American English Phonetics

Another American English Faculty Project

13.3.3 Assimilation of /θ,ð/

The assimilation of GA /θ,ð/ to /s,z/ is characteristic of informal speech:

  1. Dental /θ/ becomes alveolar /s/ before /s,z/: both sides, both zoos

    2. both sides

  2. Dental /ð/ becomes alveolar /z/ before or after /s,z/: Who’s that? What’s the score? How’s that?

    3. who’s that