Prosodic Effects on Word Reduction

Bibliographic Data

ID10255271
AuthorsAllyson K Carter (Indiana University, corresponding author), Cynthia G Clopper (0000-0003-0631-3908, Indiana University)
Year2002
Volume45
Issue4
Pages321-353
Publication date2002-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguage and Speech (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0023-8309 • E-ISSN: 1756-6053
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00238309020450040201
PMID12866908
OpenAlexW2105518661
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited70

It is widely known that English-speaking children reduce words by omitting syllables in certain predictable patterns (e.g., banána ~n ána). One way to better understand the nature of phonological reductions in children is to examine adults'word reduction behavior. This study explored whether adults produce predictable output patterns when reducing words. Undergraduate participants heard a list of polysyllabic words varying systematically across syllable number and primary stress location and were asked to generate a “reduced” form, similar to common English reductions (e.g., rhinóceros~ rhíno). Regardless of stress and syllable number, participants reduced the stimulus words significantly more often to left-headed disyllabic or monosyllabic feet, retaining stressed syllables and omitting unstressed syllables. The general bias found was similar to that which children exhibit in natural speech, namely, to maintain well-formed prosodic patterns and preserve salient syllables. On the other hand, a tendency to preserve word-initial instead of word-final syllables was also found, suggesting subtle differences in language processing between children and adults. The current study contributes to the psycholinguistic literature on adults' syllable omissions in abbreviations and fast-speech registers by examining the processing strategies that adults may use when reducing words

Audiology · Cognitive psychology · Linguistics · Phonology · Salient · Stimulus (psychology) · Stress (linguistics) · Syllable · Word (group theory) · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Language Development and Disorders · Medicine · Phonetics and Phonology Research · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development