progressive assimilation: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowTechnical/Academic
Quick answer
What does “progressive assimilation” mean?
A phonological process where a sound becomes more like a following sound.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A phonological process where a sound becomes more like a following sound.
In linguistics, a type of assimilation where a phoneme is influenced by a preceding phoneme, causing it to adopt some of its phonetic features. More broadly, it can refer to the gradual adoption of cultural or social traits from a dominant group.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling remains consistent.
Connotations
Neutral technical term in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both academic linguistics contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “progressive assimilation” in a Sentence
[subject] undergoes progressive assimilation[term] describes progressive assimilationprogressive assimilation of [sound] to [sound]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “progressive assimilation” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The nasal consonant progressively assimilates to the following stop.
- We observed the sound progressively assimilating in the dialect.
American English
- The /n/ progressively assimilates to the place of the following consonant.
- Linguists say the vowel progressively assimilated over time.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not applicable.
Academic
Common in linguistics textbooks and phonology papers discussing sound changes.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Core term in phonetics/phonology for describing directional sound influence.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “progressive assimilation”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “progressive assimilation”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “progressive assimilation”
- Confusing it with 'regressive assimilation'.
- Using it to describe cultural assimilation processes.
- Misspelling as 'progresive assimilation'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Progressive assimilation goes forward (Sound A influences following Sound B). Regressive assimilation goes backward (Sound B influences preceding Sound A).
It is less common than regressive assimilation in English, but it does occur, such as in the plural 'cats' where the /s/ is voiced to /z/ after a voiced sound like /d/ in 'dogs' (this is actually regressive). A clearer English example is the pronunciation of 'input' where /n/ may assimilate to the /p/, making it [ɪmpʊt] (this is regressive). True progressive examples are rarer in modern English.
A classic example is in some languages where a vowel becomes nasalized after a nasal consonant. The nasal feature of the consonant (earlier sound) progressively influences the vowel (later sound).
Very rarely. It is almost exclusively a technical term in phonetics and phonology. The broader word 'assimilation' is used in sociology, but not with the 'progressive' modifier in the same way.
Progressive assimilation is usually technical/academic in register.
Progressive assimilation: in British English it is pronounced /prəˌɡres.ɪv əˌsɪm.ɪˈleɪ.ʃən/, and in American English it is pronounced /prəˈɡres.ɪv əˌsɪm.əˈleɪ.ʃən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
PROgressive = PROjecting forward; the sound projects its features FORWARD onto the next sound.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOUNDS ARE NEIGHBOURS (influencing each other), CHANGE IS MOVEMENT (forward direction).
Practice
Quiz
What is the key feature of progressive assimilation?