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The groundwork of other aspects of
connected speech.
Jos Ribamar de Castro
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It is useful to make a distinction
between careful speech and rapid
speech.The features we are going to
look at will usually be more evident in
rapid,everydayspeech.
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Assimilation
Describes how sounds modify each other
when they meet,usually across wordboundaries,but within words too.
* Can you see that boy over there?
* Whosa cute baby then?
Some rules for assimilation
1. The phonemes /t/,/d/ and /n/ oftenbecome bilabial before /p/,/b/ and /m/:
Hesa rather fat boy ( /p/)
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Hesa very good boy. (/b/)
There are ten men in the class,and twowomen. (/m/)
2. /t/ assimilates to /k/ before /k/ or
/g/. /d/ assimilates to /g/ before /k/ or
/g/:
Where has that cat been all night? (/k/)
It was a very good concert. (/g/)
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3. /n/ assimilates to /n/(velar nasal)
before /g/ or /k/:Ivebeen going out too much lately
(/n/)
Hesbringing his own car. (/n/)
4./s/ assimilates to / / (palato-
alveolar) before another palato-alveolar):
I really love this shiny one over there.
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5. /z/ assimilates to / / (palato-
alveolar) before / / (palato-alveolar.)
We found this lovely cheese shop inParis.
The above examples are cases ofanticipatory assimilation, where one
sound changes to another because of
the sound which follows.
Now letssee some cases of
coalescent assimilation,where two
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sounds combine to form a different
one:6. /t/ and /j/ coalesce to form /t /
(palato-alveolar.)
You went to France last year,didnt
you?
7. /d/ and /j/ coalesce to form /d /(palato-alveolar.)
Would you like a cup of tea?
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Elision
This term describes the disappearance
of a sound.Some rules for elision
1. The most common elisions in Englishare /t/ and /d/,when they appear
within a consonant cluster.
We arrived the next day. (/t/ is elided)
We bought a lovely carved statuette.
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2. Complex consonant clusters are
simplified.She acts like she owns the place! (/kts/
simplified to /ks/)
George the Sixthsthrone (/sIks 0r/
simplified to /sIks 0r/)
3. Schwa can disappear in unstressedsyllables.
I think we should call the police.
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4. /v/ can disappear in of,before consonants.My birthdayson the 11th of November.
Linking and intrusionWhen two vowels meet,speakers often link
them in various ways.
1. Linking /r/Some accents are rhotic
car, carve. (pronounce the /r/ sounds)
Others are non- rhotic (dontpronounce the /r/sounds)
car,carve
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Her English is excellent.
2. Intrusive /r/
When there is no written (r) but wepronounce it.
I saw it happenPa and Ma came to the party.
3. Linking /j/
I agree, wholeheartly.
I think,therefore I am. (Descartes)
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4. Linking /w/
You are /ju:wa:/
Go in! /gouwin/5. Juncture
I scream / Ice-cream
The great apes/ The grey tapes
Can I have more ice?/ Can I have more
rice?Itsno joke / snow
Itstough / stuff
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5. ContractionsIm, youre, hes, shes,were..
Imnot, you arent, we arent....Cant, wont....
Wouldve, Couldve....
Couldnt, wouldnt......
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6. Strong and weak formsThere are a large number of words in English
which can have a full form and a weak
form.For example,compare the use of the word
canin the following sentences:
She canswim faster than I can. (the first can is
the weak form and the second can is the full
form.) Weak forms are an important feature of
ordinary,everyday speech and students should
have the opportunity of becoming attuned to
them.
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To sum up,attempting to teachproductive competence in connected
speech,however,successful this turnsout to be,is a very good way of
enhancing students understanding of
fast and fluent connected speech.