ASPECTS OF CONNECTED SPEECH

ELISIONASSIMILATIONCOMPRESSION

LINKINGJUNCTURE

WORDS AND CONNECTED SPEECH

SPEECH AS A MANIFESTATION OF LANGUAGE

TWO LEVELS OF INVESTIGATION PHYSIOLOGICAL PHYSICAL

FROM A PHONETIC POINT OF VIEW EVER-CHANGING CONTINUUM : QUALITIES- QUANTITIES-PITCH

AND INTENSITIES PHONETIC/PHONEMIC ACCOUNT

ARTICULATORIY ANDD ACOUSTIC FEATURES PHONEMES - ALLOPHONES

WORDS / CONNECTED SPEECH PHONEMES COMBINE IN WORDS CITATION FORMS OF WORDS CHANGE IN

CONNECTED SPEECH.

ELISION

The nature of Elision may be stated simply: under certain circumstances sounds disappear.

A phoneme may be realised as zero or have zero realisation or be deleted.

It is typical of rapid, casual speech. It is not random and follows certain rules.

ELISION

OLD ENGLISH-

PRESENT ENGLISH

ELISION OLD ENGLISH- PRESENT ENGLISH

OLD ENGLISH Weakly

accented syllables

process of reduction:

Loss: Phonemes

Vowels

PRESENT ENGLISH Same process of

reduction, with resultant contraction.

Two cases of elision

established in the language for some time.

current only recently.

ELISION: WORD INTERNALVOWELS

ESTABLISHED

Loss of vowels under weak accent: Initially: state- scholar Medially: Gloucester-evening-

forecastle Finally: time- name- hands

ALLOPHONIC VARIATION: CLOSING DIPHTHONG+ VOWEL: hyaena

/haɪ i:nə/ >[ha ` i:nə] – layer / leɪ ə/ = lair / /leə/ mower / məʊə/ = myrr /mэ: /

ELISION: WORD INTERNALVOWELS

Sequence of unaccented syllables: /I/ or /ə/ Post-nuclear:

C+ /ə/ +/r/ + weak vowel: preferable /prefr əbl/-temporary /tempr əri/

/r/ +weak vowel+C: Dorothy /drɒθi/

Weak vowel + C+ /l/:family-carefully

Loss of syllabicity in present participles:

Lighten /laɪtņ/> /laɪtnɪŋ/

Pre-nuclear: /ə/ +/r/ of the weak syllable

especially when the primary accented syllable : /l/ or /r/ : police-parade- correct- believe

Continuant C + /ə/ +/r/ + C ( other than /l/ or /r/) : phonetics- supporter-suppose

Elision / ə/ in perhaps- Elision of / ɪ/geography-

geometry.

ELISION: WORD INTERNAlCONSONANTS

Established Loss of consonants through vocalization

OE hlaford> lord – OE wealcan> walk Loss of allophones /h/ brought- night Reduction of consonant clusters:

/wr,kn,gn,hl,hr,hn/: write, know,gnaw,loaf,ring,nut

Medial /t/ + /n/ or /l/ : fasten-listen-often-castle

Final /mb,mn/ : lamb- hymn

ELISION: WORD INTERNAlCONSONANTS

Present Colloquial Loss of alveolars /t,d/ when medial in

a cluster of 3 consonants: handbag-kindness-exactly-landscape

Dentals/θ/ : asthma- isthmus velar/k/ asked lateral/l/ only

[ł] always /ɔ:wIz/ already /ɔ: redi/ Sequence of [ r] sounds: library /laɪbri/-

February

ELISION:WORD BOUNDARY

VOWELS

ALLOPHONIC VARIATION: Go away /gɜ:`weɪ] –I may as well / aɪ meəz`

wel/ try again [tra ə`gen][tra: `gen] PHONEMIC ELISION: Word- final consonant+Initial /ə / +

continuant: not alone [not`ļəun]-get another-run along

Final /ə / + linking /r/ +word-initial vowel: after a while /a:ftrə`waIl/

ELISION:WORD BOUNDARY

CONSONANTS

Alveolars:word final /t/ or /d/ preceded and followed by C( voiceless continuant +/t/ or voiced continuant +/d/ ): next turn- first day- cashed them- send two-served drinks-cold day

Alveolar /t/ of the negative /-nt/ + C: you mustn’t lose it / ju mʌsn `lu:z ɪt/

Labio-dental /v/:give me a cake /gɪ mɪ ə `keɪk/ lots of them- waste of money

Glottal /h/ : woudn’t he come? / wudn ɪ `kΛm/ George has seen her

ASSIMILATION The process by which sounds are influenced by

neighbouring sounds and come to share some or all of their phonetic characteristics (Finch- Ortiz Lira)

These adjustments are the result of an unconscious propensity towards ease of articulation and economy of effort.

