dissimilate

 
Pronunciation: /dɪˈsɪmɪleɪt/

verb

[with object] Linguistics
  • change (a sound or sounds in a word) to another when the word originally had identical sounds near each other (e.g. in taper, which derives from papyrus, the p is dissimilated to t).
  • [no object] (of a sound) undergo the process of dissimilation: the first ‘r’ dissimilates to ‘l’

Derivatives

dissimilation

noun

dissimilatory

Pronunciation: /dɪˈsɪmɪlət(ə)ri/
adjective

Origin:

mid 19th century: from dis- (expressing reversal) + Latin similis 'like, similar', on the pattern of assimilate