PHONOLOGICAL ASPECTS IN ENGLISH AND ARABIC

Abstract

The present study deals with four  phonological  aspects which are part of communication through language. These aspects are found   in   English and Arabic, which are  : assimilation,  intonation, stress and elision . The aim of this study is to explain  each aspect  in both languages and make a comparison . This study presents definitions, explanation and examples to clarify the phenomenon.  The two languages share some points, but  there is no absolute similarity. These aspects are common in the recitation of the Glorious Quran. There are similarities and differences between the two languages.In English, there are three types of assimilation: regressive, progressive and coalescent. In the recitation of the Glorious Quran, there is assimilation with ghunnah( nasal twang) and without ghunnah ( nasal twang). In the recitation of the Glorious Quran  ,  the assimilation is like  the regressive  English assimilation, the final consonant changes   and be  like the initial  neighbouring sound. In the two languages, the  definition of intonation means the rise and fall of a tone. It expresses a meaning and changes according to the type of a sentence. Stress means the amount of power through pronunciation the sound. English language includes special  rules for stress. In  Arabic   , stress means the amount of power on the syllable of each utterance. The type of stress is affected by the number and kind of syllables in the word . Elision means the omission of a sound. The two languages may omit a consonant or  vowel in a word to make the pronunciation easier .