima /w/+ /r/+ /j/+


nt
Assimilation

● Assimilation is considered as a phonetic process in which


one sound is changed to become resemble or identical with
the neighbouring sound.

good bye
good morning
Assimilation

Assimilation: FAST, CASUAL SPEECH or SLOW, CAREFUL


SPEECH???
Assimilation: affects VOWELS or CONSONANTS???
Types of assimilation

Regressive assimilation:

The following sound assimilates the preceding sounds

e.g: good morning, good boy, that man, that person

card game, green paper, this year


Types of assimilation

Progressive assimilation:
The preceding sound assimilates the following sound
e.g:
• would you, don’t you, nobody but you

• The pronunciation of –s ending in English


Degree of assimilation

● Complete assimilation

Good boy
Good girl
Cut cost
That pen
Degree of assimilation

Partial assimilation

Good morning
Degree of assimilation

Intermediate assimilation

Would you
Don’t you
Elision

The missing of a sound when we are speaking quickly and by the


influence of the surrounding sounds is called elision.

Notes:
✔ Elision is typical of fast and casual speech
✔ Producing elisions is not a must for foreigners
✔ Being aware of it is more important.
Elision

Happens to VOWELS or CONSONANTS???


Typical cases of elisions

1. Loss of weak vowels after /p/; /t/; /k/


e.g: potato, tomato, canary

2. Loss of final /v/ in “of” before consonants


Lots of them
Typical cases of elision

3. Avoidance of complex consonant cluster


e.g: acts, look back, scripts

4. Double consonants 🡪 a single sound:

e.g: hard disk, want to, kiss somebody


Linking or Liaison

● In real connected speech, words are linked in a number


of ways.

● The linking between the final sound of a word and the


initial sound of the following words for the
convenience of speaking is called liaison.
Types of sound linking

1. Link consonants with vowels (liaison/juncture)


e.g:

2. Link vowels with vowels (linking/intrusion)


e.g:
Exercises
1. Give one example of regressive assimilation
2. What is the principle for the change of /t/ into /p/ in the
word “football” when uttered in casual fast speech?
3. Give some examples of regressive assimilation in which the
sound /n/ becomes a nasal velar sound
4. What is elision in English, give examples
5. What is the difference between assimilation and liaison in
English. Give examples to prove your point
Exercises
6. The following sentences are given in a “slow, careful” phonemic
transcription. Rewrite the phonemic transcription so as to show
likely assimilations, elisions and linking

a. /wʌn kɔ:z əv æsθmə ɪz səpəʊzd tə bi ælədʒiz/

b. /wɒt ði ɜ:bən pɒpjəleɪʃn kʊd ju:z ɪz betə treɪnz/

c. /ʃi ækts pətɪkjələli wel ɪn ðə fɜ:st si:n/

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