Allophonic assimilation – disapplication

Velarization

We have seen how /l/ is velarized if it occurs in word-final position, e.g.

However, in connected speech, a word-final /l/ will not be velarized if it is followed across a word boundary by a word that has a vowel in word-initial position, e.g.

In this environment, the rule that a word-final /l/ is velarized is disapplied, i.e. the /l/ is not velarized.

Further examples include:

The rule governing this pattern can be stated as:

Word-final /l/ is not velarized before a word-initial vowel.

Word-final de-voicing

We know that word-final voiced plosives, fricatives and affricates are prone to de-voicing when they appear in words spoken in isolation, e.g.

However, in connected speech, when they appear word-finally before a word-initial vowel or voiced consonant across a word boundary they are not voiced, i.e.

This is a rather long-winded way of representing the rule, which can probably be better stated as follows.

Word-final voiced plosives, fricatives and affricates are not de-voiced before a word-initial vowel or voiced consonant.

A few examples should make this clear:

In the last example above – badge of office – there are two examples of a voiced fricative in word-final position preceding a word-initial vowel. The first occurrence is at the word boundary between the words badge and of. The word badge has a word-final voiced /ʤ/ that precedes the word-initial vowel of the immediately following word of. Hence, the word-final voiced /ʤ/ is not de-voiced. The second occurrence is at the word boundary between the words of and office. The word of has a voiced /v/ in word-final position. This precedes the word-initial vowel /ɒ/ of the word office. In this environment, therefore, the /v/ is not de-voiced.

Of course, if word-final voiced plosives, fricatives and affricates occur before a voiceless consonant in word-initial position they will be de-voiced, e.g.

There are several other types of allophonic assimilation that affect pronunciation across word boundaries. However, the foregone discussion should be sufficient to give you a feel for the operation of this process. We will now turn our attention to the second type of assimilation, phonemic assimilation.

NEXT>> Phonemic Assimilation