It is a type of coarticulation. Two types of assimilation:

Regressive: the phoneme that comes first is affected by the one that comes after it.

Progressive: one phoneme influences the following phoneme,

It can occur at two levels: Allophonic: within a word or word

boundaries Phonemic: within a word or word boundaries

ASSIMILATIONALLOPHONIC VARIATION

WORD INTERNAL- WORD BOUNDARIES

PLACE OF ARTICULATION VOICE LIP POSITION POSITION OF THE SOFT PALATE:

NASAL RESONANCE

ASSIMILATIONALLOPHONIC VARIATION

WORD INTERNAL PLACE OF ARTICULATION

Vowels: /Λ/ retracted in result- influence [ ł] /u:/ centralized in music ( influence of [ j ] Consonants

/t/ post –alveolar in try (influence of ɹ) dental in eighth (influence of Ө) -/k/ advanced ( pre-velar) key- /n/ dental in tenth- /m/ labiodental in nymph, infant.

VOICE Voiceless C +/l,r,w,j/- devoiced : cry- quite-plight

Voiceless C+ / m,n,ŋ/ : smoke- snow- open- bacon LIP POSITION: under the influence of adjacent vowels or

approximants /j, w/ - lip- spread or lip-rounded Pea-pool / tea- two/ keep- cool/ mean- moon / leave-

bloom/ read- rude/ feel – fool/ seat- soon/ he- who NASAL RESONANCE Nasalization of vowel +/m,n/ ham – and Nasalization of vowel between nasal C: man – men-

innermost Nasalization of short vowels between nasal C: any – sunny- /l/ + nasal C: helmet- wrongly.

ASSIMILATIONALLOPHONIC VARIATION

WORD BOUNDARIES

PLACE OF ARTICULATION /t/ denta- not that ( influence of [ ]- /d/ dental – hide them

(influence of [ ] -/m/ labiodental – tne forks- (influence of [ f ] - /s/- retracted – this road ( influence of ɹ)

VOICE Voiceless C + / l,r,w,j/- devoiced- eg: at last- at rest- at

once-see to it- thank you Word final voiced plosive or fricative C+ silence or plosive

C + silence: What can you give?- Can you breathe? It’s his- Near the bridge-They’ve come- with some-very good-

LIP POSITION Labialized /t,k,n,ŋ,l,s/ + initial /w/-eg: that one- thin one- wrong one- this

way- shall we- NASAL RESONANCE

/ə,І/ Vowels > nasalized by nasal C – eg: bring another- come in

/l/ > nasalized by a nasal C – eg: tell me

ASSIMILATIONPHONEMIC VARIATION

VOICED/VOICELESS PLACE MISCELLANEOUS COALESCENT ASSIMILATION

ASSIMILATIONPHONEMIC VARIATION

VOICED /VOICELESS VARIATION W.f-Voiced fricatives + W-i-voiceless C> Vless

Fricative- // with > /Ө / with thanks - /z/ >/s/ he was sent- /v/> /f/ of course- we’ve found it-

C lenis + fortis > fortis eg: those people PLACE

REGRESSIVE Alveolar C + bilabial > bilabial

/t/> /p/ + /p,b,m/ eg: that pen- that boy- that man

/d/ > /b/ + /b,p,m/ good pen- good boy- good man Alveolar C + velar > velar

/k/ + /k,g/ that cup- that girl /g/ + /k,g/ good concert- good girl /n/ >/ŋ/ + / k,g/ ten cups- ten girls /n/ > / ŋ/ + long vowels – I’ve been gardening- She’ll soon come

ASSIMILATIONPHONEMIC VARIATION

PROGRESSIVE – relatively uncommon Plosive + nasal

/n/ > /m/ after /p,b/ eg: happen-urban /n/ > / ŋ/ after /k,g/ eg: second chance- organ-bacon

