Phonology

Part III
Features of
Connected Speech
Input Session 5
Prepared by Elham Helmi
 Learning Outcomes
By the end of the session, trainees will be better able to:

§ identify the features of connected speech

§ apply the features of connected speech.

Cconnected Speech
 groups

1.ii
2.iv
3.iii
4.i

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 Connected Speech

01 02 03 04 05 06
Contraction
Assimilation Elision Linking Intrusion Juncture
or Weakening
Liaison
Catenation
07 08
Stress
Glottal Stop
 Guess the term!
Terms Definitions
a. Boundaries are unclear-ice cream
/ I scream.
1. Contractions or weakening b. The disappearance of a sound

2. Assimilation c. Joining sounds to help make easy

transitions.
3. Elision
d. How sounds change at word
4. Linking (liaison) boundaries in terms of place &manner.

5. intrusion e. Interfering with another sound.

f. when words and grammatical
6. Juncture
phrases are pronounced weaker
than their dictionary pronunciation.

1/F 2/D 3/B 4/C 5/E 6/A

Assimilation
Assimilation is how
sounds modify each
other when they meet
(usually across word
boundaries).
 01

Who can read?

• Put that ball down.
/p/ or /?/
• Where has the cat been ?
• Who’s a cute baby then ?
 Say the following sentences to each other.
Decide what the assimilations are.

Choose from / k / / m / / ŋ / / p / / ʃ /
1. It’s in that box. The / t / at the end of ‘that’ assimilates to …... /p/
2. There are eleven players in a team. The /n/ at the end of ‘eleven’

assimilates to …... /m/

3. Can you see that kid over there ? The /t/ at the end of ‘that’ assimilates

to…... /k/
4. There are ten cups on the table. The /n/ at the end of ‘ten’ assimilates

to…... /ŋ/
5. Do you like this shade ? The /s/ at end of ‘this’ assimilates to…... /ʃ/
 FEATURES OF Assimilation

Regressive Progressive Coalescence

The initial C in the second The final C in the first Final C + initial C influence
word affects the final C of word affects the initial C each other – New sound
the previous word. of the next word.

This shop (This shop Dogs (dogz) /s,z,t,,d/+ /j/ = /dʒ/, /tʃ/
Thishop)
Did you, this year, want you
Eight cakes (eighkakes) Kissed (kist) /dʒ/ /ʒ/ /tʃ/
Ten pens (tempens)
Didʒyou Thiʒyear Wantʃyou
 There are lots of possible assimilation changes in English.
Assimilation happens like this (after Field, 2008:150):
Before these
this sound assimilates to for example transcription
sounds
then bake it /ðem.beɪk.ɪt/
/n/ /m/ then put it /ðemˈpʊt.ɪt/
then mix it /ðe.mɪks.ɪt/
that mixture /ðəʔ.ˈmɪks.tʃə/
/m/, /b/, /p/ /t/ /p/ or /ʔ/ that bread /ðəp.bred/
that paper /ðəʔ.ˈpeɪ.pə/
mad man /mæʔ.mæn/
/d/ /b/ or /ʔ/ mad boy /mæʔ.ˌbɔɪ/
mad policy /mæb.ˈpɒ.lə.si/
bean cakes /biːŋ.keɪks/
/n/ /ŋ/
been good /biːŋ.ɡʊd/
/k/, /ɡ/ that cake /ðəʔ.keɪk/
/t/ /k/ or /ʔ/
but go /bək.ɡəʊ/
/d/ /ɡ/ bed clothes /beɡ.kləʊðz/
/t/ /tʃ/ might you /maɪtʃu/
/j/
/d/ /dʒ/ had you /hədʒu/
/s/ /ʃ/ glass shop /ˈɡlɑː.ʃɒp/
/ʃ/
/z/ /ʃ/ has shut /hæ.ʃʌt/
 Let’s Practice!
These 12 questions are from an activity in Hewings Pronunciation Practice Activities
Each time you must decide which of the two (A or B) has the assimilation and what the sound is.
It could be any of / ŋ g m b p k ʃ ? /

