In connected speech a sound is generally modified 1) by the neighbouring sounds; 2) by its position in a word or a phrase; 3) by prosodic features: stress, melody, the tempo of speech
The rules to determine the phonemic status of a sound of a complex nature : A phoneme is indivisible as no syllable division can occur within it. A phoneme is produced by one articulatory effort. The duration of a phoneme should not exceed that of other phonemes in the language.
Variation idiolectal diaphonic allophonic reduction elision accommodation assimilation
Idiolectal variation embraces the individual peculiarities of articulating sounds. For instance, the speaker may mumble, or lisp (say ‘ thish ish’ for ‘ this is’), or stutter (say a f-f-f-fine d-d-d-day)/ Idiolectal variation may cause a lot of difficulties in the communication.
Diaphonic variation is caused by concrete historical tendencies active in certain localities. E.g., the diaphonic variation of the sound / æ / ranges from a front open / æ / in the southern part of England to / ɑ: / in Northern England.
Allophonic variation is conditioned by phonetic position and phonetic environment (the influence of the neighbouring sounds). The main types of allophonic variations are reduction, elision, assimilation and accommodation (or adaptation).
Reduction – the weakening of articulation and shortening of the duration of unstressed vowels Reduction qualitative quantitative zero can /k ə n / she / ∫i/ can /k n /
In qualitative reduction the unstressed vowel is usually reduced to / ə /. In quantitative reduction the unstressed vowel is shortened. In zero reduction the unstressed vowel is dropped.
Elision – the disappearance of a sound Elision historical juxtapositional (contemporary) k now /n əu/ a blin d man / ə blain m æ n/ pa l m /p α: m/ si t down /si daun/
Historical elision reflects the process in which a sound that existed in an earlier form of a word was omitted in its later form (e.g. cu p board). In juxtapositional elision a sound that exists in a word pronounced by itself is dropped in connected speech (especially in rapid speech).
Assimilation – the process by which a sound is altered through the influence of a neighbouring sound.
Assimilation may influence : the work of the vocal cords ( voice assimilation) ; the active organ of speech; the manner of noise production (loss of plosion or incomplete plosion); the place of articulation (in trip alveolar / t / becomes post - alveolar ).
Voice assimilation is observed when one of the two adjacent [ə̍ʤeɪs(ə)nt] ( смежный, соседний ) consonants becomes voiced under the influence of the neighbouring voiced consonant, or voiceless - under the influence of the voiced consonant. E.g.: translate [trən z ˈleɪt], I shoud pay [aɪ ʃ t ˎpeɪ].
The active organ of speech may be affected in a careless rapid speech, e.g.: Give me / ˎgɪ m mɪ/; bad pain /̍bæ b ˎpeɪn/; queen mother / ̍kwi: m ˎmʌðə/.
Assimilation (according to direction) progressive regressive double (bidirectional) desk s /desk s a t the desk / ə t ð ə / twice / tw ais/ bag s /b æ g z / ( / t /-dental ) / dj / > / d ʒ / education happe n /h æ p m / goo d bye /gu b bai/ / tj / > / t ∫ / situation gi v e me /gi m mi/ / sj / > / ∫ / issue
Accommodation (adaptation) – the process of adapting the articulation of a vowel to a consonant, or a consonant to a vowel. Vowels : nasalization: [tẽn] shortening: cease [si · s] Consonants : palatalization: / ∫, ʒ, t ∫ ∫, d ʒ / shirt, cheese, June labialization: Compare /t/ in tea and two
The causes of allophonic variation : “Economy of effort” “The law of the stronger” E.g. of course / ə f ´ kɔ:s/ 3. Frequency of occurrence Frequent consonants: /t, n, s, ð, l, d/
