1. Phonological Processes
LIN 3201

2. Phonological Processes
There are several processes that affect the phonetic realizations of phonemes in different contexts.
In other words, there are several general processes which result in different allophones of the same phoneme.

3. Process # 1 – Assimilation A sound becomes more like a neighboring sound in articulatory terms
Voicing assimilation:
Japanese vowel phonemes are realized as voiceless between two voiceless vowels
English approximants are realized as voiceless after a voiceless consonant
Vowel Nasalization:
English vowels are nasalized when they are directly before a nasal consonant
Palatalization:
Sound becomes palatalized when realized before the palatal glide [j], or the vowels [i] or [e]

4. Process # 2 – Dissimilation
A sound becomes less like a neighboring sound in articulatory terms
Some dialects of English: break up word-final fricatives – fricative cluster realized as fricative-stop cluster
Greek: fricative cluster realized as fricative-stop cluster

5. Process # 3 – Insertion (Epenthesis)
Segment is inserted within an existing string of segments
Turkish borrowed words: [tiren] ‘train’
[kulYp] ‘club’
English: insertion common between nasal & fricative clusters

6. Process # 4 – Deletion (Elision)
Segment is deleted from existing string of segments
French: l’air j’ai
English: Fast speech examples

7. Process # 5 – Strengthening (Fortition)
A sound is realized as a stronger sound
(aspirated stop > stop > fricative > flap> approximant > vowel)
English: aspirated allophones of voiceless consonants word-initially

8. Process # 6 – Weakening (Lenition)
A sound is realized as a weaker sound
(aspirated stop > stop > fricative > flap> approximant > vowel)
English: allophones of /t/ and /d/ realized as flaps between stressed & unstressed vowels