In English, some sounds change depending on the context. The verb \u2018pat\u2019 ends in a \u201chard\u201d [t], but when used in the word \u2018patting\u2019, the [t] becomes a \u2018 tap\u2019. We\u2019ve tested 8 and 12mo olds on their ability to associate \u2018pat\u2019 to \u2018patting\u2019, as well as \u2018pad\u2019 (ending in a softer consonant) to \u2018padding\u2019. While they succeed with \u2018pad\u2019, 8mos fail with \u2018pat\u2019. However, by 12mo, they succeed with both. We suspect that the more different the features of the consonant are, the longer it takes for them to create that consonantal alternation. We are currently developing stimuli to test other possible alternating phonemes that are not present in English (e.g., take \u2013 taging) to investigate whether infants have learned those alternations based on their input or based on their phonetic similarity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In English, some sounds change depending on the context. The verb \u2018pat\u2019 ends in a \u201chard\u201d [t], but when used in the word \u2018patting\u2019, the [t] becomes a \u2018 tap\u2019. We\u2019ve tested 8 and 12mo olds on their ability to associate \u2018pat\u2019 to \u2018patting\u2019, as well as \u2018pad\u2019 (ending in a softer consonant) to \u2018padding\u2019. … <\/p>\n