Connected Speech in Linguistics

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Questions and Answers

What is assimilation in connected speech, and can you provide an example?

Assimilation is a phonetic feature where a sound changes to become more like a neighboring sound. An example is the phrase 'handbag' being pronounced as 'hambag'.

Define elision in the context of connected speech and give an example.

Elision is the omission of a sound or syllable in connected speech. An example is pronouncing 'next day' as 'nex day'.

What does reduction mean in connected speech, and how is it typically observed?

Reduction refers to the weakening of vowel sounds in unstressed syllables. This is often seen in the pronunciation of 'going to' as 'gonna'.

Explain linking in connected speech and provide an example.

<p>Linking is the process of smoothly connecting the final consonant sound of one word to the initial vowel sound of the next word. An example is saying 'come on' as 'comon'.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do assimilation and reduction differ in their effects on speech clarity?

<p>Assimilation can often blur boundaries between words, while reduction tends to simplify vowel sounds, potentially affecting clarity. However, both can make speech more fluid.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does assimilation create a smoother flow in spoken language?

<p>Assimilation smooths the transition between sounds by altering them to become more similar, enhancing fluency in connected speech.</p> Signup and view all the answers

In what way does elision affect the rhythm of speech in conversation?

<p>Elision can shorten words, which often results in faster speech and a more natural conversational rhythm.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Describe how reduction is utilized in everyday speech among native speakers.

<p>Reduction commonly occurs when unstressed syllables or sounds are omitted, making speech faster and more efficient.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does linking play in promoting clarity in spoken interaction?

<p>Linking helps connect words or sounds that would otherwise be pronounced separately, facilitating smoother communication.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Explain the interplay between assimilation and linking in a spoken dialogue.

<p>Assimilation and linking work together by allowing sounds to blend and connect in ways that enhance the overall flow of speech.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Connected Speech

The way sounds blend together when we speak, affecting pronunciation.

Assimilation

Sounds changing to become more similar to nearby sounds.

Elision

Sounds are removed from a word or phrase during speech.

Reduction

Sounds become weaker or shorter during connected speech.

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Linking

Sounds joining together when speaking.

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Assimilation in adjacency pairs

When sounds in adjacent words change to become more similar to each other.

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Elision example in adjacency pairs

Sounds are deleted from a word or phrase when it's next to another, like 'wanna' for 'want to'.

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Reduction in adjacency pairs

Sounds become weaker or shorter in connected speech, like 'gonna' for 'going to.'

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Linking in adjacency pairs

Sounds connect between words, like the 'r' sound adding to 'car' in 'car and'.

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What is an adjacency pair?

Two utterances that naturally follow each other in conversation, like 'Hello, how are you?' and 'I'm fine, thank you.'

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Study Notes

Introduction

  • Connected speech involves the processes of modifying sounds during conversation.
  • Adjacency pairs are two-part conversational exchanges (e.g., question-answer).

Assimilation

  • Assimilation is the adaptation of a phone into the neighbouring phone's characteristics.
  • Forward assimilation: A phone is altered to resemble the following phone.
  • Example: "good boy" becomes [ɡʊdbɔɪ], where the /d/ becomes voiced to match the following /b/.
  • Backward assimilation: A phone is altered to resemble the preceding phone.
  • Example: "pink house" becomes [pɪŋk haʊs], where the /k/ is palatalized before the high front vowel /ɪ/.
  • Coalescence: Two sounds merge into a single sound.
  • Example: Two sounds in the word "help" can undergo coalescence. The /ɛlp/ sounds change to /eʊlp/

Elision

  • Elision is the omission of a phone in connected speech.

  • Factors affecting elision:

  • The sound's position in the word and its importance to its meaning.

  • Example: "I'm going home" could be realised as [aɪm ˈɡəʊɪŋ həʊm], with the omission of the 'n' sound in 'going'.

Reduction

  • Reduction is the weakening or lessening of a phone's intensity or length.
  • Commonly affects unstressed syllables or post-tonic consonantal environments
  • Example: "I will go to the store" - the will can be reduced to [ˈwɪl]
  • Example: "I have got" - the got can be reduced to [ɡɑːt]

Linking

  • Linking is the modification or addition of a sound to connect preceding and following words.
  • *Linking /j/ or /w/:
  • Occurs to smooth the transition across vowels.
  • Examples: "yellow house" [ˈjɛləʊ haʊs], "orange juice" [ˈɔrɪndʒ ˈdʒuːs]
  • *Linking /j/ or (sometimes) /θ/
  • Occurring between two vowels
  • Example: "blue eye" [bluːaj]
  • Example: "the other" [ ðəˈʌðə(r)]

Factors influencing phonetic realization of adjacency pairs

  • Social factors: Different social groups and communities may have different speech patterns.
  • Phonological factors: The adjacent sounds influence each other based on the phonetic features.

Implications in language analysis

  • Connected speech variations have implications in computational linguistics and speech recognition systems.
  • Knowing about connected speech modifications is helpful for language teachers and learners trying to achieve fluency.

Notes on further research

  • Further research is required to examine connected speech in different languages and dialects.
  • The study of connected speech should be considered to better understand the nuances of language processing.

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