The Universal Atlas of Phonetic Evolution
Back to Matrix [d] → [s] Edit this Data

[s]→[d]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 3/5

Voiceless alveolar fricative to Voiced alveolar plosive

The shift from the alveolar fricative [s] to the voiced alveolar stop [d] is a form of fortition (hardening). While rare as a standalone adult sound law, it is a hallmark of child language development and serves as a phonetic parallel to the widespread 'stopping' of dental fricatives in many English and Germanic dialects.

Phonetic Effects

Hardening, Fortition, Stopping

Language Examples

sun [s]→[dʌn]— Developmental stopping: substituting a voiced or voiceless stop for a fricative.
this [ð]→dis [d]— While starting from a dental fricative, this represents the broader systemic trend of fricative-to-stop hardening in the alveolar region.

Related Transformations

More Germanic Shifts

Sources & References

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