| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
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7. Pronunciation Challenges: Confusions and Controversy
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| § 22. assimilation |
Assimilation is a phonological process that occurs when the articulation of one sound is influenced by another adjacent or nearby sound, usually a following one, so that the two sounds become more alike or even identical. An example of a partial assimilation is the pronunciation ( ng´k m´´) for income, where (n), which is made near the front of the mouth, becomes (ng), made near the back of the mouth, before (k), also made near the back of the mouth. An example of a total assimilation is the pronunciation (hôrsh´sh ´´) for horseshoe, where (s) before (sh) becomes (sh). The main result of assimilation, as with other types of historical sound change, is that articulation is made easier for a speaker, particularly when speech is rapid. Particular instances of assimilation, such as those above, or the pronunciations (l nth) and (strnth) for length and strength, or (png´kn) for pumpkin, may draw adverse criticism despite the fact that such criticism is groundless from a historical or phonological point of view. | 1 |
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| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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