イギリス英語#3 ~Assimilationチートシート~
例えば、credit cardは会話ではクレディッカードという感じに発音されますよね。こういうのをAssimilationというのですが、英語を外国語として学ぶ身としてはどういうときにこれが起こるのか分かっていたほうがいいとかな思うのでリストアップしてみました。情報ソースはBBCの英語学習者向けのYouTube動画です。タイトルからリンクで飛べます。
/t/ and /p/
When a word ends in /t/ and the next word begins with /p/, the two sounds come together with the /t/ changing to /p/.
ex) white piece of paper
- There are lots of great parks in London.
- I love split pea soup.
- I hate potatoes.
- My mate picked us up from the airport.
/n/ followed by /p/
When a word ends in /n/ and the next word begins with /p/, /b/, /w/ or /m/, the /n/ may change to /m/.
ex) Green Park
- I own ten pairs of socks.
- He didn’t do it on purpose.
- I would love to live in Paris.
- Can you come on Wednesday?
/s/
When a word ends in /s/ and the next begins with /j/ or /ʃ/, the /s/ can change to /ʃ/.
ex) bless you
- Can you jus(t) shut the door, please?
- This yacht is beautiful.
- Don’t worry that’s usual.
- He always makes you feel good.
/d/ to /g/
When a word ends in /d/ and the next word begins with /k/ or /g/, the /d/ can change to /g/.
ex) bad girl
- He’s a really good cook.
- Last night we had guests for dinner.
- Can you print out a hard copy?
- I’d love to walk down the red carpet one day.
/t/ and /j/
If a word ends in /t/ and the next word begins with /ʃ/, both sounds may come together to make /tʃ/.
ex) Nice to meet you.
- That shirt won’t suit you.
- Don’t you want to come to the party.
- I bet your boss doesn’t know.
- Can I get you anything?
/d/ and /b/
When a word ends in a vowel sound and /d/ and the next word starts with /b/, the /d/ changes to /b/ and merges with the following /b/.
ex) speed boat
- My son is a really good boy.
- I’m sorry if I was rude before.
- My car had to be towed back to the garage.
- You should buy him a present.
/t/ followed by /k/
If the sound /t/ comes after a vowel and before /k/, it can change to /k/.
ex) credit card
- Don’t let it get cold!
- You have to do it quickly.
- There’s no short cut to learning a language.
- I didn’t like that cake.
BBCのYouTubeチャンネルは学校では教えてくれなかった発音に関する知識を学べるのでオススメです。内容は発音に限らず英語全般を取り上げています。各動画も3~5分と手頃なのでぜひ見てみてください。

