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This can
also take
place in
the middle
of a
word: incompetent [ n k
m.p ə. ənt] or [ ŋ k
m.p ə. ənt].
b. Assimilation Based on the Place Where the Assimilated Sounds Undergo
Second, according to the place where the assimilated sounds undergo, assimilation can be distinguished into assimilation of place and manner of articulation.
1 Assimilation of Place of Articulation
In the word ‘impossible’, the prefix in- is replaced by im- before words beginning with a bilabial stop, like the word ‘possible’; there is a change from n
into m which involves a change in place of articulation. impossible
[ m p .s
əbl ]
Æ in
[ n] +
possible [ p s.
ə.bl]
im [ m]
Other examples are alveolar sounds becoming palate-alveolar sounds in: horse-shoe
[ h u ]
: [s] – [ ] this shop
[ ð p]
: [s] – [ ] butcher shop
[ b t ə
p] : [z] – [ ]
Ramelan, 2003: 173 Another example comes from American pronunciation materials, such as
hafta, gonna, wanna, gotcha, dontcha, etc. As stated by Dalton and Seidholfer 1994: 116-7:
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It is noticeable that American pronunciation materials ten to have more extended coverage of assimilation than materials based on British
pronunciation. The reason for this might be that assimilation features are more frequent in American English than in British English ; certainly they
are more prominently psychologically, as is
witnessed by the existence of alternative spellings for example, ‘gotcha’, ‘wanna’. Perhaps it is this that
makes for the strong feeling on part of teachers of American pronunciation that learners should be aware of them.
For example, the assimilation phenomenon exemplified in ‘gotcha’ is palatalization: the fact that before a [j], sound [t] turns into [t ], [d] turns into
[d ], [s] turns into [ ], and [z] into [ ]. Such sequences often occur when a verb, an auxiliary, a question word, or a negative particle is followed by ‘you’ or ‘yet’.
2 Assimilation of Manner of Articulation
This assimilation involves a change in the manner of articulating the consonants. For examples:
In the diagram above, the morpheme in- becomes il- before words beginning with lateral consonants like legal. In this case, there is a change in manner of
articulation. Another example is the change of in- into ir- before words beginning
with [r] like regular, thus irregular. irregular
[ re .j
ə. l
ə] Æ
in [ n]
+ regular
[ re .j ə.lə]
ir [ r]
Ramelan, 2003: 173 illegal
[ li .
ə
l] Æ
in [ n]
+ legal
[ li .
ə
l]
il [ l]
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c. Assimilation Based on the Completeness