1. When does the /t/ in hot assimilate ? In A or in B ? What sound does it assimilate to?
A. a hot pizza
B. a hot oven A. /p/ or /?/
2. When does the /d/ in good assimilate ? In A or in B ? What sound does it assimilate to?
A. a good excuse
B. a good price B. /b/ or /?/
3. When does the /n/ in seven assimilate ? In A or in B ? What sound does it assimilate to?
A. seven languages
B. seven people B. /m/
4. When does the /t/ in short assimilate ? In A or in B ? What sound does it assimilate to?
A. a short boy
B. a short way A. /p/
5. When does the /d/ in red assimilate ? In A or in B ? What sound does it assimilate to?
A. a red bike
B. a red apple A. /b/
6. When does the /n/ in brown assimilate ? In A or in B ? What sound does it assimilate to?
A. a brown suit
B. a brown beard B. /m/
7. When does the /t/ in white assimilate ? In A or in B ? What sound does it assimilate to?
A. white wine
B. white coffee B. /k/
8. When does the /d/ in bad assimilate ? In A or in B ? What sound does it assimilate to?
A. a bad cold
B. a bad illness A. /g/
9. When does the /n/ in ten assimilate ? In A or in B ? What sound does it assimilate to?
A. ten cars
B. ten letters A. /ŋ/
10. When does the /t/ in light assimilate ? In A or in B ? What sound does it assimilate to?
A. light rain
B. light green B. /k/ or /?/
11. When does the /d/ in wide assimilate ? In A or in B ? What sound does it assimilate to?
A. a wide river
B. a wide gap B. /g/
12. When does the /n/ in green assimilate ? In A or in B ? What sound does it assimilate to?
A. a green sofa
B. green grass B. /ŋ/
 Let’s Try it!
Say these words and phrases and work out for each
group what is being elided.
● Last night
• Love you forever.
● He was left behind.
• Call the police,
● It kept still. /ə/
/t/

● She’s the world ● It is a complete

champion. waste of time.
/d/ /v/
● Can you lend ● My birthday is on
me a tenner ? 29th of November.
 Elision
The disappearance of the sound

01 02 03

/v/ can disappear

/t/, /d/ in consonant /ə/ can disappear in of, before
cluster in an unstressed consonants
syllable
Next week That’s the core of
I’ll love you forever, my work.
(Nexweek) promise.
Complex consonant
clusters are simplified /izebizi/
Texts / Acts Is he busy?
 Let’s practice!
Find and mark the elision in the following. What disappears ?

1. That’s an interesting idea.

2. George the Sixth’s throne.

3. Have we got any vegetables?

4. When we reached Paris, we stopped for lunch. (2)

5. I think we should call the police.

6. She acts like she owns the place.

7. That’s the least of my worries.

 Assignment
Find and mark the elision in the following. What disappears ?

1. That’s an interesting idea. /ə/

2. George the Sixth’s throne. /θ/

3. Have we got any vegetables ? /ə/

4. When we reached Paris, we stopped for lunch. (2) /t/

5. I think we should call the police. /ə/

6. She acts like she owns the place. /t/

7. That’s the least of my worries. /v/

Linking
Liaison
Catenation
 C+V
An apple
a-napple

not at all
no ta tall
Decide whether the ‘r’ at the end of the first word is
sounded or not.
• her English
• her Spanish
• car seat
• car engine
• Brother and sister Note.
If /r/ is pronounced it
Linking /r/ = /r/+V is rhotic.
If not, it is non-rhotic.
 Intrusion

Intrusive /w/ Intrusive /j/ Intrusive /r/

/u/, / əʊ/ + V /i/,/i:/+ v /ə/, /ɔ:/ + V

● you are ● he is ● America and Canada
● go off ● they are ● law and order
● Sue always wants to eat ● she always takes ● The idea of
● my arm
 PRACTICAL
EXERCISE
Now find sounds which intrude in the
underlined phrases:

01 02

It was an important You can park the car

media event. over there.
Intrusive /r/ Linking /r/
03 04

He eats raw onion for He was way over the

breakfast. 05 speed limit.
Intrusive /r/ Intrusive /j/
Did you go out on New
Year’s Eve ? Intrusive /w/
Juncture
The boundaries between
words are not clear.

