Rhythm is the relatively equal beat between stressed syllables. It has often been claimed that English speech is rhythmical and that rhythm is detectable in the regular occurrence of stressed syllables.
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The theory that English has stress-timed rhythm implies that stressed syllables will tend to occur at relatively regular intervals whether they are separated by unstressed syllables or not. E.g. Walk down the path to the end of the canal 2
• The stress-timed rhythm theory states that the time from each stressed syllable to the next will tend to be the same, irrespective of the number of intervening unstressed syllables. How did you manage to be there in time? • In languages which have syllable-timed rhythm, all syllables, whether stressed or unstressed tend to occur at regular intervals of time, and the time between stressed syllables will be shorter or longer in proportion to the number of unstressed syllables. 3
Stress group • A stressed syllable, together with any unstressed syllables which may follow it form a stress group. • The fundamental rule of English rhythm is that each stress group within a word group is given the same amount of time. My teacher’s in London this Friday for a conference in Phonetics When did you hear the story about John and the girl upstairs? 4
Rhythm unit (Foot) •
A unit with a stressed syllable as its centre and any unstressed syllables which may come before and after it is called a rhythm unit. The rules are as follows.
1.
Any unstressed syllable at the beginning of a word group must go together with the following stress group. My apologies
2.
The teacher has arrived
If the unstressed syllable is part of the same word as the stressed syllable, they belong to the same foot. I’m going home today for Christmas 5
3. If the unstressed syllable is closely connected grammatically to othe stressed word, although not a part of that word, they belong to the same rhythm unit. Give it to John 4. Whenever you are in doubt as to which rhythm unit unstressed syllables belong to, put them after a stressed syllable, rather than before it. He was older than me
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Assimilation 1.
Definition: Assimilation is the process which takes place when one sound adapts itself to become similar to a neighbouring sound in one or more aspects. In other words, assimilation is the influence of one phoneme upon another neighbouring phoneme, so that they become more alike.
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Assimilation may occur across word boundaries or between words, across morpheme boundaries or within a morpheme or a word. E.g. light blue
good girl
cats
beds
bent
bank
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2. Kinds of assimilation across word boundaries a.
In terms of the direction of change •
Regressive assimilation: Cf → Ci
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Progressive assimilation: Ci → Cf
b. In terms of the way in which phonemes change •
Assimilation of place: Cf → Ci
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Assimilation of manner: Cf → Ci
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Assimilation of voice: Cf → Ci 8
Assimilation of place of articulation 1. Alveolar + bilabial Æ bilabial a. / t / becomes [ p ] before bilabials •
right place [raˆppleˆs]
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might put [maˆpp¨t]
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might make [maˆpmeˆk]
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white bird [waˆpb±:d]
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might buy [maˆpbaˆ]
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might win [maˆpwˆn] 9
b. / d / becomes [ b ] before bilabials •
hard path [hå…bpå…†]
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should put [ߨbp¨t]
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should make [ߨbmeˆk]
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good boy [˝¨bbøˆ]
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should win [ߨbwˆn]
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should buy [ߨbbaˆ]
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c. / n / becomes [ m ] before bilabials. •
gone past [˝Åmpå…st]
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seen Peter [si…mpi…t\]
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seen Bill [si…mbˆl]
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ten men [temmen]
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seen Mike [si…mmaˆk]
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seen Walter [si…mwø:lt\]
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2. Alveolar + velar Æ velar a. / t / becomes [ k ] before / k / and / g / •
white coat [waˆkk\¨t]
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might come [maˆkk√m]
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that girl [∂æk˝±…l]
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might go [maˆk˝\¨]
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b. / d / becomes [ g ] before / k / and / g / •
bad cold [bægk\¨ld]
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should come [ߨ˝k√m]
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bad gate [bæ˝˝eˆt]
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should go [ߨ˝˝\¨]
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c. / n / becomes [ ˜ ] before / k / and / g / •
one cup [w√˜k√p]
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seen Karen [si…˜ke\r\n]
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main gate [meˆ˜˝eˆt]
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seen Greg [si…˜˝re˝]
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3. Alveolar + dental Ædentalized •
Get there [get∞∂e\]
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tenth [ten∞†]
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bad thing [bæd∞†ˆ˜]
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4. Alveolar + palato-alveolar or palatal Æ palatoalveolar a. / s / becomes [ ß ] before / ß / or / j / •
nice shoes [naˆßßu…z]
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this shop [∂ˆßßÅp]
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this year [∂ˆßjˆ\]
b. / z / becomes [ Ω ] before / ß / or / j / •
those shops [∂\¨ΩßÅps]
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these sheep [∂i…Ωßi…p]
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where’s yours [we\Ωjø…z]
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c. Alveolar stops and a following / j / may merge to form an affricate. •
want you [wÅntßu]
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individual [ˆndˆvˆdΩu\l]
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did you? [dˆdΩu]
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education [edΩ¨keˆßn]
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Assimilation of manner of articulation 1. Plosive + fricative Æ fricative •
/ t / + / s / Æ / s / : that side [∂æssaˆd]
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/ t / + / z / Æ / z / : that zoo [∂æzzu…]
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/ d / + / s / Æ / s / : good song [˝¨ssŘ]
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/ d / + / z / Æ / z / : bad zone [bæzz\¨n]
2. Plosive + nasal Æ nasal •
/ t / + / n / Æ / n / : that night [∂ænnaˆt]
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/ d / + / n / Æ / n / : good night [g¨nnaˆt] 18
Assimilation of voicing • Cf (Lenis) + Ci (Fortis) Æ Cf becomes devoiced • Have to [hæftu…] • bad tongue [bætt√˜] • big car [bˆkkå…]
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Elision 1.
Definition: Elision is the disappearance of sounds in speech. Under certain circumstances, sounds disappear. A phoneme may be realized as zero or have zero realization.
