SCAN0090 (3)

290 Introduction to the Pronunciation of English 11.08 Variations of Place

The assumption by a word finał phoneme in the isolate form of the phonetic characteristics of a following phoneme in connected speech is a freąuent result of assimilatory tendencies (usually regressive or coalescent) involving a variation in the place of articulation. Though such changes are normal in colloąuial speech, native speakers arc usually unaware that they are madę.

(1) Instability of finał aheolars¹

Word finał /t, d, n, s, z/ readily assimilate to the place of the following word initial consonant:—

/t/ —> /p/before /p, b, m/, e.g. that pen, that boy, that man /'5sep _spen/, etc.

-*• /k/ before /k, g/, e.g. that cup, that girl /'5aek _NkAp/, etc., bul /p/ does not show similar changes before /t, d, n, k, g/, nor /k/ before /t, d, n, p, b, m/

/d/ —> /b/ before /p, b, m/, e.g. goud pen, good boy, good man /'gob _spen/, etc.

—► /g/ before /k, g/, e.g. good concert, good girl /'gog ,konsst/, etc., but /b/ does not show similar changes before /t, d, n, k, g/, nor /g/ before /t, d, n, p, b, m/

/n/ -> /m/ before /p, b, m/, e.g. ten Players, ten boys, ten men /'tem _Spleisz/, etc.

-» /q/ before /k, g/, e.g. ten cnps, ten girls /'ter) _skAps/, etc., and also sometimes shows similar assimilations following /p, b, k, g/, e.g. twopence, second /^tApms, _xsekr)/, etc. (As a result of word finał assimilations, /q/ may be preceded by vowels other than /i, e, ae, n, a/, e.g. 7’ve been /'bi:q/ gardening, Shell soon /'suir)/ come, his own /'sur)/ car, etc.) But assimilations of /m/ to /n/ before /t, d, n/ and to /r)/ before /k, g/ or of /q/ to /m/ before /p, b, m/ and to /n/ before /t, d, n/ are abnormal or occur in speech characterized generally as slipshod.

Some assimilations may affect both /t, d/ and /n/, e.g. Z)on’t /'dsump/ be late, He woni /'wsorjk/ come, Hefound /'faumb/ both, a kind /'kairjg/ gift.

/s/ —> /J/ before /J, j/. e.g. this shop, this year /'6iJ Jop, 'óij J3:/, though it shows no phonemic change before other con-sonants, e.g. /'5i0_x0iq/ (this thing) is abnormal; /f, J/, too, are not influenced to any marked extent by a following consonant, but, in very rapid speech, finał /0/ may assimilate to /s/ before /s/, e.g. both sides /'bsus _Ssaidz/.

/z/ -*■ /3/ before /J, j/ or -> /J’/ (change to fortis) before /J/, e.g.

¹ See also A. C. Gimson, ‘The instability of English alveolar articulations,’ Le Maitre Phonetiąue, no. 113, 1960.

those young men /'60113 'jAg ,men/, has she? fih&3 Ji/ or /'haej Ji/, but does not show similar changes before other consonants. The place of articulation of /v, 3/ is not usually influenced greatly by a following consonant but, in very rapid speech, finał /5/ may assimilate to /z/ or /s/ before /s, z/, e.g. I loathe singing /ai 'lauz ,sigig/, and word initial /ó/—especially in the article //?e—may assimilate to /s, z/ following /s, z/, e.g. Whafs the time? /'wots zo ,taim/, t/?eptwt come?fihaez za ,paus ,kAm/, in very rapid speech.

In this connection, it is to be noted that the alveolars have a rel-atively high freąuency of word finał occurrence, especially when inflexional, and are particularly apt to undergo neutralization as redundant oppositions in connected speech. As always, phonemic oppositions having been neutralized, the sense of an utterance may be determined by the context, e.g. /'raeg 'kwikli/ (ran or rang ąuickly), firaip _Spsaz/ (right or ripe pears or pairs), /'laik ,kri:m/ (like or light cream), /'hop ma.njua/ (hot or hop manure), /‘wDtf jo: ,weit/ (what's or watch your weight),¹ or, with a neutralization to a labio-dental articulation, /'greip ,vain/ (great or grapę vine), ['rAig fo jo: _smAni] (run or rum for your money).

(2) Coalescence of fi, d, s, z/ with /j/

The process which has led to earlier fi, d, s, z/ + /j/ giving fil, d3, J, 3/ medially in a word (naturę, grandeur, mission, vision—§8.11) may operate in contemporary colloąuial speech at word boundaries, e.g:—

fi/ + /j/—What you want ... /'wotju ,WDnt.../

/d/ + fi/—Wouldyou? fiwod3o/

/^s/ + /}/—In case you need it /ig 'keiju jii:d it/

/z/ + fi/—Has your letter come? /'hse3o: dęto ,kAm/ as yet /o’3et/

The coalescence is morę complete in the case of fi, d/ + /j/ (especially in ąuestion tags, e.g. didnl you?, could you?, etc.); in the case of /s, z/ + fil, the coalescence into /J, 3/ may be marked by extra length of friction, e.g. Don't miss your train /'doump 'mijjo: _strein/. cf. I can't be surę /ai 'ka:mp bi Jo:/.

In very careful speech, some RP speakers would use somewhat artificial, uncoalesced, forms within words, e.g. /'neitjo, "kwestjon, ,An'fo:tjunot, 'souldjo/ (naturę, ąuestion, unfortunate, soldier), etc. Such speakers would also avoid coalescences at word boundaries; other, careful, speakers who use the normal coalesced forms within words, would consciously avoid them at word boundaries.

1

If the utterance is reduced to /'wDtfn: ,weit/, there is also the possibility of the interpretation watch or wait.