Suprasegmental Phonology i. Sounds in connected speech • Weak forms • Assimilation, elision and liaison

 

Suprasegmental Phonology 

refers to the study of features in speech that go beyond the individual sounds (phonemes). These features include intonation, stress, rhythm, and other aspects of connected speech. They are essential in understanding how speech functions in communication, particularly in terms of the flow and meaning of spoken language.

i. Sounds in Connected Speech

In natural speech, sounds are often altered, reduced, or linked together in ways that make them easier to pronounce in rapid, connected speech. Three important phenomena in connected speech are weak forms, assimilation, elision, and liaison.

1. Weak Forms

Many words have both a strong form (used when the word is emphasized or isolated) and a weak form (used in fast, connected speech). This is especially common with function words like articles, prepositions, and auxiliary verbs.

• Examples:
  • and: Strong form /ænd/ vs. weak form /ən/ or /n/ (as in "fish 'n' chips").
  • to: Strong form /tuː/ vs. weak form /tə/ (as in "going to" → /gəʊɪŋ tə/).
  • of: Strong form /ɒv/ vs. weak form /əv/ (as in "a cup of tea" → /ə kʌp əv tiː/).

Weak forms are typically unstressed, making the speech smoother and quicker.

2. Assimilation

Assimilation occurs when a sound changes to become more like a neighboring sound. This process happens to ease the pronunciation of sequences of sounds that would otherwise be awkward or require more effort.

• Types of Assimilation:

  • Progressive assimilation: A sound is influenced by the preceding sound.
    • Example: "dogs" /dɒɡz/ (voiced /z/ due to the preceding voiced /ɡ/).
  • Regressive assimilation: A sound is influenced by the following sound.
    • Example: "good boy" → /ɡʊd bɔɪ/ can become /ɡʊb bɔɪ/ (the /d/ becomes more like the /b/).
  • Reciprocal assimilation: Both sounds influence each other.

• Example of assimilation:

  • "ten pens" → /ten penz/ can become /tem penz/ (the /n/ becomes more like the following /p/).

3. Elision

Elision refers to the omission (or dropping) of certain sounds in connected speech. This happens when certain sounds, particularly consonants, are deemed unnecessary or are too difficult to articulate in rapid speech.

• Examples:
  • "next week" → /nekst wiːk/ becomes /neks wiːk/ (the /t/ is elided).
  • "I don’t know" → /aɪ dəʊnt nəʊ/ becomes /aɪ dən nəʊ/ (the /t/ is elided).

Elision is common when words are contracted or when consonant clusters are simplified.

4. Liaison

Liaison occurs when a normally silent final consonant in one word is pronounced because the next word begins with a vowel sound. This is common in languages like French but can also occur in English under certain conditions.

• Examples in English:
  • "law and order" → /lɔːr ənd ɔːdə/ (the /r/ sound is linked between "law" and "and").
  • "go on" → /ɡəʊ wɒn/ (the /w/ sound links the two vowels).

In some accents, liaison is used to maintain the flow of speech and make transitions between words smoother.

Summary

In suprasegmental phonology, weak forms, assimilation, elision, and liaison are all processes that affect how sounds are produced in connected speech. These processes make speech more fluid, less effortful, and often faster, but they also introduce variability that can affect how words are perceived by listeners.