Elision, Assimilation & Length of a Sound

Elision Definition: The omission of a sound or sounds, either within the body of a word or at the junction of words.

Warming up activity Read the following words and phrases. meet Meet you good Good day And Mary and John

Do you think there are changes for the three words when they are put with other words? Why or why not?

Definition of assimilation The process by which a sound is modified so that it becomes similar or identical to an adjacent or nearby sound. For example, the prefix in- becomes im- in impossible by assimilation to the labial p of possible.

Practice Reading the following sentences, paying attention to assimilation in each sentence. Nice to meet you. Would you do it? Don’t you think so?

1. Progressive Assimilation The assimilated sounds are influenced by the preceding sounds. 前面的音影响后面的音，叫顺向型同化。这种现象多见于单词读音中，如当名词后加-e(-es)变成复数，动词单数第三人称加-s(-es),或规则动词后加“-ed”变成过去式或过去分词，由于受前面的音的影响，这些后加成分的读音各不相同。如cats和beds其复数形式同样是加“-s”但前者念[s],而后者念[z],原因是他们前面的音一个是清辅音[t]，另一个是浊辅音[d]。加“-ed”情况相同，其读音规律是清清浊浊，即清辅音后读清音，浊辅音后读浊音。如：looked念[lukt]，而pulled念[puld]。

For Example: It raining cats and dogs.  He stopped reading and looked up.                “On my way home, I looked up an old friend of mine.”                           He pulled a tired smile when he stepped out of the room.

2. Regressive Assimilation: the sound is influenced by the following sound. 前面的音受后面的音影响，叫逆向型同化。 如news的单独读音是[nju:z]，但在复合词newspaper中却读[ `nju:speipә],[ nju:z]中的[z]在复合词[ `nju:speipә]中由于受后面清辅音[p]的影响而清化变成了[s]。又如：used to 短语本该读成[ ju:zd tu]，但受后面[t]的影响，浊辅音[d]变成了[t]，而[t]又影响[z]的读音，使其清化为[s]，所以现在应念成[ ju:s tu]。

For Example: Before I eat dinner, I read the newspaper for a while. We read the newspaper every morning. We used to go there every year. Our company used to do business with theirs. 

3. Reciprocal Assimilation: Two neigh-boring sounds influence each other and become a new sound. 相互同化 相互同化就是前后两个连在一起得音念起来不太方便，于是连在一起的两个音就互为影响而混合成一个新的、折衷的、比较好念的音，使之念起来顺口.

/s/ + /j/ = /ʃ/ God bless you. IPA: / gɔd bles﹀ju:/ — / s /+/ j /= / ʃ / Now look what a mess you've made.             Do you miss your family?                             I shall miss you very much.   

/ t /+/ j /= / tʃ / How about you? IPA:  / hau ə`baut﹀ju:/ — / t/+/j/=/tʃ/ Take care that you don't spoil your new clothes. I'm sorry to tell that you've been dismissed. A: I'm very glad to meet you. B: It's a pleasure to meet you.

/d /+/ j /= /dʒ/ Could you tell me where the bus stop is? IPA: [ kud﹀ju:] — [ d ]+[ j ]= [ dʒ ] Did you go to the park yesterday? Would you care to go for a walk with me?      Could you do me a favor? Could you possibly give me a lift home? 

因发音部位的影响而发生的同化 当很快地说 This ship 或 horseshoe 时，this 或 horse 的词尾的齿龈音[s]，受后面的 shield 或 shoe 词头的硬颚音[ʃ]的影响，也变为[ʃ]了。因而就念成了[ðɪʃ ʃip]、[hɔːʃ-ʃuː]。 [s]之后跟[ʃ]或[j]时，[s]常被同化为[ʃ]   

[z]之后跟[j]或[ʃ]，常被同化为[ʒ]。如： Has she come? [hæz ʃi: kʌm]--[hæʒ ʃi: kʌm] He tells you the truth.

当齿龈鼻音/n/出现在软颚音/k/或/g/前面时，它就变成软颚鼻音/ŋ/. /n/+/k/或/g/=/ŋ/ Thank you.PA:   /θæŋk ju:/ /n/+/k/=/ŋk/ I take a walk along the river bank every morning. I think I can learn to speak good English in one month. Hunger is best sauce.

/ p / + / n / = /m/ 把 open ，happen 分别念为/ `əupm/，/ `hæpm/，一般是在快速的谈话中比较随便、含糊的发音。按照比较正规的念法， open , happen 应分别念为/əupən/，/hæpən/，轻音节中都有一个模糊的元音/ə/。但在前面有减音和同化现象的注音里，元音/ə/完全省去，由此而剩下的辅音群/pn/，两个辅音的发音部位不同。/p/是双唇音，/n/是齿龈音，念起来不太方便。所以就发生了同化作用。/p/把/n/同化为双唇音/m/，这样就形成了两个双唇音的辅音群/pm/，念起来就方便多了。

For Example: He lives by his pen. All of his dealings are in the open. Let's be open with each other. I want you to be open with me about your money problems, so I can help you. Do you happen to know his new telephone number?

"清"与"浊"之间的同化 当 north, south, worth 三个词变为形容词时，这些词原来词尾的[θ]因为受了后面元音的影响，就变成了浊音[ð]： north /nɔːθ/      northern /`nɔːðən/ south /sauθ/      southern /`sʌðən/ worth /wəːθ/      worthy  /`wəːði/ She has traveled in northern countries. The southern half of the country is a desert. She says to help only the worthy poor. This book is worthy of being read (to be read ).