1.

A) Weakening is a connected speech phenomenon which affects grammatical/function words

when they are unstressed, which they are most of the time. The weakening consists of
qualitative reduction of the vowel. In the weak forms of the word ‘can’ /kæn/ we see that a
vowel can be replaced by the schwa sound - /kən/, it can be left out - /kn̩ /, and it can also be
replaced by its lax counterpart, for example /u/ is replaced by /ʊ/ in weak form of ‘you' /jʊ/.
Weakening makes words less intelligible, that is why it only affects function words, whose
meaning is more easily retrieved from position and function in a sentence.

B) Liaison is a Connected Speech Phenomenon where a word-final consonant is pronounced due

to a following vowel sound. In English this is the pronunciation of /r/ at word boundaries, before
vowels, in non-rhotic varieties of English, (since in rhotic varieties /r/ is already pronounced.) this
happens so that onsetless syllables are avoided. Two types: Linking /r/ is the pronunciation of
/r/ which is reflected in spelling. Ex. brother and sister. Intrusive /r/ occurs in the same phonetic
context as the linking /r/, but not indicated in the spelling. Ex. In Croatia and Slovenia [r] is
inserted after croatia.

+ Characteristic connected-speech accentual patterns – distribution of primary and secondary stress of

a given word in isolation is not necessarily the same as in connected speech. Ex. The primary and
secondary stress switch in ‘thirteen’, when the word is in the phrase ‘thirteen men’. [,thir’teen + ‘men =
‘thir,teen ‘men.]

This happens bc English is a very eurhythmical language, meaning it tends to regularize the rhythmic
patterns as much as possible.

+ Assimilation is the adaptation of a segment to an adjacent one, motivated by economy of speech; it

saves up on articulatory gestures. It can be regressive, ex. ‘with thanks’ – the feature [-voice] is spread
backwards, or progressive, ex. ‘at last’ – [-voice] is spread forwards.

+ Coalescence is merging of two segments into yet another one at a word boundary. Happens in the
same contexts as assimilation, goes a step further in the reduction of articulatory gestures. Ex. /d/ + /j/
= /dʒ/ → could you.

+ Elision is the deletion of segments at word boundaries. Ex. next day /neks deɪ/

+ Juncture phenomena provide phonetic details that mark the word boundary.

at issue [t⁼] vs. a tissue [tʰ] → a difference in aspiration

ice-cream vs. I scream → a difference in lenght of diphthong

+ Allegro style phenomena: smoothing is easing up the transition between vowels at word boundaries,
ex. In 'two o’clock' /u/ is laxed into /ʊ/, or within a triphthong, ex. In 'fire' /aɪə/ laxed into /aːə/.

and compression is the deletion of syllables or lexical words in connected speech, ex. Perhaps /præps/