Assimilation (Connected Speech)
Assimilation is when a sound changes to become more like a neighbouring sound, making speech smoother and faster.
| Full form | Assimilated form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| handbag | ham-bag | /n/ → /m/ before /b/ |
| ten boys | tem boys | /n/ → /m/ before /b/ |
| good boy | goob boy | /d/ → /b/ before /b/ |
| this shop | thish shop | /s/ → /ʃ/ before /ʃ/ |
| don't you | don'chu | /t/+/j/ → /ʧ/ |
Common types:
Place changes: /n/ → /m/ before /p, b, m/ (ten men → tem men).
Palatalization: /t/ or /d/ + /j/ → /ʧ/ or /ʤ/ (did you → didja).
Tip: Assimilation and elision both happen in connected speech. Elision drops a sound; assimilation changes one to match its neighbour.
Common mistake: Thinking these are "lazy" or wrong. They are normal, correct features of natural spoken English.
✏️ Test Yourself
1. handbag
2. ten boys
3. don't you
4. Does assimilation drop or change a sound?
📒 Words to learn
“The process of awareness is really sluggish in our societies.”
“I’m facing morose about my exam.”
“I reckoned that she is angry at me for beating her child”
Meaning — Newly created or produced
“She was a newly minted graduate from Oxford.”
Meaning — The act of preventing something by instilling fear or doubt
“Nuclear weapons are often seen as a deterrence to war.”