nha1 - aspects of connected speech

8/3/2019 NHA1 - Aspects of Connected Speech

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I> RhythmII> AssimilationIII> ElisionIV> Linking


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I>Rhythm rhythm: some noticeable event happening at regular

intervals of time; detectable in the regular occurrence ofstressed syllables.

English speech is rhythmical Stress-timed rhythm theory:- stressed syllables will tend to occur at relatively regular

intervals whether they are separated by unstressedsyllables or not.

- times from each stressed syllable to the next will tend to bethe same, irrespective of the number of interveningunstressed syllables.

Foot (a unit of rhythm): begins with a stressed syllableand includes all following unstressed syllables up to (butnot including) the following stressed syllable.

E.g.: I want you to carry out the task now.


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II> Assimilation II.1 Definition: Assimilation is a change in

pronunciation of 1 sound because of the influenceof a neighboring sound to be more alike. In otherwords, a phoneme is realized differently as a resultof being near some other phoneme belonging to a

neighboring word. Purpose of assimilation: to ease the pronunciation.

Found in rapid, casual speech and usually affectsconsonants.

Can occur at different positions of occurrence:-Across word boundaries: that pie /t pai / [p

pai ]; Pams [pmz]

- Within a morpheme: cats [ kts]; dogs [d4gz];

bank [bk]


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II.2Classification: In terms of direction:

a/ Regressive assimilation: Cf (single finalconsonant) of the preceding word changes tobecome like Ci (single initial consonant) of

the following word in some way, (thephoneme that comes first is affected by theone that comes after it). E.g.: that cake /tkeik/[ kkeik]

b/ Progressive assimilation: Ci of thefollowing word changes to become like Cf ofthe preceding word in some way. E.g.: didthat /d1d 5`t / [d1dd`t ]


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Basing on the differences between consonantsa/Assimilation of place: 2 words of different points of articulation

will change to have the same place or point of articulation. Finalconsonant with alveolar place of articulation is followed by aninitial consonant with a place of articulation that is notalveolar.Assimilation of place is only noticeable in the regressiveassimilation of alveolar consonants.

E.g.: tp, t, k that person /t p:sn/ [p p:sn] (t p before a

bilabial consonant: bilabialization) light blue /lait blu:/[ laip blu:] (tp before a bilabial

consonant : bilabialization) that thing /t i/[t i] (ta dental plosive before

a dental consonant: dentalization)

get those /get z/

[ get z] (t

a dental plosivebefore a dental consonant : dentalization) that case /t keis/[ k keis] (tk before a velar

consonant: velarization) quite good /kwait gd/[ kwaik gd] (tk before a velar

consonant : velarization)


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db, d, g good boy /gd b0i/[ gbb0i] (bilabialized)

rude thief /ru:d i:f/

[ ru:di:f] (dentalized) bad cold /bd kld/[ bgkld] (velarized)nm, n, green pear /gri:n pe/[gri:mpe] (bilabialized)

green thing /gri:n i:/

[gri:ni:] (dentalized) one cup /wn kp/[wkp] (velarized)s when followed by or j this shoe /is u:/[iu:] (palatalized)

this year /is ji/

[iji] (palatalized)z when followed by or j those years /z jiz/[jiz] (palatalized) those shops /z ps/[ps] (palatalized)


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b/ Assimilation of manner The tendency is for regressive assimilation and the

change in manner is most likely to be towards an easier

consonant. Two sounds of different manners ofarticulation will change to have the same manner ofarticulation.

E.g.: that side /t said/ [ssaid]good night /gd nait/ [gnnait]

final plosive becomes a fricative or nasal Progressive assimilation of manner: when a word-initial

follows a plosive or nasal at the end of a preceding word.E.g.: in the /in / [inn ]

get them /get m/ [gettm]

read these /ri:d i:z/ [ri:ddi:z]


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c/ Assimilation of voice

Only regressive assimilation of voice is foundacross word boundaries, and only of onetype. If Cf is a lenis (voiced) consonant and Ciis fortis (voiceless) consonant, the lenisconsonant has no voicing. When Cf is fortisand Ci lenis, Cf would become voiced.

E.g.: have to /hv tu:/ [hf t](voicedvoiceless)

with out /wi a$t/ [wiaut](voicelessvoiced)


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* The above examples are cases ofanticipatory assimilation, where one sound

changes to another because of the soundwhich follows.

