What does complete assimilation refer to in phonology?

Complete assimilation in phonology refers to the alteration of phoneme production such that a sound becomes more similar or identical to an adjacent sound. This process occurs when one phoneme takes on the features of another phoneme that is close to it in a word or phrase. For instance, in a phrase, a voiced sound may change to a voiceless one to match the voicing of a neighboring phoneme, or a particular vowel may shift to align more closely with the articulatory characteristics of the surrounding sounds.

This phenomenon is significant in phonological processes as it can affect how words are pronounced in continuous speech, leading to smoother transitions and more natural-sounding utterances. Understanding complete assimilation is essential for analyzing speech patterns, language acquisition, and even various dialectic variations.