Introducing English Linguistics

Other assimilatory processes involving nasals 
When the bilabial nasal /m/ and alveolar nasal /n/ occur before the labio-
dental fricatives /f/ and /v/, the nasals become labiodentals []. Thus, comfort
The sounds of English
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would be pronounced [k ft] or [k fət] and convince as [k vins].
When /n/ occurs before a dental consonant such as /θ/, its articulation
becomes more dental [n]. Words such as tenth would therefore be pro-
nounced as [tεnθ]. Vowels occurring before nasal consonants will them-
selves be nasalized: ran [ɹæ
˜ n], room [ɹu
˜m], ring [ɹi˜ŋ].
Devoicing of consonants 
When plosives, fricatives, and affricates occur before unvoiced conso-
nants, they will be devoiced. For instance, in isolation, his ends with the
voiced fricative /z/: /hiz/. However, if his is followed by a word beginning
with a voiceless consonant, the /z/ becomes devoiced [z]. Thus, his fist
would be pronounced as [hiz fist]. Other examples include:
had to [hæd
 tu]
with sympathy [wið simpɘθi]
yours truly [j
z tɹuli]