ASSIMILATION 1

Assimilation of Place
(i.e., where one sound undergoes a change because a
neighbouring sound makes articulation difficult)
In this session, we will address
1) different types of assimilation of place that affect
alveolar consonants (i.e., bilabial assimilation,
dental assimilation & velar assimilation).
2) the interaction between assimilation and elision.
Some points to remember (= never forget!):
• ALL assimilations of place you need to recognize and remember involve
the FIVE English ALVEOLAR consonants (/t/, /d/, /n/, /s/& /z/) (excluding
the lateral /l/) being affected by a consonant that is NOT an alveolar; i.e.,
triggers which include (bilabials)/p/, /b/, /m/& /w/ (velars) /k/, /ɡ/,
(dentals)/θ/, /ð/.

• The affected consonants (targets) fall into two sets:

1) SET 1 – STOPS:
• /t/ /d/ /n/

2) SET 2 – FRICATIVES:
• /s/ /z/
 ASSIMILATION 1
Assimilation of Place
Set 1 (a)
Alveolar Stops + Bilabials
Bilabial Assimilation
 Assimilation of Place 1
Alveolar Stops + Bilabial Stops

w
(ɹ)
Phonological conditions of Assimilation of Place (Bilabial Assimilation)
Pre-test (prediction)

*Check your answers as we go through the slides.

 /t/ + /p/ = /p/

pt p
slight problem
/ slaɪt / / pɹɒbləm /
/ slaɪp / / pɹɒbləm /
 /t/ + /b/ = /p/

pt b
hat box
/ hæt / / bɒks /
/ hæp / / bɒks /
 /t/ + /m/ = /p/

pt m
street market
/ stɹit / / mɑkɪt /
/ stɹip / / mɑkɪt /
 /t/ + /w/ = /p/

pt w
best weɪ
/ bɛst / / weɪ /
/ bɛsp / / weɪ /
 /d/ + /p/ = /b/

b
d p
good price
/ ɡʊd / / pɹaɪs /
/ ɡʊb / / pɹaɪs /
 /d/ + /b/ = /b/

b
d b
good boy
/ ɡʊd / / bɔɪ /
/ ɡʊb / / bɔɪ /
 /d/ + /m/ = /b/

b
d m
good man
/ ɡʊd / / mæn /
/ ɡʊb / / mæn /
 /d/ + /w/ = /b/

b
d w
good weɪ
/ ɡʊd / / weɪ /
/ ɡʊb / / weɪ /
 /n/ + /p/ = /m/

m
n p
sun protection
/ sʌn / / pɹətɛkʃən /
/ sʌm / / pɹətɛkʃən /
 /n/ + /b/ = /m/

n
m b
sun block
/ sʌn / / blɒk /
/ sʌm / / blɒk /
 /n/ + /m/ = /m/

n
m m
fun method
/ fʌn / / mɛθəd /
/ fʌm / / mɛθəd /
 /n/ + /m/ = /m/

n
m m
fun weɪ
/ fʌn / / weɪ /
/ fʌm / / weɪ /
ASSIMILATION 1
Assimilation of Place
Set 1 (b)
Alveolar Stops + Velars
Velar Assimilation
 Assimilation of Place 2
Alveolar Stops + Velar Stops

(ɹ)
Phonological conditions of Velar Assimilation
 /t/ + /k/ = /k/

kt k
white car
/ waɪt / / kɑ /
/ waɪk / / kɑ /
 /t/ + /ɡ/ = /k/

kt ɡ
cute girl
/ kjut / / ɡɜl /
/ kjuk / / ɡɜl /
 /d/ + /k/ = /ɡ/

ɡ
d k
red car
/ ɹɛd / / kɑ /
/ ɹɛɡ / / kɑ /
 /d/ + /ɡ/ = /ɡ/

ɡ
d ɡ
good girl
/ ɡʊd / / ɡɜl /
/ ɡʊɡ / / ɡɜl /
 /n/ + /k/ = /ŋ/

n
ŋ k
green car
/ ɡɹin / / kɑ /
/ ɡɹiŋ / / kɑ /
 /n/ + /ɡ/ = /ŋ/

n
ŋ ɡ
green garden
/ ɡɹin / / ɡɑdən /
/ ɡɹiŋ / / ɡɑdən /
ASSIMILATION 1
Assimilation of Place
Set 1 (c)
Alveolar Stops + Dentals
Dental Assimilation
 Assimilation of Place 3
Alveolar Stops + Dental Fricatives

(ɹ)
 Phonological conditions of dental assimilation

if /t, d. n/ /ð, θ/ then /t/ → [t̪]

/d/ → [d̪]
/n/ → [n̪]

Word-final /t, d, n/ become dental before dental fricatives.

 /t/ + /θ/ = /t̪/

t̪t θ
slight threat
/ slaɪt / / θɹɛt /
/ slaɪt̪ / / θɹɛt /
 /t/ + /ð/ = /t̪/

t̪t ð
what then
/ wɒt / / ðɛn /
/ wɒt̪ / / ðɛn /
 /d/ + /θ/ = /d̪/

d
d̪ θ
bad thing
/ bæd / / θɪŋ /
/ bæd̪ / / θɪŋ /
 /d/ + /ð/ = /d̪/

d
d̪ ð
sowed the (seeds)
/ səʊd / / ðə /
/ səʊd̪ / / ðə /
 /n/ + /θ/ = /n̪/

n
n̪ θ
one thing
/ wʌn / / θɪŋ /
/ wʌn̪ / / θɪŋ /
 /n/ + /ð/ = /n̪/

n
n̪ ð
on the (table)
/ ɒn / / ðə /
/ ɒn̪ / / ðə /
 • When a word ends with two alveolar stops followed by
Double either a bilabial or a velar consonants, then both alveolar
Assimilation stops assimilate.
 The
interaction
between
Elision &
Assimilation

*Check page 215 in Knight (2012) for more examples

Post-test
https://www.sltinfo.com/csp101-assimilaton-of-place/

Read Unit 17 of Knight’s book and attempt the

exercises at the end of the unit.
*The answers are at the back of the book.