Question

Assimilation Nasality would be observable for _____ or _____ consonants in words containing nasal phonemes.

a. Vowels or voiced consonants
b. Voiceless or fricative consonants
c. Obstruent or plosive consonants
d. Semivowels or nasalized consonants

Answer 1

Assimilation Nasality occurs in vowels or voiced consonants in the presence of nasal phonemes; the correct option is a. Vowels or voiced consonants.

Step-by-step explanation:

Assimilation Nasality would be observable for voiced consonants or vowels in words containing nasal phonemes. The correct answer is a. Vowels or voiced consonants. Assimilation in phonetics refers to the process where certain phonemes (speech sounds) change to become more like adjacent sounds. When it comes to nasality, vowels or voiced consonants can become nasalized in the presence of nasal phonemes like /m/, /n/, and /ŋ/ (as in 'sing'). For instance, in the word 'hand', the vowel preceding the nasal consonant /n/ can be nasalized, influencing the sound produced. Voiced consonants can become nasalized due to the openness of the vocal tract that allows the airflow to resonate in the nasal cavity.