Assimilation

Assimilation and why does it occur? 

A child will change the sound within the word to another sound the is similar just with a slight characteristic difference. Children will do this as assimilation makes it easier for them to say certain words when they can replace one sound with a easier sound they can produce.

Here are some examples of Assimilation and how your child can present it!

Basic Assimilation:  A consonant begins to sound like another sound in the word.     

 "bub" instead of "bus"

• The voicelss alveolar fricative assimilates to a voiceless bilabial stop.

Denasalization:  A nasal consonant such as /m/ or /n/ becomes a non-nasal consonant such as /b/ or /d/.

"deck" instead of "neck"

• The voiced nasal became a voiced stop as the /n/ becomes denasalized.

Final Consonant Devoicing:  A voiced consonant at the end of a word such as /b/ or /d/ becomes a voiceless consonant such as /p/ or /t/.

'tup" instead of "tub"

• The voiced stop became a voiceless one as the consonant is being devoiced.

Coalescence: Two sounds become a different sound with similar features.

"fop" instead of "stop"

• The consonant cluster consisting of a voiceless alveolar fricative and a voiceless alveolar stop coalesces to voiceless labio-dental fricative.

Reduplication:  A complete or incomplete syllable is repeated.

"wawa" instead of "water"

• The first syllable is repeated.

How can you help your child with this process?

• Speak with a speech language pathologist to help figure out methods and therapy to help your child.

• Practice sounds that you see they struggle to pronounce.

  • Try to repeat the sounds they are saying incorrectly in the right way

  • Correct them by giving them the right way to say it in a positive manner. For example. if the child says "I want the BUB", you say "oh, you want the BUS".

• Encourage them to use the sounds when they speak as long as they try to say it correctly

Below are some videos that will provide more insight on assimilation: