Voicing Assimilation

Voicing Assimilation

For voicing assimilation, first we have to identify all the voiceless and voiced phonemes. 

9 Voiceless consonant phonemes

-----  p, *t,  k,  ʃ,  ʧ,  f, *s, θ,   h

15 voiced consonants

----- b,  *d,  g, ʒ,  ʤ, v,  *z, ð, m, n, ŋ,  l,   r,   (w),   (j)  

Word forms / Parts of Speech/Word Classes

1.  Nouns             2.  Pronouns           3.  Verbs     

4.  Adjectives          5.  Adverbs            6.  Conjunctions     

7.  Prepositions       8.  Exclamations      9.  Determiners

Of the 9 word forms, only Nouns and Verbs which we have to add / suffix ‘s / es’ to make the word singular or plural.  They both follow the same rule as far as the suffix ‘s / es’ are concerned.

(i)  Plural Noun and Singular Verb

For plural nouns or singular verbs that we add ‘s’,  they may realised as either /s/ or /z/ speech sound.

When we add ‘s’ to the nouns / verbs, the speech sounds of the last letter of which are voiceless such as /p, t, k, θ and f /(5), then the speech sound of the letter ‘s’ is /s/.

For examples,

Nouns/ Verbs

       Singular                Plural

       shop   / ʃɒp/          shops      / ʃɒps/

       test                       tests

       stick                      sticks

       truth                     truths

On the other hand, when we add ‘s’ to  noun / verb, the speech sound of the last letter of which is voiced such as /b, d, g, v, ð, m, n, ŋ, l and r  /(10), then the speech sound of the letter ’s’ is realised as /z/.

Nouns / Verbs

       tab                       tabs  /tӕbz/

       card                      cards

       gag                      gags

       knife                     knives  /naIvz/

       ram                      rams

       pan                      pans

       song                     songs   /sɒŋz/

       girl                       girls

       ruler                     rulers

(ii)  Voiceless and Voiced Phoneme + ed

For Forms of the Verb F3 and F4 which have ‘ed’, it may be realised as [t] speech sound or [d] speech sound.

 The verb which ended in voiceless consonant speech sound like [p, k, ʃ, ʧ,  f, s, or θ], when you add ‘ed’ , it is realised as [ t ] sound.  (ed = [ t ])

For examples

       Base form                    Base form + ed

       shop                            shopped  / ʃɒpt/

       kick                              kicked    

       wash                           washed

       watch                          watched

       hoof                             hoofed

       kissed                          kissed

       berth                           berthed  

On the other hand,  the verbs which ended in voiced consonant speech sound like /b, ӡ, ʤ, v, z, ð, m, n, (ŋ), l or r/ when you add ‘ed’, the speech sound of which is realised as /d/.  (ed = /d/)

For examples

       Base form                     Base form + ed

       rub                              rubbed    /rʌbd/

       measure                       measured

       bridge                          bridged

       save                             saved

       ram                             rammed

       hasten                         hastened

       nail                              nailed

       snare                           snared

(iii)  ‘es’  -----  [IZ] or [əz]

For the words that end in ‘s, z, x, ch, sh or o ’, the letters ‘es’ are added to the words, the rest you just add ‘s’.

For examples

Nouns / verbs

Singular / Plural       

          bus    /b ʌ s/              buses    / bʌsIz/  / bʌsəz/

         buzz                          buzzes

             box                            boxes

         watch                        watches

             ash                            ashes

             wash                         washes

            *do                            does   /dʌz/

(iv)  ----- t + ed, d + ed,  and g + ed

However, when the last letter of the word is  ‘t, d or g’, and we add ‘ed’, it is realised as /Id/ speech sounds.

For examples:

       Base form                      Base form + ed

       interest                         interested  

       rest                              rested  /restId/

       test                              tested

       cloud                           clouded  /klaUdId/

       crowd                          crowded 

       attend                          attended

rag                              ragged    /rӕgId/

       rug                              rugged

       bag                             bagged