| Sound change and alternation |
|---|
|
Metathesis
(reordering)
Quantitative metathesis
(vowel length) |
|
Lenition
(weakening)
Consonant gradation
Consonant voicing and devoicing Spirantization (assibilation) Rhotacism (change of [z] or [d] to [r]) L-vocalization (change of [l] to [w]) Debuccalization (loss of place) |
| Fortition (strengthening) |
|
Epenthesis
(addition)
Anaptyxis (vowel)
Excrescence (consonant) Prosthesis (initial) Paragoge (final) Unpacking Vowel breaking (diphthongization) |
|
Coalescence
Coarticulation Palatalization (before front vowels) Velarization (before back vowels) Labialisation (before rounded vowels) Initial voicing (before a vowel) Final devoicing (before silence) Metaphony (vowel harmony, umlaut) Consonant harmony |
| Dissimilation |
|
Cheshirisation (trace
remains)
|
|
Sandhi (boundary
change)
|
Debuccalization is a sound change in which a consonant, generally a fricative (such as English f, th, s), loses its original place of articulation and becomes [h].
Debuccalization is the second-to-last stage in the "opening" type of lenition, a consonant mutation involving the weakening of a consonant by progressive shifts in pronunciation.
Examples are the Proto-Greek shift of /s/ to /h/ initially and between sonorants (vowels, liquids, or nasals), and the shift in varieties of Scottish English of /θ/ th to /h/. A similar shift to /h/ occurs in Scottish Gaelic sh, th, and sometimes fh — lenited versions of s, t, f.
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