PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES

6.1 Introduction
Phonology is not a static system in which an established unit remains unchanged in all its
occurances. Rather, it is a dynamic system in which units change as they come into contact with
other units in the system. We refer to such changes as phonological processes.

Example using the word ‘can’:

[ai kᵆn ᵆsk] I can ask

[ai kᵆn si:] I can see

/kᵆn/ [ai kᵆm plei] I can play

[ai k ᵆᵑ gᵊu ] I can go

[ai kᵆᵑ kᵊm] I can come
Noted phonological processes:

/n/ is pronounced as [m] before a labial plosive

/n/ is pronounced as [ᵑ] before a dorsal (velar) plosive

The modification of sounds seem to follow natural principles related to physiological and
psychological strategies. Some phonological processes may be explained as muscle co-
ordination within vocal mechanisms. Others may be due to perceptual strategies that enhance
effective communication.

Some rules make sequence of sounds easier to pronounce. When we say [k ᵆmbi:] instead of /kᵆn
bi:/, we produce two bilabial sounds in row using a single gesture instead of making an alveolar
[n] and the bilabial [b] i.e. using two different gestures.

Likewise, some rules make sounds easier to perceive as when voiceless stops are aspirates at the
beginning of stressed syllables.

6.2 Types of Phonological Processes

a) Assimilation – This is the most common type of phonological processes found in

languages in which sounds take on the characteristics of a neibhouring sound. There are
two necessary components to define assimilation:
i) The sound that changes
ii) The sound that causes the change
The following are the phonological processes that result from assimilation:

i) Labialization
 It refers to when lip rounding accompanies articulation of a sound that is not labial. it
occurs when a non-labial sound is followed by a labial sound e.g. articulation of quick
[kw]
Cort [kw]
ii) Dentalization
Occurs when alveolar consonants become dental before a dental consonant as in:
Eighth [eiṱᶿ], tenth [teṋᶿ], wealth [weḻᶿ]
iii) Valarization – a lateral consonant is velarized when after a vowel and before another
consonant or the end of a word. When articulation is taking place, the back of the
tongue is raised towards the velum e.g. file, talc, dial, hill, cool.
iv) Nasalization
Vowels are nasalized before a nasal consonant e.g. ban [bᴂn], come [kᴧm]
v) Palatalization
It is the pushing of the tongue into the front position, thus producing a [i] like
modification e.g. articulation of the words: yes, fuse, few etc. it is also called fronting,
marked as [fi], [ji] etc. it also occurs when non-palatal sound is followed by vowel [i]
as in hit [hiit], sit [siit], fruition [fruᶴin ].
vi) Spirantilization
This refers to a change of oral stops to fricatives (spirants). Voiced stops undergo
spirantilization as a result of the reduction of oral compression to facilitate the glottal

voicing: /b/ > /ᵦ/, /d/> / ᶞ/ and /g/> /ᵞ/. In voiceless aspirated stops, the release is often
misinterpreted by listeners as frication [ph] > [pᵩ], [th]> [tᶿ] and [kh]> [kx]
vii) Voicing
A voiceless consonant may become voiced due to influence of the phonological
environment it is in.
Prevocalic voicing- is the voicing of an initial voiceless consonant preceding a vowel
in a word as in peach [pitᶴ] or bitch [bitᶴ].
viii) Deletion/ Ellipsis
A simple way to alter the structure of a word is to omit particular speech segments. There are
two main speech segments tat are typically deleted:

 Consonants
 Weak syllables

Consonant deletion
Consonant deletion occurs whenever a consonant in a syllable-initial or syllable final position is
omitted. Children may delete sounds at the beginning of words e.g. the words cat and boat may
be articulated as at and oat respectively. Final consonants may also be deleted. The words pat
and lid may be realizes as pa and li respectively.
Weak Syllable deletion
Weak syllable deletion occurs whenever the unstressed or weak syllable of multi-syllabic words
is omitted. In this process, whole syllables are deleted. The words banana and octopus may be
realized as nana and ocpus after deletion of the weak syllables ba- nad –to- respectively.

Non-Assimilatory Processes
In this situation, the sound segment becomes less similar to neighbouring sound segments.
They include:
Apocope
Epenthesis
Breaking
Vowel reduction
a. Apocope
This is loss of a sound segment in a word final position. Store-/stɔ:/ /r/ is lost in pronunciation.
Stir- /stз: / /r/ is lost in pronunciation.

b. Epenthesis
This is insertion of a sound segment in word medial position. Assume- assumption /p/ is inserted
in the word assumption.

c. Breaking
This happens when a long vowel breaks and becomes a diphthong. Breaking occurs in rapid
speech in long vowels. Shoe /ʃu: / becomes / ʃǝu/

d. Vowel Reduction
The vowels in unstressed positions are reduced to a schwa. But- /bᴧt/ (in isolation)
But- /bǝt/ (in a conversation)