Assimilation

Assimilation is an interaction of two neighbouring consonants within a word or at a word boundary. The sounds often affect each other in such a way that one of them becomes similar or identical with the other.

Assimilation can affect:

a) the place of articulation

Thus, alveolar phonemes [t], [d], [n], [l], [s], [z] are replaced by their dental variants if they are followed by interdental sounds [D], [T]. Sounds [t], [d] are replaced by their post-alveolar variants when followed by [r]:

at the, width, on the, all this; trace, dread.

b) both the place of articulation and the active organ of speech

In the words with the stressed prefix – con- when it is followed by the consonants [k], [g] the forelingual alveolar sound [n] is replaced by the backlingual velar[N]:

congress, concrete.

c) the manner of the production of noise

1) When two plosive consonants are in contact within a word or at a word junction there’s a complete loss of plosion of the first sound:

midday, blackboard, actor, accept, bookcase, football, weekday, what kind, good girl, hot bottle, talked.

2) At the junction of the plosive consonants with the nasal sonorants [m], [n] we observe nasal plosion:

student, sudden, didn’t, wouldn’t, modern, department, admit, appointment, right now, shipmate.

3) At the junction of the plosive consonants with lateral sonorant [l] we observe the lateral plosion:

kettle, apple, black, bottle, clock, plan, middle, I don’t like.

4. When a plosive consonant precedes a fricative consonant [s] we observe fricative plosion:

sets, wants, legs, besides, rugs, takes, lamps, upside, outside, needs, I think so.

d) the work of the vocal cords.

This assimilation takes place at the junction of a voiceless consonant and sonorants [w], [l], [ r], [ j]. The sonorants are partially devoiced when preceded by a voiceless consonant:

pray, try, throw, cream, sweater, sweep, twilight, climb, fly, stupid, tune, pure, few.

c) the lip position

If consonants [k], [g], [t], [s], [d] precede sonorant [w], they become labialized, or lip-rounded:

twist, twice, sweater, swim, question, quite, dwelling, bad weather, language, Gwendolyn, persuade.

As far as the direction is concerned, assimilation may be progressive, regressive and double (reciprocal).

Progressive assimilation can be represented by the formula A→B where the assimilated consonant is influenced by the preceding sound: free, price.

In regressive assimilation the preceding sound is affected by the following one: A←B – in them, maple.

In double assimilation two adjacent sounds influence each other: A↔B – twenty, tree.

According to the degree of completeness assimilation may be complete, partial and intermediate.

Assimilation is said to be complete when the articulation of the assimilated consonant fully coincides with that of the assimilating one:

horse-shoe, does she.

Assimilation is said to be partial when the assimilated consonant retains its main phonemic features and becomes only partly similar in some features of its articulation to the assimilating sound:

twice, please, tenth.

The degree of assimilation is said to be intermediate between complete and partial when the assimilated consonant changes into a different sound, but does not coincide with the assimilating consonant:

gooseberry, congress, newspaper.

According to its degree of stability assimilation can be historical and contextual.