ASSIMILATION OF VOICE (INVOLVING THE

STATE OF THE GLOTTIS)

ESTABLISHED PROGRESSIVE
ASSIMILATION OF VOICE
a) Realizations of the plural morpheme in nouns.
b) Realizations of the third person singular
morpheme.
c) Realizations of the genitive morpheme.
d) Realizations of the simple past and past
participle morpheme.
e) Realizations of the weakest forms of is and
has.
 1. REALIZATION OF THE PLURAL MORPHEME

It is realized as /s/ if the previous sound is a

voiceless non-sibilant sound:
cats pets months
It is realized as /z/ if the previous sound is a
voiced non-sibilant sound:
beds ties pens
It is realized as /z/ or /z/ if the previous sound is
a sibilant: ( /s/, /z/, //, / /, //, //):
horses sizes dishes churches languages
2. REALIZATION OF THE THIRD PERSON SINGULAR
MORPHEME

It is realized as /s/ if the previous sound is a

voiceless non-sibilant sound:
works stops eats laughs

It is realized as /z/ if the previous sound is a

voiced non-sibilant sound:
cleans loves learns peels
teethes screams
 It is realized as an extra syllable /Iz//z/ if
the previous sound is a sibilant:
( /s/, /z/, //, / /, //, //):
passes dances
oozes buzzes
washes pushes
watches dodges
 3. Realization of the genitive morpheme

It is realized as /s/ if the previous sound is a

voiceless non-sibilant sound:
Pats car Mikes idea Ruths child
It is realized as /z/ if the previous sound is a
voiced non-sibilant sound:
Bobs folder mothers book Steeves computer
It is realized as an extra syllable /Iz/ /z/ if the
previous sound is a sibilant: ( /s/, /z/, //, / /, //,
//):
Alices dog Mr. Bushs ideas Roses cat
Ms. Finchs book
4. The weakest forms of is and has

Shes just arrived. Shes a very special girl.

Thats been a good idea. Its a nice thing to do.
Bobs got his degree. Hes a teacher.
Roses called. Roses coming in a minute.
Mitchs finished his work.
Mitchs a responsible boy.
 5. Realization of the preterite
morpheme
The preterite morpheme is realized as /t/ if the
preceding sound is voiceless, other than /t/:
work worked pack packed
The preterite morpheme is realized as /d/ if the
preceding sound is voiced, other than /d/:
fry fried
play played
clean cleaned
dodge dodged
The preterite morpheme is realized as an extra
syllable / Id / when the previous sound is /t/ or
/d/:
add added
chat chatted