Here are some cases of coalescent

assimilation, where two sounds combine toform a different one

- /t/ and /j/coalesce to from //:

E.g.: You went to France last year, didnt you?- /d/ and /j/ coalesce to form // :

E.g.: Would you like a cup of tea?


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Exercise: Transcribe the following words orphrases, showing the assimilation, and then

giving the name of assimilation1. That person /5`t p3:s6n /[5`pp3:s6n ]: regressive

assimilation of point/place2. In the3. Cut through

4. Green pine5. Bright color6. This shop7. Monkey8. Read these

9. That side10. And you11. Tables12. That cake


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Answer

1. That person /5`t p3:s6n /[5`pp3:s6n ]: regressive

assimilation of point/place2. In the /1n 56/ [1nn6]: progressive A of manner

3. Cut through / / [ k^t8ru:]: regressive A of place

4. Green pine / ] [gri:mpa1]: regressive A of place

5. Bright color / / [ braikk^l6]: regressive A of place6. This shop / / [ 51~~4p]: regressive A of place

7. Monkey / / [ m^7k1 ]: regressive A of place

8. Read these / / [ ri:ddi:z ]: progressive A of manner

9. That side / / [5`ssa1d]: regressive A of manner10. And you / / [6nd2$]: coaleslence (regressive A of

place)

11. Tables / / [te1blz ]: regressive A of place

12. That cake / / [ 5`kke1k]: regressive A of place


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III> Elision (deletion/omission)

- Under certain circumstances soundsdisappear, in other words, in certaincircumstances a phoneme may be

realized as zero, or have zerorealisation or be deleted.

- Elision is typical of rapid, casual

speech.


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Loss of weak vowel // afterp, t, kE.g.:- potato phteit; tomato thma:t; canarykhneri ; perhaps phhps;

- today th

dei Weak vowel + n, l or r becomes syllabicE.g.: tonight thnait; police p hli:s; correct khrekt Avoidance of complex consonant clusters:E.g.: George the Sixths throne 0: sikss rn

0: siksrn-acts ks (loss of /s/)- lookedback lk bk (loss of /t/)-scripts skrips (loss of /t/)

-We arrived the next dayneks dei (loss of /t/)-We bought a carved statuetteka:v stuet (loss of /d/) Loss of final vin of before consonantsE.g.: lots of them l4ts m; waste of money weist

mni


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IV> Linking

In real connected speech, words are sometimes

linked together in special ways. Consonant-to-vowel links, e.g.: take it away

[te1k1t6we1]

Vowel-to-vowel links:- Linkingr(the most familiar case): when a words

spelling suggests a final r, and a word beginningwith a vowel follows, the usual pronunciation is topronounce with r. (rhotic accents)

E.g.: here hi but here are hir

four f0:but four eggs f0:r egz

I i d j M k i h


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- Intrusive r, w and j: Many speakers with non-rhotic accents often use r or w or j to link wordsending with a vowel in order to ease the

transition. Intrusive /r/: Where two vowel sounds meet

and there is no written letter r, speakers withnon-rhotic accents will still often introduce the/r/ phoneme in order to ease the transition. Thishappens when the first word ends in //, /a:/, or/0:/.

E.g.: Formula A f0:mjlr ei-Its a question of law and order its kwesn v

l0:rn 0:d

-media event mi:dir ivent


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Intrusive /j/: When a word ends in /i:/, or a diphthongwhich finishes with /i/, speakers often introduce a /j/ toease the transition to a following vowel sound:

E.g.: very interesting veri j intrsti- I think, therefore I am ai ik ef0: aijm

- They are, arent they? eija: ra:nt ei

Intrusive /w/: When a word ends in /u:/, or adiphthong which finishes with /u/, speakers oftenintroduce a /w/ to ease the transition to a followingvowel sound:

E.g.: Go on! Go in! gw1ngwin

- Are you inside, or are you outside? ju:winsaid, ju:wautsaid

- Do it du:wit


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Consonant-to-consonant links

-different consonants

E.g.: keep laughingand pet dogare not released

-identical consonants: pronounced as one longconsonant.

E.g.: polish shoes

~:-fall leaves.

l:

nha1 - aspects of connected speech

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