Neutralization is the scenario where two different phonemes are mapped onto one Phone. Assimilation and Weakening can cause neutralization.
- Assimilation:
/m/, /n/ -> [m],/n/, /ŋ/ -> [ŋ](e.g., unbelievable/ʌnbə'livəbl̥/ -> [ʌ̃mbə'livəbl̥], unclear/ʌn'kliɹ/ -> [ʌ̃ŋ'kʰliɹ]) - Weakening:
/d/, /t/ -> [r](e.g., ride/raɪd/ -> [raɪd], rider/raɪdɹ̩/ -> [raɪɾɹ̩], mad/mæd/ -> [mæd], madder/mædɹ̩/ -> [mæɾɹ̩])