Lecture 6.

Aspects of Connected Speech

Instructed by: Minh Tam Vu (M.A.)
Contents
1. Rhythm
2. Assimilation
3. Elision
4. Linking

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Rhythm
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- Rhythm is the relatively equal beat between
stressed syllables.
It has often been claimed that English speech is
rhythmical and that rhythm is detectable in the
regular occurrence of stressed syllables.

- The theory that English has stress-timed rhythm

implies that stressed syllables will tend to occur at
relatively regular intervals whether they are
separated by unstressed syllables or not.

E.g. Walk down the path to the end of the canal

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- The stress-timed rhythm theory states that the time
from each stressed syllable to the next will tend to be
the same, irrespective of the number of intervening
unstressed syllables.

E.g. How did you manage to be there in time?

- In languages which have syllable-timed rhythm, all

syllables, whether stressed or unstressed tend to occur
at regular intervals of time, and the time between
stressed syllables will be shorter or longer in
proportion to the number of unstressed syllables.

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Stress
- A stressed syllable, together with any unstressed syllables which may

Group follow it form a stress group.

- The fundamental rule of English rhythm is that each stress group within
a word group is given the same amount of time.

E.g. My teacher’s in London this Friday for a conference in Phonetics

When did you hear the story about John and the girl upstairs?

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Rhythm Unit (Foot)

- A unit with a stressed syllable as its centre and any unstressed syllables which
may come before and after it is called a rhythm unit. The rules are as follows.

1. Any unstressed syllable at the beginning of a word group must go together

with the following stress group.

E.g. My apologies The teacher has arrived

2. If the unstressed syllable is part of the same word as the stressed syllable, they
belong to the same foot.

E.g. I’m going home today for Christmas

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Rhythm Unit (Foot)

3. If the unstressed syllable is closely connected grammatically to other stressed

word, although not a part of that word, they belong to the same rhythm unit.
E.g. Give it to John

4. Whenever you are in doubt as to which rhythm unit unstressed syllables belong
to, put them after a stressed syllable, rather than before it.

E.g. He was older than me

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2. Assimilation

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 Assimilation
I. Definition:
Assimilation is the process which takes place when one sound adapts itself to become similar to a
neighbouring sound in one or more aspects. In other words, assimilation is the influence of one phoneme
upon another neighbouring phoneme, so that they become more alike.

- Assimilation may occur across word boundaries or between words, across morpheme boundaries or
within a morpheme or a word.

E.g.

light blue good girl

cats beds

bent bank

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Assimilation
II. Kinds of assimilation across word boundaries

a. In terms of the direction of change

• Regressive assimilation: Cf → Ci (e.g. love me, let me)

• Progressive assimilation: Ci → Cf (e.g. read this, on the wall)

b. In terms of the way in which phonemes change

• Assimilation of place: Cf → Ci

• Assimilation of manner: Cf → Ci

• Assimilation of voice: Cf → Ci

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Assimilation of
Place of 1. Alveolar + bilabial = bilabial

Articulation a. / t / becomes [ p ] before bilabials

• right place [raɪppleɪs]

• might put [maɪppʊt]

• might make [maɪpmeɪk]

• white bird [waɪpbɜ:d]

• might buy [maɪpbaɪ]

• might win [maɪpwɪn]

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Assimilation of
Place of b. / d / becomes [ b ] before bilabials
Articulation • hard path [hɑ:bpɑ:θ]

• should put [ʃʊbpʊt]

• should make [ʃʊbmeɪk]

• good boy [gʊbbɔɪ]

• should win [ʃʊbwɪn]

• should buy [ʃʊbbaɪ]

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Assimilation of
Place of c. / n / becomes [ m ] before bilabials.

Articulation • gone past [gɒmpɑ:st]

• seen Peter [si:mpi:tə]
• seen Bill [si:mbɪl]
• ten men [temmen]
• seen Mike [si:mmaɪk]
• seen Walter [si:mwɔ:ltə]

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Assimilation of 2. Alveolar + velar = velar

Place of a. / t / becomes [ k ] before / k / and / g /

• white coat [waɪkkəʊt]

Articulation
• might come [maɪkkᴧm]

• that girl [ðӕkgɜ:l]

• might go [maɪkgəʊ]
b. / d / becomes [ g ] before / k / and / g /

• bad cold [bӕgkəʊld]

• should come [ʃʊgkᴧm]

• bad gate [bӕggeɪt]

• should go [ʃʊggəʊ]

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Assimilation of
Place of
c. / n / becomes [ ŋ ] before / k / and / g /
Articulation
• one cup [wᴧŋkᴧp]
• seen Karen [si:ŋkɑ:ren]
• main gate [meɪŋgeɪt]
• seen Greg [si:ŋgreɪg]

