Cynthia Connine

Recognizing Pronunciation Variants of Spoken Words

Abstract: Spoken word recognition takes place in the context of considerable variability in speech and one pervasive form of variability is found in alternative pronunciation variants of words. Processing of variant forms takes place against a backdrop of a listener's existing language knowledge; I will focus on the role of pre-existing knowledge concerning the frequency of encountering a particular variant form (variant frequency). A series of experiments will be presented that demonstrate an important role for variant frequency in recognition of variant forms and the results will be discussed in terms of representational and processing accounts of variant processing.