A linguistic process where similar sounds become different or move apart from each other, the opposite of assimilation.
From de- (remove or reverse) + assimilation (making similar). Assimilation comes from Latin assimilare (to make alike). Used in phonology to describe sound changes.
While assimilation describes how similar sounds influence each other to become MORE alike (like 'handbag' becoming 'hambag'), deassimilation is the rare opposite—sounds pushing apart to become different, which helps languages avoid confusing combinations.
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