Unit 5 – Exercise 3
Assimilation. The following words are pronounced slowly first, and then with assimilation. Listen and repeat both forms.
| 1. white paper | 2. stand by | 3. bath sats | 4. gold plate | 5. in question |
| 6. seven pots | 7. that ghost | 8. in gear | 9. newspaper | 10. good cook |
| 11. in May | 12. of course | 13. first class | 14. green beans | 15. give to |
| 16. might out | 17. nice shells | 18. would you? | 19. when´s yours? | 20. Great Britain |
| 21.best man | 22. set by | 23. bad guy | 24. let you | 25. rose shears |
Unit 5 – Exercise 4
In the transcription below possible assimilation has not been included. Mark the places in which it could occur and explain why. Then, listen to the text.
ðә lɔːd meә ɑːskt ðem tә lʊk әt ӕ sɪksθ ˈsentri mӕp ˈdekәreɪtɪd ɪn gәʊld ∣∣ θӕt mӕp ʃәʊd bәʊθ ˈsektәz weә ðә ˈkɑːstl̩z ɪn ˈkwesʧn̩ stʊd ˈmeni ˈsentrɪz әˈgәʊ ∣∣ pliːz ʃәʊ miː əˈgen ∣ wʌn әv tɒmz frɪendz ɑːskt kaɪndli ∣∣ aɪ hӕv tʊ lʊk ӕt ðiːz ˈjelәʊ laɪnz ʃәʊɪŋ ɪn klɪә laɪt ∣∣ ɪts kwaɪt ә gʊd ˈkɒpi ev an ʌnˈkɒmn̩ ˈpɪkʧә ∣ bʌt ˈprɒbәbli beɪst ɒn ә ˈmɒdn̩ ˈmɒdl̩ ∣∣
ðә lɔːd meә1 ɑːskt ðem tә lʊk әt ӕ sɪksθ ˈsentri2 mӕp ˈdekәreɪtɪd ɪn gәʊld3 ∣∣ θӕt mӕp4 ʃәʊd b5әʊθ ˈs ektәz6 weә ðә ˈkɑːstl̩z ɪn ˈkwesʧn̩7 stʊd ˈmeni8 ˈsentrɪz әˈgәʊ ∣∣ pliːz ʃәʊ9 miː əˈgen ∣ wʌn әv tɒmz10 frɪendz ɑːskt kaɪndli11 ∣∣ aɪ hӕv tʊ12 lʊk ӕt ðiːz ˈjelәʊ13 laɪnz ʃәʊɪŋ14 ɪn klɪә15 laɪt ∣∣ ɪts kwaɪt ә gʊd ˈkɒpi16 ev an ʌnˈkɒmn17ˈpɪkʧә18 ∣ bʌt ˈprɒbәbli19 beɪst ɒn ә ˈmɒdn̩ ˈmɒdl̩20 ∣∣
The lord mayor asked them to look at a sixth century map decorated in gold. That map showed both sectors where the castles in question stood many centuries ago. Please show me again, one of Tom's friends asked kindly. I have to look at these yellow lines showing in clear light. It's quite a good copy of an uncommon picture, but probably based on a modern model.
| 1. | Alveolar stop regressive place assimilation. The alveolar stops /t d n/ may become bilabial –i.e. there is a change in the place of articulation- when followed by a bilabial stop, /p, b, m/, and that is why it is a case of regressive assimilation. There is no change in voicing, so /t/ changes to /p/, /d/ to /b/ and /n/ to /m/ |
| 2. | Dental fricative regressive place approximation. The dental fricatives /θ ð/ may become alveolar fricatives /s z/ –i.e. there is a change in the place of articulation- when followed by a alveolar fricative /s z/, and that is why it is a case of regressive assimilation. There is no change in voicing./ |
| 3. | Alveolar stop regressive place assimilation. The alveolar stops /t d n/ may become velar –i.e. there is a change in the place of articulation- when followed by a velar stop, /k g/, and that is why it is a case of regressive assimilation. Note that /ŋ/ is not mentioned as it does not occur as syllable initial. There is no change in voicing, so /t/ changes to /k/, /d/ to /g/ and /n/ to /ŋ/. |
| 4. | Same as number 1. |
| 5. | Same as number 1. |
| 6. | Same as number 2. |
| 7. | Same as number 3. |
| 8. | Same as number 1. |
| 9. | Alveolar fricative regressive place approximation. The alveolar fricatives /s, z/ may become post-alveolar fricatives /ʃ ʒ/ –i.e. there is a change in the place of articulation- when followed by a post-alveolar fricative /ʃ ʒ/ or a palatal approximant /j/, and that is why it is a case of regressive assimilation. There is no change in voicing. |
| 10. | Regressive voice assimilation. Voicelessness from the following consonant is borrowed. |
| 11. | Same as number 1. |
| 12. | Same as number 9. |
| 13. | Same as number 8. |
| 14. | Same as number 8. |
| 15. | Same as number 3. |
| 16. | Same as number 3. |
| 17. | Same as number 3. |
| 18. | Same as number 1. |
| 19. | Same as number 1. |
| 20. | Same as number 1. |
Unit 5 – Exercise 5
Elision. The following words are pronounced slowly first, and then with elision of some sounds. Listen and repeat both forms.
