In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Hebron University Faculty of Graduate Studies English Department

Assimilation of Consonants in English and Assimilation of the Definite Article in Arabic

By Hamada Shehdeh Abid Dawood
‫حمادة داود‬

Supervised by Dr. Ahmad Atawneh

2013/2014

Assimilation of Consonants in English and Assimilation of the Definite Article in Arabic
Abstract
This paper aims at discussing the term assimilation. Assimilation is a phonological process where a sound looks like another neighboring sound. It includes progressive, regressive, coalescent, full and partial assimilation. In addition, contextual assimilation is subject to the environment of sounds where historical assimilation is resulted from the development of languages. In Arabic, it is clear that the /l/ sound in the definite article disappears if followed by coronal consonants. It is, however, concluded that the importance of assimilation is to make pronunciation of a word or speech easier.

1. Introduction
Assimilation is an everyday occurrence in every human language, and it is particularly common for nasal sounds (McMahon, 2002, p. 4). Thus, sounds in the environment of other sounds, across morpheme and word boundaries tend to undergo various phonological changes referred to as phonological processes (Ofulue et al, 2010, p. 49). Making a sound more like another in the same or next word in continuous utterance is called assimilation (Oxford Dictionary, 2008). Assimilation usually occurs because two sounds share common features in place or manner. Thus, assimilation of consonants occurs when a consonant takes on features of another one. For instance, the sound /n/ becomes /m/ in certain environments; this is going to be discussed in detail later. It is, however, believed that assimilation varies in extent according to speaking rate and style; it