Definition & Meaning of "regressive assimilation"

What is "regressive assimilation"?

Regressive assimilation is a phonological process in which a sound changes to become more like a following sound. This occurs when the articulatory features of a consonant or vowel influence an adjacent sound that comes before it. For example, in the phrase "input," the /n/ sound may become more like the following /p/, resulting in a pronunciation that is closer to "imput." Regressive assimilation is important in linguistics because it illustrates how sounds can interact with one another in speech, helping to provide insight into the dynamics of pronunciation and the rules that govern sound changes in various languages.