Phonetics and
phonology
Standard connected speech
processes
Szczecin University
March 20, 2014
Phonetics and
phonology
Standard connected speech
processes
Szczecin University
March 20, 2014
Issues to be discussed
Phonological processes vs. phonological rules
Phonostylistics
Features of connected speech phenomena
Assimilation of place
Assimilation of voice
Assimilation of manner
Phonological processes
A phonological process is “a mental
operation that applies in speech to
substitute, for a class of sounds or sound
sequences presenting a specific common
difficulty to the speech capacity of the
individual, an alternative class identical
but lacking the difficult property.”
Processes vs. rules
Processes:
possess synchronic
phonetic motivation
are inborn
apply subconsciously
only their absence is
noticeable
are exceptionless
apply to slips of the
tongue, loan words,
etc.
may be obligatory or
optional
Rules:
have no synchronic
motivation, but
possess a
grammatical function
have to be learned
are formulated
through observation
tolerate exceptions
are not productive
are obligatory, style-
independent
Features of phonological processes
Phonological processes are inborn,
natural, universal and mental.
The full repertoire of phonological
processes is available to the child at the
very beginning of the acquisition period.
The processes undergo supression,
limitation and ordering.
Phonological processes are believed to be
phonetically motivated.
Supression, limitation and ordering
Supression – speakers of a language
learn to block the application of a
process, e.g. word-final devoicing in
English as in bag, judge, lives, etc.
Limitation – the set of segments a given
process applies to or the set of contexts
it applies in is limited, e.g. obstruent
devoicing in Polish
Ordering – application of one process
creates a context in which another
process can take place.
Lenitions and fortitions
Lenitions – context-sensitive processes
that apply in weak positions and in
casual speech . They are speaker-
friendly processes that minimise
articulatory difficulties of speech.
Fortitions – context-free processes but
expected to apply in strong positions
and more formal styles. Their teleology
(i.e. ultimate purpose) is to maximise the
perceptual characteristics of speech
segments. Fortitions enhance
perceptibility and as such are listener-
friendly.
Phonological rules
Phonological rules are conventions that have to be
learned and observed by all speakers of a language.
Phonological rules are basically morphological.
Phonological rules can:
change features of segments
delete segments
insert segments
coalesce segments
permute or interchange segments (metathesis).
Examples: velar softening [pʌblɪk] - [pʌblɪsɪti], irregular
verbs and nouns.
Connected speech
Connected speech = natural (casual,
spontaneous) speech
Connected speech – an utterance
consisting of more than one word.
Sounds belonging to one word/syllable
can cause changes in sounds belonging
to the neighbouring word/syllable.
Connected speech processes include:
assimilations, deletions, linking
(consonant epenthesis).
Features of connected
speech
Articulation of any phoneme differs according
to the context in which it occurs
The phonetic features of a segment exert an
influence on the features of adjacent segments
(co-articulation)
Changes take place within words and across
word boudaries
Observable changes:
place of articulation
voicing
lip position
position of the soft palate.
Co-articulation within words
Lip-spread
Lip-rounded
pea, heap
pool, upwards
tea, beat
two, boot, twice
keep, speak
cool, quite
mean, seem
moon, somewhat
knee, seen
noon, onward
read
rude
feel, leaf
fool, roof
Co-articulation across word
boundaries
Labialisation – that one, thick one, shall
we, this way, etc.
Nasalisation – results from regressive
but also from progressive lowering of
the soft palate in the vicinity of a nasal
consonant
within words – man, innermost, sunny,
sing
at word boundaries – bring another,
come in, etc.
Assimilation
Assimilation refers to contextual
variability of speech sounds, by which one
or more of their phonetic properties are
modified and become similar to those of
the adjacent segments.
Progressive and regressive assimilation
Regressive assimilation – a sound
undergoing the process becomes more
similar to the following segment.
C1C2 C1 > C2
Progressive assimilation - a sound
undergoing the process becomes more
similar to the preceding segment.
C1C2 C1 < C2
Types of assimilatory
change
Assimilation of place
[gʊd bɔɪ] → [gʊb bɔɪ]
Assimilation of voice
[dɒg] + [s] → [dɒgz]
Assimilation of manner
[ɪn ðə stri:t] → [ɪnnə stri:t]
Place assimilation in English
The alveolars/dentals tend to assimilate
to the place of articulation of the
following segment (regressive
assimilation).
The propensity of /n/ for place
assimilation can be accounted for by the
fact that a nasal can be produced in
most places of articulation.
Special cases
bacon
[̍beɪkən] > [beɪknn̩] > [beɪkŋn̩]
cotton [̍kɒtən] > [̍kɒtnn̩]
happen [̍hæpən] > [̍hæpnn̩] > [̍hæpmn̩]
Yod coalescence
s
ʃ
z
ʒ j
t
ʧ
d
ʤ
issue
as you know
I want you to know
could you
Voice assimilation
Voice assimilation can be of two kinds
[-voice] → [+voice]
[+voice] → [- voice]
bags , lives , Bob’s
live separately, good cheese
Differences between Polish and English:
no regressive voicing in English.
I like that black dog
Assimilation of manner
The interdental /ð/ tends to be realised
in various ways depending on the
phonological context in which it finds
itself.
/ð/ can be realised as:
a nasal sound, e.g. in the street,
a plosive, e.g. read these.
Assimilation of manner
involving other obstruents
/d→n/
He wouldn’t do it
[hɪ ˈwʊnn duː
ɪt]
good news
[gʊn ˈnjuːz]
/d→g→ŋ/
He wouldn’t go [hɪ ˈwʊŋŋ gəʊ]
/d→b→m/ Good morning
[gʊm mɔːnɪŋ]
/v→m/
You can have mine [jʊ kŋ hæm
maɪn]
/z→n/
He doesn’t know [hɪ ˈdʌnn nəʊ]
Neutralisation of phonological contrast
Phonetic neutralisation, i.e. the
elimination of phonetic distinctions
between phonemes.
Phonological neutralisation - a situation
in which the listener cannot determine
which phoneme is represented by an
actual allophone in a given context.
Examples of phonological neutralisation
right pears - ripe pears,
[raɪt peəz] > [raɪp˺ peəz]
ran quickly - rang quickly
[ræn kwɪkli] > [ræŋ kwɪkli]
light cream - like cream
[laɪt kriːm] > [laɪk˺ kriːm]
Paris show - parish show
[̍pærɪs ʃəʊ] > [pærɪʃ ʃəʊ]
what’s your weight - watch your weight
[wɒts jɔː weɪt] > [wɒʧ jɔː weɪt]
trzysta – czysta
[tʃɨsta] > [tt͡ʃɨsta]
chcę – chce
[xt͡ts ] >
ee
[xt͡tse]
Thank you