Assimilation is influence of one sound upon each other in the neighboring position. It spreads
throughout the entire language and can be found almost in every word in different degrees of the assimilation. When the words are pronounced in connection, assimilation is always employed. Unassimilated sounds cause an over-fine pronunciation, and you start to sound freaky in your speech. Language learners can unconsciously stick to some of assimilation patterns; . for example, the words widthand tenth are usually pronounced with the dental [d] and [n], which are affected by the sound [th], most likely owing to the fact that it is impossible to pronounce tenth with a normal alveolar [n]. Sometimes, the assimilation is complete since the interacting sounds coincide like in is she [iS- Si:] instead of [iz-Si:]. Usually, affected sounds only change their qualities partially (partial assimilation) or become different sounds but not coinciding with the assimilating sound (intermediate assimilation). Some sonorant, especially [r], may be devoiced under the influence of the preceding voiceless consonant: try, pray, twenty, and sweet contain devoiced [r] and [w] (in this case [r] is more affected). The cluster tr- is always assimilated within a word but not at the word junction compare can troll (tr- is assimilated)—can't roll (no assimilation). The sound [n] can be assimilated before [k] or [g], and it becomes [N]. conquer and congress are naturally pronounced with a [N] sound. Also, [n] of unstressed can in I can go ['&ikN 'gou]. The sound [t] in the final position before a consonant is unreleased, accompanied by a glottal stop, so this sound becomes open to be assimilated by almost every consonant. Actually, the unreleased [t] disappears, and only the assimilating consonant with the preceding glottal stop takes the features of the affecting phoneme: let me is pronounced ['le?mi:] with the glottal stop labialized ready for uttering [m]. In quick speech, it may be even without a glottal stop ['lemi:]. Hence, lemme is its informal spelling. In the word football ['fu?ba:l], the glottal stop takes the feature of [b]; therefore, it sounds like an unreleased [p] ['fupba:l]. Similarly, it is observed in such clusters as in get me, met Bob, right now, let go, etc. The sound [d] can also behave in this way. It is more casual but very common. The word combinations of goodbye and could get me are most often pronounced [,gu?'bai] and [k&?'ge?mi:]. Sometimes the sounds of [th] and [TH] are affected by [s] and [z] is that in quick speech sounds like ['izzAt]. In the word clothes, the assimilation has become complete: the sound [TH] has turned into [z], and it now is pronounced as a homophone of close, i.e. ['klouz] (to say ['klouTHz] is unnatural).
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