Title: Assimilation

Sans titre Text

Assimilation occurs in connected speech when one or more sounds change in contact with other sounds. Assimilations can occur within words or between two words.

There are 3 types of assimilations.

- progressive assimilation: a preceding sound has an effect on a following one

example: "read this" /ri:d ðɪs/ --> /ri:d dis/

-regressive assimilation : a following sound has an effect on a preceding one

example: "have to " /həv tʊ/ --> /həf to/

- coalescent assimilation (yod coalescence) : a fusion of 2 sounds resulting in a new sound.  Coalescent assimilation occurs in English when an alveolar plosive or fricative  /t, d, s, z/  is followed by a semi-vowel /j/ to produce  /tʃ/, /dʒ/, /ʃ,/ or /ʒ/,

example: "don't you?", /dəʊnt jə/ --> /dəʊnʧjə/