Merger of Identical Spanish Vowels

In Spanish it is common to merge identical vowels. The result is that they are pronounced as one vowel with longer duration. The merger occurs when the two vowels occur next to one other.

The merger of identical Spanish vowels can occur in the following phrases:

la abuela (the grandmother)      

una amiga (a friend)                                                                                                                    

mi idea (my idea)  

tu uniforme (your uniform)

siete escobas (seven brooms)

The merger can also occur with an intermediary h. The h is silent and thus does not block the merger. An example is the word alcohol (alcohol). 

The merger of adjacent identical vowels is very common in Spanish. Two identical vowels are often pronounced as one vowel with larger duration. The merger of two vowels is an example of synalepha.