Examples and practice exercises

Assimilation: Examples and Practice Exercises

Examples of Assimilation in English

• Place assimilation:
  • “ten” + “th” → “tenth”
  • “good night” → “good nite”
• Manner assimilation:
  • “have to” → “haf to”
  • “want to” → “wanna”
• Voicing assimilation:
  • “cats” → “cadz”
  • “dogs” → “dogz”

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Identify the assimilation

Identify the type of assimilation in the following words or phrases:

1. “tenth”
2. “good nite”
3. “haf to”
4. “wanna”
5. “cadz”
6. “dogz”
7. “has to”
8. “wants to”
9. “fifths”
10. “sixths”

Exercise 2: Pronounce the words

Pronounce the following words, paying attention to the assimilation that occurs:

1. “tenth”
2. “good night”
3. “have to”
4. “want to”
5. “cats”
6. “dogs”
7. “fifths”
8. “sixths”
9. “soft drink”
10. “hand me”

Exercise 3: Complete the sentences

Complete the following sentences with the correct assimilated form of the word:

1. “I need to _______ my homework.” (finish)
2. “He _______ me a book.” (give)
3. “She _______ a lot of money.” (spend)
4. “I _______ to go to the party.” (want)
5. “They _______ a great time.” (have)

Additional tips:

• Listen to native speakers: Pay attention to how native speakers pronounce words that involve assimilation.
• Practice regularly: The more you practice, the better you will become at identifying and producing assimilated sounds.
• Use a dictionary: Many dictionaries indicate the correct pronunciation of words, including assimilation patterns.

By practicing these exercises, you can improve your understanding and production of assimilated sounds in English.

Syllabus for Pronunciation of English Language