The phrase 'want to' pronounced /wʌnə/ is an example of which assimilation?

• A. Contact progressive assimilation
• B. Progressive assimilation
• C. Regressive assimilation
• D. Coarticulation

Answer: (A)

In connected speech, sounds influence neighboring sounds, especially right at a boundary between two words. When the influence travels from the left to the right and involves sounds that are in direct contact, that’s called contact progressive assimilation.

Here, the boundary between want and to leads to a smoother, reduced pronunciation: the sequence tends to gloss over the t and merge toward a simple, lighter /ə/ sound, giving something like /wʌnə/. The spreading of articulation goes forward—from the end of want into the next word to, i.e., a progressive, boundary interaction. That combination fits contact progressive assimilation best. Regressive assimilation would be the opposite direction (the following sound altering the previous one), and coarticulation is the broader overlap that doesn’t specify the left-to-right boundary spreading as clearly.