| 1. stand there | 2. I don´t know | 3. next please | 4. postman | 5. stand here |
| 6. stand aside | 7. picked one | 8. asked him | 9. picked two | 10. give me one |
| 11. looked horrible | 12. but came | 13. lost another | 14. wouldn´t answer | 15. add one |
| 16. clothes | 17. can´t hurry | 18. want to drink | 19. old school | 20. one of them |
Unit 5 – Exercise 6
In the transcription below possible elision has not been included. Mark the places in which it could occur and explain why. Then, listen to the text.
aɪ kɑːnt ˈhʌri ∣∣ hiː ˈwʊdn̩t ˈɑːnsәr ˈenɪθɪŋ els ∣∣ gɪv miː wʌn ∣ hiː ʤʌmpt tә ðә saɪd ∣∣ ðә ˈpәʊstmәn ˈdɪdnt nәʊ wɒt tә duː ∣∣ sәʊ hiː lɒst ɪt ∣∣ hiː lɒst ӕˈnʌðә ʧɑːns bʌt ˈkʊdn̩t help ɪt ∣∣
∣∣ aɪ kɑːnt ˈhʌri1 ∣∣ hiː ˈwʊdn̩t ˈɑːnsәr ˈenɪθɪŋ els ∣∣ gɪv miː2 wʌn ∣ hiː ʤʌmpt tә3 ðә saɪd ∣∣ ðә ˈpәʊstmәn4 ˈdɪdnt nәʊ5 wɒt tә6 duː ∣∣ sәʊ hiː lɒst ɪt ∣∣ hiː lɒst ӕˈnʌðә ʧɑːns bʌt ˈkʊdn̩t help7 ɪt ∣∣
I can't hurry. He wouldn't answer anything else. Give me one, he jumped to the side. The postman didn't know what to do. So he lost it. He lost another chance but couldn't help it.
| 1. | /t/ is elided, although it is preceded by a consonant of different voicing, since it is part of a negative contraction. This is also the case even if the following sound is /h/ or a vowel. |
| 2. | Labio-dental fricative elision, /v/, in the word ‘of’at rapid tempo before /m/. |
| 3. | /t/ is elided in the sequence /tt/. |
| 4. | Alveolar plosive elision, /t/, since /t/ is in the coda of the syllable, is preceded by another consonant and is followed by a consonant other than /h/. |
| 5. | Same as number 1. |
| 6. | Same as number 3. |
| 7. | Same as number 1. |
Unit 5 – Exercise 7
You will hear five sentences twice. Give each sentence in broad transcription. Then try to identify any feature of connected speech that you might have observed.
1.
wʊd jʊ wɒnt tә drɪŋk ә paɪnt әt ði әʊld pʌb ∣∣
Would you want to drink a pint at the old pub?
Assimilations:
| would you: | Coalescence or co-occurrence. Both place and manner assimilations take place when the alveolar plosives /t, d/ are followed by the palatal approximant /j/, yielding a palate-alveolar affricate /ʧ ʤ/, with no change in voicing. |
| old pub: | Alveolar stop regressive place assimilation. The alveolar stops /t d n/ may become bilabial –i.e. there is a change in the place of articulation- when followed by a bilabial stop, /p, b, m/, and that is why it is a case of regressive assimilation. There is no change in voicing, so /t/ changes to /p/, /d/ to /b/ and /n/ to /m/ |
| Ellisions: | |
| want to: | /t/ is elided in the sequence /tt/. |
2.