• Keeps ticking. (Keep sticking)

• More ice. (More rice)
• I scream. ( Ice cream)
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What might these be heard as ...
they are from Hancock English Pronunciation in
Use)

• fell table • Felt able

• known you • No new

• cooks take • Cook steak

• See new
• seen you
• Faced old
• face told
• an ocean • A notion
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• escaped error • Escape terror

• men tier • Meant year

Geminate
Assonance
 Geminate Assonance
e W
r tim Ni illy
P a tty Ni
e/
th e is So gr lly
tim t ies itt
rt a
d ar rh un y
a n ym d s
P o u nd e. tha
e s ou t
b .
Th ord me
w e sa
th
 Contracting or weakening
rds /ə/, /i/ Fu
o nc
W
t ed Un tion
n
e ss
t
n tre st W
o re o
C S ss rd
ed s

I think we should call the police.

 Glottalization
Glottal Stop
Button
/ˈbʌɁən/
But
/bʌɁ/ Important -
/ɪmˈpɔːɁənt/
Mountain
/ˈmaʊnɁɪn/

/Ɂ/
 What Features You need to mention

15%

A B 25%
C D 20%

40%

Assimilation Elision Liaison/ linking Intrusion

Stress
Juncture Glottal stop Weak form
(Content word)

Transcription
 Let’s Try it
What we hear It was Probably That’s because

Redit Read it Linking

Good cause Assimilation
goog cause
Blue air Intrusive /w/, Juncture
blue wear

Ben dover Bend over Catenation

When their Went there Elision, Juncture

Pek cat Pet cat Assimilation

Fat boy Assimilation

Fap boy

Necks day Next day Elision/ juncture

Let’s Try It!
Let’s Try It!
Feedback
 Let’s Try It!
1. I booked a room 1. Linking/ assimilation/ weak form/ stress (content word)
2. It’s been cancelled 2. Assimilation/ weak form/ stress ( content word), contraction
3. He was left back 3. Elision/ weak form/ assimilation/ stress (content word), glotalization
4. Last year 4. Assimilation (coalescence)/ elision
5. You and me 5. Intrusive /w/, / weak form/ elision/ Stress (contect word)
6. I have been here before 6. Weak form/ contraction/ strong form (content word)
 Doctor, doctor, I’ve got a toothache,
an earache, soar eyes, bruised arms,
a stomach ache, and I fart all the
time.

I see. Perhaps you’d like

to wait in the corridor?
 /w/, /s/, /t/, /r/
Some Phonology at word
Terms level
at sentence
(This is not
level
comprehensive)

The minimal unit that can carry intonation

Put these words in
Contraction
the correct place in The way sounds weak forms
the chart. connect,change or The disapparance
disapear in words of sounds

Elision Linking when those words

e.g. a name
are part of the An aim
Assimilation Tone Unit natural flow of
speech. How sounds change
Intonation Stress at word boundaries

Sounds Juncture
Consonant Vowel Linking
Connected Speech
Intrusion This sometimes called Intrusive /w/, /j/, /r/
Catenation
 Sounds
/w/, /s/, /t/, /r/
Some Phonology at word
Terms Stress level
at sentence
(This is not
comprehensive) Intonation level
Tone Unit
Connected
The minimal unit that can carry intonation
Put these words in Speech
Contraction
the correct place in The way sounds weak forms
the chart. connect,change or
disapear in words Elision The disapparance
of sounds
Elision Linking when those words
are part of the Juncture e.g. a name
Assimilation Tone Unit natural flow of An aim
speech.
Intonation Stress
Assimilation How sounds
change at word
boundaries
Sounds Juncture
Consonant Vowel Linking Linking Intrusion
Connected Speech This sometimes called Intrusive /w/, /j/, /r/
Catenation/ Liasion
Intrusion
 Learning Outcomes

Now, can you………………………………………….?

§ identify the features of connected speech

§ apply the features of connected speech