Assimilation

Febriani 2215132968
Leini Nadira Rambe
2215132970
Ratih Kisdiani 2215130472

Definition
Terminology :
From Latin assimilatio, meaning "to render
similar

Definition
Assimilation is a significant difference in
natural connected speech; the way sounds
belonging to one word can cause changes in
sounds belonging to neighboring sounds.
(Peter Roach)
Assimilation is a phonological process is which
a segment changes to resemble its neighbors
more closely. In partial assimilation, the
targeted segment takes on some, but not all,
of the characteristic of the source segment.

The purpose of learning it

To notice every single word when
someone is speaking naturally,
especially native speaker.

Characteristic
Assimilation is something which
varies in extent according to
speaking rate and style; its more
likely to be found in rapid and casual
speech; less likely in slow and careful
speech.
Generally in speaking, assimilation
usually affecting consonants.

Example
1. If you notice it already, that person
who standing above the light blue of
the sky is my father.
2. Haha. Dont be silly.
3. That careful act will make you get
those advantageous things in vary
day.
4.Hey, good night!
5. That side is a reason why I love him.

Type of Assimilation

Progressive Assimilation
If the phoneme changes to match the
preceding phoneme, it is progressive
assimilation.
Example :
Get them get m Becomes gettm
Read these rid i:z become ri:ddi:z

Regressive Assimilation
If the phoneme changes to match the following
phoneme, it is regressive assimilation.
Example : good girl
/gug g:l/

Identifying
Assimilation

Assimilation of place

Assimilation of place is most clearly observable in some

cases where a final consonant with alveolar is followed by an
initial consonant with not alveolar.
Example : the final consonant in that = t Is alveolar t .
The /t/ will become /p/ before a bilabial consonant as in that
person = p p:sn
Before a dental consonant /t/ will change to a dental
plosive.
Example : that thing =t
, get those= get z ,
cut through= kt ru
Before a velar consonant, the /t/ will become /k/
Example : that case=k kes , bright colour=brak
kl: , quite good= kwak gd
In similar contexts, /d/ would become /b/ , /d/, /g/
and /n/ would become /m/ , /n/, / /
Assimilation of place is only noticeable in this regressive

Assimilation of manner

Assimilation of manner is much less noticeable and is

only found in the most rapid and casual speech. It is thus
possible to find cases where final plosive becomes a
fricative or nasal for example that side = s sad , good
night=gn nat
In one particular case we find progressive assimilation of
manner, when // follows a plosive or nasal at the end of
preceding word. For example :
in the = n
becomes lnn
Get them=
get m
Becomes gettm
Read these = rid i:z
becomes ri:ddi:z

Assimilation of voice

Assimilation of voice is also found, but again only in a limited

way. If the final phoneme is a voiced consonant and the initial
phoneme is voiceless, we often find that voiced consonant has no
voicing. But final phoneme is voiceless and initial phoneme is
voiced, a context in which in many languages, final phoneme
would become voiced, assimilation of voice never takes place;
consider the following example : I like that black dog = a lak
t blk dg
It is typical of many foreign learners of English that allow
regressive assimilation of voicing to change the final /k/ of like
to /g/ , the final /t/ of that to /d/ and the final /k/ of black to /g/.
This creates a very strong impression of foreign accent, and is
something that should obviously be avoided.

Assimilation of Voice
An example of a type of assimilation that has
become fixed is the progressive assimilation of
voice with the suffixes /s/ and /z/; when a verb
carries a third person singular -s suffix or a noun
carries an -s plural suffix or an -s possessive
suffix, that suffix will pronounced as /s/ if the
preceding consonant is fortis (voiceless) and as
/z/ if the preceding consonant is lenis (voiced)
For example:
Cats = kts ; Jumps= dmps ; Dogs= dgz
; Runs= rnz