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Unit 17: Connected English Speech: Accent

perhaps, explain the subjective impression of “syllable-timing”), and for native speakers of such Notes
languages who are learning English it can be helpful to practise repeating strongly rhythmical
utterances since this forces the speaker to concentrate on making unstressed syllables weak. Speakers
of languages like Japanese, Hungarian and Spanish - which do not have weak syllables to anything
like the same extent as English does - may well find such exercises of some value (as long as they are
not overdone to the point where learners feel they have to speak English as though they were reciting
verse).
17.3 Assimilation

The device mentioned earlier that produces “mechanical speech” would contain all the words of
English, each having been recorded in isolation. A significant difference in natural connected speech
is the way that sounds belonging to one word can cause changes in sounds belonging to neighbouring
words. Assuming that we know how the phonemes of a particular word would be realised when the
word is pronouced in isolation, in cases where we find a phoneme realised differently as a result of
being near some other phoneme belonging to a neighbouring word we call this difference an instance
of assimilation. Assimilation is something which varies in extent according to speaking rate and
style: it is more likely to be found in rapid, casual speech and less likely in slow, careful speech.
Sometimes the difference caused by assimilation is very noticeable, and sometimes it is very slight.
Generally speaking, the cases that have most often been described are assimilations affecting
consonants. As an example, consider a case where two words are combined, the first of which ends
f
with a single final consonant (which we will call C ) and the second of which starts with a single
i
initial consonant (which we will call C ); we can construct a diagram like this:
f i
C C
word
boundary
If C changes to become like C in some way, then the assimilation is called regressive (the phoneme
f
i
i
that comes first is affected by the one that comes after it); if C changes to become like C in some way,
f
then the assimilation is called progressive. An example of the latter is what is sometimes called
coalescence, or coalescent assimilation: a final t, d and an initial j following often combine to form
t  , d, so that ‘not yet’ is pronounced nt  et and ‘could you’ is kdu. In what ways can a consonant
change? We have seen that the main differences between consonants are of three types:
1. differences in place of articulation;
2. differences in manner of articulation;
3. differences in voicing.
An essential part of acquiring fluency in English is learning to produce connected speech without
gaps between words, and this is the practical importance of linking. You can read about “linking r”
and “intrusive r” in Collins and Mees and Giegerich.
In parallel with this, we can identify assimilation of place, of manner and of voicing in consonants.
Assimilation of place is most clearly observable in some cases where a final consonant (C ) with
f
alveolar place of articulation is followed by an initial consonant (C ) with a place of articulation that
i
is not alveolar. For example, the final consonant in ‘that’   t is alveolar t. In rapid, casual speech the
t will become p before a bilabial consonant, as in: ‘that person ’  p ps n  ; ‘that man’  m n;
p
‘meat pie’ mip pa . Before a dental consonant, t will change to a dental plosive, for which the
t
phonetic symbol is t , as in: ‘that thing’   ; ‘get those’ ge t z ‘cut through’ k t ru  .
Before a velar consonant, the t will become k, as in: ‘that case’   k kes, ‘bright colour’ brak kl,
‘quite good’ kwawk gd. In similar contexts d would become b, d and , respectively, and n would

become m, n  and ŋ ; examples of this would be: ‘good boy’b b, ‘bad thing’ b d  , ‘card

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