​Reduction and Assimilation 音节减少和同化

Reduction and Assimilation

音节减少和同化

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

　　By Faith Pirlo

　　02 February 2024

　　Hi there! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question about reduced syllables and assimilation.

　　Question:

　　Hello,

　　I would like you to explain to me in detail, if that is possible...

　　In spoken English, why do native speakers change or omit these letters, for example:

　　I want to go. (I wanna go)

　　Handbag (hambag)

　　A and B (A n B)

　　What's the rule behind this?

　　Thanks,

　　Adam

　　Answer:

　　Thanks, Adam, for your question.

　　You have found that people do not always say words the same way all the time. They sometimes change sounds to make them easier to say.

　　One example is syllable dropping, which we discussed in an earlier Ask a Teacher. Assimilation and reduction are other ways sounds can change when people are speaking quickly.

　　Two different sounds can start to sound the same when they are said quickly. This is called "assimilation."

　　This is what is happening in the word "handbag."

　　The /n/ sound is a nasal sound, which is made by air moving through our nose. The sound/b/ is produced by pressing the lips together. So, the /n/ sound is affected by the /b/ sound in "bag." The sound becomes /m/, a combination of a nasal sound and the labial sound.

　　The /d/ sound is then dropped.

　　/Handbag/

　　/Hambag/

　　Sometimes it is not just one sound within a word that is reduced, but a whole word, like in the examples of "wanna" or "A n' B."

　　Function words, like "to" and "and" are often reduced in everyday speech. This helps us to pay more attention to the more important words that carry meaning.

　　Most unstressed syllables and function words become shorter, softer and less clear. The vowel sound in "to," /oo/, gets reduced to another vowel sound "schwa," /ə/.

　　"Want to" becomes "wanta," /ə/. The two /t/ sounds drop off in fast speech. So, "want ta" becomes "wanna."

　　In "A and B," the "and" gets reduced to /ən/. So, phrases like "A and B" or "cream and sugar" become "A ‘n B" and "cream ‘n sugar."

　　Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Adam.

　　Do you have a question about American English?

　　And that's Ask a Teacher.

　　I'm Faith Pirlo.

　　Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

　　你好！这周在“问教师”栏目中，我们将回答一个关于音节减少和同化的问题。

　　问题：

　　你好，

　　我希望你能详细地解释一下，如果可能的话...

　　在英语口语中，为什么母语者会改变或省略这些字母，例如：

　　我想去。(我想去)

　　手提包 (hambag)

　　A 和 B (A n B)

　　这背后的规则是什么？

　　谢谢，

　　亚当

　　回答：

　　谢谢你的问题，亚当。

　　你发现人们并不总是以相同的方式说话。他们有时会改变声音，使其更容易说。

　　一个例子是音节删除，我们在早期的“问教师”中讨论过。同化和减少是人们快速说话时声音可以改变的其他方式。

　　当两个不同的声音快速说出时，它们可能开始听起来相同。这被称为“同化”。

　　这就是在“手提包”这个词中发生的事情。

　　/n/ 的音是一个鼻音，是通过我们的鼻子移动空气产生的。 /b/ 的音是通过将嘴唇压在一起产生的。所以，在 "bag" 中，/n/ 的音受到 /b/ 的音的影响。这个音变成了 /m/，这是一个鼻音和唇音的组合。

　　然后 /d/ 的音被省略了。

　　/Handbag/

　　/Hambag/

　　有时，不仅是单词中的一个音被减少，而且整个单词都被减少，就像 "wanna" 或 "A n' B" 的例子。

　　功能词，如 "to" 和 "and" 在日常语言中经常被减少。这有助于我们更多地关注那些更重要的、带有意义的词。

　　大多数非重音音节和功能词变得更短、更软、更不清晰。 "to" 中的元音音 /oo/ 被减少到另一个元音音 "schwa"，/?/。

　　"Want to" 变成了 "wanta"，/?/。在快速语言中，两个 /t/ 的音都掉了。所以，"want ta" 变成了 "wanna"。

　　在 "A and B" 中，"and" 被减少到 /?n/。所以，像 "A and B" 或 "cream and sugar" 这样的短语变成了 "A ‘n B" 和 "cream ‘n sugar"。

　　请告诉我们这些解释和例子是否对你有所帮助，亚当。

　　你对美式英语有什么问题吗？

　　这就是“问教师”栏目。

　　我是 Faith Pirlo。

　　Faith Pirlo 为 VOA 学习英语写了这篇课文。

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

　　这个故事中的词汇

　　syllable – n.由一个或多个元音声音单独或者与一个或多个辅音声音前后构成的口语单位

　　assimilation – n. 声音变化，其中一些声音（通常是辅音或元音）变化以变得更像其他附近的声音

　　labial –adj. 涉及一个或两个嘴唇

　　phrase – n. 形成一个句法成分的单词或词组，具有单一的语法功能

　　cream – n. 从牛奶中提取的浓厚的白色液体，用于烹饪、烘焙和咖啡