Types of Partial Assimilation

There are 4 types of partial assimilation. It can affect:

1. the place of articulation
2. the work of the vocal cords
3. the lip-position
4. the manner of producing noise

1. Assimilation affecting the place of articulation results in:

• the dental allophones of the alveolar /t, d, n, l, s, z/ when followed
by /θ, ð/:
shut the door all the doors open the door eighth
hold the door pass the door close the door sixth

• the post-alveolar allophones of the alveolar /t, d, n, l/ when followed

by the post-alveolar /r/: try, dry, already.

2. Assimilation affecting the work of the vocal cords results in:

• partially devoiced allophones of /w, l, r, j, m, n/ when preceded by
/p, t, k, f, θ, s/: play, pray, pure, few, threat, friend, quite.
• looked /k t/, finished /ʃ t/, books /k s/, pipes /p s/.

3. Assimilation affecting the lip-position results in labialized

allophones of consonants before such phonemes as /w, u:/: twenty, twice, tall,
quick, tool.

4. Assimilation affecting the manner of producing noise results in:

• plosionless allophones of /p b, t d, k g/ (loss of plosion); when they
follow one another either within a word or at the junction of words the first
plosive loses its plosion: actor /k t/, Big Ben /g b/, don’t talk /t t/, put
down /t d/, eight pounds /t p/.
• When /p b, t d, k g/ are followed by the fricatives or affricates their
plosion becomes fricative (fricative, or incomplete plosion): past five /t f/,
temperate zone /t z/, hot summer /t s/.
• When /p b, t d, k g/ are followed by the nasal sonorants /m, n/ their
plosion becomes nasal: garden /d n/.
• When /p b, t d, k g/ are followed by the lateral sonorant /l/ their
plosion becomes lateral: middle /d l/, circle /k l/, good luck /d l/, uncle /k l/,
little /t l/.
Note. When /p, t, k/ are preceded by /s/ they lose their aspiration: skate /s k/,
steak /s t/, space /s p/.