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The Vowels of Stressed and Unstressed Syllables in Nonnative English *
Author(s) -
Fokes Joann,
Bond Z. S.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
language learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.882
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1467-9922
pISSN - 0023-8333
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-1770.1989.tb00596.x
Subject(s) - syllable , vowel , formant , linguistics , stress (linguistics) , psychology , word (group theory) , speech recognition , computer science , philosophy
Nonnative and native American English speakers produced two‐syllable words such as confess and confirm and three‐ and four‐syllable derived words such as confession and confirmation in isolation and in sentences. The durations and formant patterns of the vowels were measured for the first two syllables of each word. In addition, the ratio of vowel‐to‐syllable was calculated for the syllable (con). The nonnative speakers had most difficulty with the four‐syllable words, producing a vowel of variable quality in the first syllable and failing to reduce the vowel of the second syllable. In addition, the nonnative speakers failed to produce appropriate durations for vowels according to position in word and stress pattern.