Episode 172: Succession
The History of English Podcast
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Shift and Slurring of Consonant Sounds in English
This chapter explores the shift and slurring of consonant sounds in English, specifically focusing on the s sound, z sound, t sound, and d sound. It explains that these sounds are closely related linguistically, with the s and z sounds being almost identical mechanically, as well as the d and t sounds. They are all produced with the tongue near or touching the alveolar ridge. When followed by a u or an i and another vowel, these consonant sounds tend to slur into new sibilant sounds like sh, ch, or j. The chapter provides examples of this sound shift in words with Latin roots.
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