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Assimilation of
Place of
Articulation
3. Alveolar + dental = dentalized
• Get there [getðeə]
• tenth [tenθ]
• bad thing [bӕdθɪŋ]

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 4. Alveolar + palato-alveolar or palatal = palato-alveolar
Assimilation of
a. / s / becomes [ ʃ ] before / ʃ / or / j /
Place of
• nice shoes [naɪʃʃu:z]
Articulation
• this shop [ðɪʃʃɒp]
• this year [ðɪʃjɪə]
b. / z / becomes [ ʒ ] before / ʃ / or / j /
• those shops [ðəʊʒʃɒps]
• these sheep [ði:ʒʃi:p]
• where’s yours [weəʒjɔ:z]

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Assimilation of
Place of c. Alveolar stops and a following / j / may

Articulation merge to form an affricate.

• want you [wɒntʃu]
• did you? [dɪdʒu]
• education [edʒukeɪʃn]

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Assimilation of Manner of Articulation

1. Plosive + fricative = fricative

• / t / + / s / = / s / : that side [ðӕssaɪd]
• / t / + / z / = / z / : that zoo [ðӕzzu:]
• / d / + / s / = / s / : good song [gʊssɒŋ]
• / d / + / z / = / z / : bad zone [bӕzzəʊn]
2. Plosive + nasal = nasal
• / t / + / n / = / n / : that night [ðӕnnaɪt]
• / d / + / n / = / n / : good night [gʊnnaɪt]

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Assimilation of voicing

Cf (Lenis) + Ci (Fortis) => Cf becomes devoiced

● have to [hӕftu:]
● bad tongue [bӕttᴧŋ]
● big car [bɪkkɑ:]

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Elision
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1. Definition: 2. Rules for elision
Elision is the disappearance of
a. Aspirated stops + weak
sounds in speech.
vowel /ə/ = aspirated stops
Under certain circumstances,
- today [thdeɪ]
sounds disappear. A phoneme may
be realized as zero or have zero - potatoes [phtheɪəʊ]/[phtheɪthəʊ]

realization.

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Elision b. Weak vowel / ə / disappears before syllabic consonants / n, l, r /

canal [knӕl]

correct [krekt]

connect [knekt]

c. Stop + (stop) + stop

looked back [lʊkt 'bӕk]

stopped killing [stɒpt 'kɪlɪŋ]

d. Stop + (stop) + fricative

acts [ӕkt 's]

scripts [skrɪpt 's]

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e. Fricative + (stop) + fricative

Desks [desk 's]

guests [gest 's]

crisps [krɪsp 's]

f. / -st / + stop, nasal, fricative = / -s /

last time [lɑ:staɪm]

last man [lɑ:smӕn]

last song [lɑ: ssɒŋ]

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g. / -ft / + stop, nasal, fricative = / -f /

left door [lefdɔ:]

left knee [lefni:]

left shoe [lefʃu:]

h. / -nd / + lenis stop, nasal = / -n /

kind nurse [kaɪnnɜ:s]

canned bacon [kӕnbeɪkn]

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i. / -md / + lenis stop, nasal = / -m /

skimmed milk [skɪmmɪlk]

seemed good [si:mgʊd]

j. Loss of final / v / in OF + consonant

Lots of them [lɒtsəðəm]

Waste of money [weistəmᴧni]

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4. Linking

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 2. Liking identical consonants
1. Linking final consonant to initial vowel
bad dog [bӕddɒg]
drink a cup of tea [driŋkə kᴧpəti:]
stop pushing [stɒppʊʃɪŋ]
put it on [pʊtɪtɒn]
big girl [bɪggɜ:l]

good deal [gʊddi:l]

this seat [ðɪssi:t]

felt tired [felttaɪəd]

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c. Linking / r / and intrusive / r /

four eggs [fɔ:regz]

your eyes [jɔ:raɪz]

for ever [fɔ:revə]

media events [mi:diərɪvents]

Australia and Africa [ɒstreɪliərənӕfrɪkə]

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 e. Intrusive / w /: when a word
d. Intrusive / j /: when a word
ending in /u: ; ʊ; aʊ ; əʊ/ is
ending in /i: ; ɪ ; aɪ ; eɪ ; ɔɪ / is
followed by a word beginning with
followed by a word beginning with
a vowel
a vowel
go in [gəʊwɪn]
the other [ðijᴧðə]
two others [tu:wᴧðəz]
my aunt [maɪjɑ:nt]

see us [si:jəs]

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Thanks!
Any questions?

You can find me at:

[email protected]

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