Categorical and gradient properties of assimilation in alveolar to velar sequences: evidence from EPG and EMA data
Citation
Ellis, L. & Hardcastle, W. (2002) Categorical and gradient properties of assimilation
in alveolar to velar sequences: evidence from EPG
and EMA data, Journal of Phonetics, vol. 30, pp. 373-396.
Abstract
Place assimilation in English is now widely considered to be a gradual
phonetic, not categorical process. This view is partly based on
previous EPG evidence of partial alveolar assimilations which lack
complete stop closure on the alveolar ridge but show a residual
tongue blade/body gesture. This study reports EPG data from 10
speakers producing, at varying rates of speech, two experimental
sequences, /n#k/ and /?#k/ (the latter a lexical velar-velar sequence
with which apparent cases of complete assimilation can be
compared). In fast speech, four distinct assimilatory strategies were
identified. Two subjects never assimilated, four always assimilated in
what appeared to be a complete fashion and the remaining four were
the most interesting, showing considerable intra-speaker variability.
Two of these four produced the expected continuum of assimilatory
forms including partials. Unexpectedly, the other two produced either
full alveolars or complete assimilations in the manner of a binary
opposition. Follow-up EMA analysis yielded no evidence of the
reduced coronal gestures found to be absent in the EPG-only data for
two the speakers who, when they assimilated, did so in a complete
fashion. Although no claims are made regarding higher-order
representations, we interpret this as evidence of marked individual
differences in assimilation strategy.