MISCELLANEOUS /s/>/∫ / before / ∫ , t∫, dʒ, j / eg: this shop- cross

channel- this judge- this year- /z/ > /ʒ / before / ∫ , t∫, dʒ, j / eg: those young

men- cheese shop- those churches- has she? /t,d,n/ +/w/ > /p,b,m/ eg: in winter-

ASSIMILATIONPHONEMIC VARIATION

COALESCENT ASSIMILATION or YOD COALESCENCE A fusion of forms takes place Historically it is the origin of the /tʃ / eg: nature or

/dʒ/ eg: soldier ; also in fricatives /sj> /ʃ/ /zj/ > / ʒ / eg: /ʃ/ pressure- delicious- patient- Russian- or /ʒ / in measure-

Word Internal: depends on the following vowel ( strong- weak)

Strong vowel u:/ or /ʊə/NRP- eg: tune- endure Weak Vowel /u / or / ə/ factual- educate

Word Boundaries: It mainly affects phrases involving you or your Alveolars /t / + /j/ > /tʃ / eg: What you want? Alveolar / d / + /j/ > /dʒ / eg: would you? Fricatives /s/ + /j/ > / ʃ / I eg. in case you need it Fricatives /z/ + /j/ > / ʒ / eg. has your letter come?

COMPRESSION

A given articulation, either a vowel or consonant, is performed in a shorter period of time. (Finch- Ortiz Lira) A sequence of sounds has two possible

pronunciations: as two separate syllables or compressed into a single syllable (LPD-Wells)

Uncompressed version is more usual:Rarer words Slow or deliberate speech The first time a word is used in a given

discourse

Compressed version is more usual: In frequently used words In fast or casual speech If the word has already been used in the

discourse

COMPRESSION

VOWELS TRIPHTHONGS DIPHTHONGS VOWELS

CONSONANTS SYLLABIC CONSONANTS GEMINATED CONSONANTS

COMPRESSIONVOWELS

TRIPHTHONGS /aɪə/ > /aə/ eg. Scientist / saɪ ənt ɪst/ > / saənt ɪst/ /aʊə / > /aə/ eg. Nowadays

DIPHTHONGS /aɪ/ > /ʌ/ I’m not /ɪə/ > / ɜ:/ Here in the café / aʊ/ > /a/ How are your pets?

VOWELS Short Vowels

/ɪ / > /j / brilliant /ə / > /w/ influence

Long Vowels /i:/ > /ɪ/ agreeable /u:/ > /ʊ/ ruinous

COMPRESSIONCONSONANTS

SYLLABIC CONSONANTS Syllabic C > non- syllabic C eg. Doubling-

totally- library-… trouble is GEMINATED CONSONANTS

Compression of double consonants- eg. In my class / ɪ maɪ `klɑ:s/ take care /teɪ `keə/ some more /sə`mɔ:/

LINKING

RP introduces word-final post-vocalic /r/ as a linking form when the following word begins with a vowel: Far off- four aces- answer it- fur inside- near it- wear out-

Intrusive /r/ Many examples of linking /r/ occur where there is no /r/.

It is an undesirable speech habit. In order to avoid using it speakers tend to make use of a

pause or glottal stop. It is mainly used in the case of /ə/ ending.

Russia and China- drama and music Less frequent after final / ɑ: ,ɔ:/ eg. Law and

order- raw onion-

LINKING

The insertions of the /r/ is: Obligatory: before a suffix beginning with a vowel.

It is historically justified Optional: before a following word beginning with a

vowel. It is historically justified After [ə] an intrusive /r/ is used before a following

word. It is historically unjustified. After /ɑ: / /ɔ:/ an intrusive /r/ is avoided

before a following vowel. The insertion of intrusive /r/ before a suffix is

strongly stigmatized.

LINKING

LINKING [ j,w ] Vocalic junctures

Words ending in / i:,ɪ,eɪ,aɪ,ɔɪ / + /j/ between two vowels- eg. My arms- may ask- he ought- annoy Arthur

Words ending in / u:, əʊ, aʊ /+ vowel. Eg. Window open- now and then- you aren’t-

This type of linking may be replaced by a glottal stop. Eg. Very angry-

JUNCTURE

The relationship between one sound and the sounds that inmediately precede and follow it. Close juncture: my turn / maɪ tɜ:n / = /m/

+/aɪ / External open juncture: /m/ preceded

by silence - /n/ is followed by silence My turn / might earn

/t/ > [tʰ] /aɪ/ shorter in might