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The perception of assimilated speech
Authors:
Gaskell, M.G. & MARSLEN-WILSON, W.D.
Reference:
Proceedings of Linguistics and Phonetics '98, (Item order in Language and Speech) Eds - Fujimura, O., Joseph, B.D. & Palek, B. Charles University in Prague, Karolinum Press, 2000, pp.671-687.
Year of publication:
2000
CBU number:
3782
Abstract:
The concatenation of words in connected speech often creates neutralizing changes in their form (e.g., the /n/ in "lean bacon" becomes /m/ through an assimilation process). These alternations must be dealt with by the perceptual system when comprehending normal connected speech. We review a set of three studies of the perception of English place assimilated speech. The studies focus on the types of information that are available in the resolution of ambiguity caused by assimilatory alternation. Study 1 show that the phonological viability of a neutralizing alternation has a critical effect on the resultant percept. Studies 2 and 3 show that lexical and sentential information sources of information also influence the perception of assimilated speech. We interpret these results with reference to a model of speech perception that focuses on contextual compensation in the processing of naturally variable speech.