ðә gʊd kʊk in ˈkwesʧn̩ keɪm ɪn meɪ ∣∣
The good cook in question came in May.
Assimilations:
| good cook,in question: | Alveolar stop regressive place assimilation. The alveolar stops /t, d, n/ may become velar –i.e. there is a change in the place of articulation- when followed by a velar stop, /k g/, and that is why it is a case of regressive assimilation. Note that /ŋ/ is not mentioned as it does not occur as syllable initial. There is no change in voicing, so /t/ changes to /k/, /d/ to /g/ and /n/ to /ŋ/.n: |
| In May: | Alveolar stop regressive place assimilation. The alveolar stops /t, d, n/ may become bilabial –i.e. there is a change in the place of articulation- when followed by a bilabial stop, /p, b, m/, and that is why it is a case of regressive assimilation. There is no change in voicing, so /t/ changes to /p/, /d/ to /b/ and /n/ to /m/ |
3.
aɪl let ju stӕnd ðeәr ɪn ðә ˈmɪdl̩ ∣∣
I’ll let you stand there in the middle.
Assimilations:
| let you | Coalescence or co-occurrence. Both place and manner assimilations take place when the alveolar plosives /t, d/ are followed by the palatal approximant /j/, yielding a palate-alveolar affricate /ʧ ʤ/, with no change in voicing. |
| Ellisions: | |
| stand here: | alveolar plosive elision, /d/, since /d/ is in the coda of the syllable, is preceded by another voiced consonant and is followed by a consonant other than / h/. Compare with ‘stand aside’ or ‘stand here’, which exhibit no elision since /d/ is followed by a vowel and /h/, respectively. /d/ is not elided in ‘add one’ since it is not preceded by a consonant. |
| Linking /r/: | there in |
4.
aɪ ɑːskt hɪm wɒt taɪm ðә pәʊstmәn brɔːt ðә ˈnjuːz ˌpeɪpәr ɪn ði iːvnɪŋ ∣∣
I asked him what time the postman brought the newspaper in the evening.
Assimilations:
| Newspaper: | Newspaper: Regressive voice assimilation. Voicelessness from the following consonant is borrowed. |
| Ellisions: | |
| what time: | /t/ is elided in the sequence /tt/. |
| postman: | alveolar plosive elision, /t/, since /t/ is in the coda of the syllable, is preceded by another consonant and is followed by a consonant other than /h/. Compare with ‘lost another’, ‘picked one’, ‘asked him’ or ‘looked horrible’, which exhibit no elision since / t/ is followed by a vowel or /h/. /t/ is not elided in ‘But came’ since it is not preceded by a consonant. |
| Linking /r/: | newspaper in |
5.
maɪnd juː ∣ aɪv gɒt tә send ðem ðӕt mӕp әv greɪt ˈbrɪtn̩ ∣∣
Mind you! I got to send them that map of Great Britain.
Assimilations:
| mind you: | Coalescence or co-occurrence. Both place and manner assimilations take place when the alveolar plosives /t, d/ are followed by the palatal approximant /j/, yielding a palate-alveolar affricate /ʧ ʤ/, with no change in voicing. |
| that map, Great Britain: | Alveolar stop regressive place assimilation. The alveolar stops /t, d, n/ may become bilabial –i.e. there is a change in the place of articulation- when followed by a bilabial stop, /p b m/, and that is why it is a case of regressive assimilation. There is no change in voicing, so /t/ changes to /p/, /d/ to /b/ and /n/ to /m/ |
| Ellisions: | |
| got to: | /t/ is elided in the sequence /tt/. |
| send them: | alveolar plosive elision, /d/, since /d/ is in the coda of the syllable, is preceded by another voiced consonant and is followed by a consonant other than / h/. Compare with ‘stand aside’ or ‘stand here’, which exhibit no elision since /d/ is followed by a vowel and /h/, respectively. /d/ is not elided in ‘add one’ since it is not preceded by a consonant. |
