Re: [phoNet] Assimilation of English consonants

----- Original Message -----

From: Piotr Gasiorowski

To: phoNet@egroups.com

Sent: Sunday, April 16, 2000 2:38 PM

Subject: Re: [phoNet] Assimilation of English consonants

 

Self-correction. Sorry.

 

Piotr

There is no inconsistency here, just different preferences. Different languages permit different kinds of assimilation. English has no (or very little) voicing assimilation, which is obligatory in Lithuanian, Russian or Polish (I have ryba 'fish' with [b], but rybka 'little fish' with [p], as well as devoicing before a pause). This is why speakers of these language have to deliberately practise the pronunciation of English words like anecdote /kd/, phrases and compounds like mad cow /d#k/ or backbone /k#b/, "minimal pairs" like dog : dock, etc., until they "unlearn" their native habits while speaking English.