Which term best describes the study of the sound changes such as assimilation, elision, liaison, and juncture?

• A. Features of connected speech
• B. Phonetics
• C. Phonology
• D. Prosody

Answer: (A)

Sound changes that occur when speaking fluently, such as assimilation, elision, liaison, and juncture, are best described as features of connected speech. These phenomena arise when words run together and sounds influence one another, are dropped, or are linked across word boundaries in natural discourse. They focus on how pronunciation shifts in continuous speech, rather than on isolated sounds or abstract sound systems.

Phonetics looks at how sounds are physically produced and heard, often in isolation or general terms. Phonology studies the abstract system of sounds and the rules governing contrasts within a language. Prosody deals with rhythm, stress, and intonation. While related, none of these focus specifically on the practical sound changes that occur when speech flows together, which is the domain of connected speech features.