A Phonetical Analysis of the Allophones of the Phonemes /d/ and /g/ between a Native and Non-Native Speaker of Spanish
Poster Number
024
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
World Languages & Cultures
Faculty Mentor
Valerie Jepson, Ph.D.
Abstract
A phoneme is a distinct sound that differentiates one word from another. Not every phoneme has an allophone, a variant of a single phoneme. Unlike a phoneme, an allophone does not change or affect the meaning of a word; it only affects the pronunciation of a word. The phonemes /d/ and /g/ in Spanish both contain one phoneme, and two allophones, /d/ and /ð/, and /g/ and /ɣ/, respectively. The phonemes /d/ and /g/ are taught when learning the pronunciation of the alphabet in the Spanish language and the allophones are typically self-learned with experience or indulgence within a Spanish-speaking culture. As a result, native speakers of Spanish tend to have a different pronunciation of phonemes and allophones than non-native speakers who have only been taught Spanish pronunciation in terms of phonemes. I hypothesized that the phonemes /ð/ and /ɣ/ would not be found in a voice analysis of a non-native speaker’s pronunciation, due to the lack of experience and exposure to speaking Spanish. This hypothesis was investigated by analyzing the phonemic and allophonic pronunciation of the phonemes in question with voice analysis software, (i.e., Praat). Speech samples of each phoneme were extracted from continuous speech. Results include graphics and statistical analysis of the differences and similarities of the pronunciation of the two participants. My hypothesis was confirmed.
Course Assignment
(SPAN 405 – Jepson)
Previously Presented/Performed?
Fourth Annual Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE), Winthrop University, April 2018
Start Date
20-4-2018 12:00 PM
End Date
20-4-2018 2:00 PM
A Phonetical Analysis of the Allophones of the Phonemes /d/ and /g/ between a Native and Non-Native Speaker of Spanish
Rutledge
A phoneme is a distinct sound that differentiates one word from another. Not every phoneme has an allophone, a variant of a single phoneme. Unlike a phoneme, an allophone does not change or affect the meaning of a word; it only affects the pronunciation of a word. The phonemes /d/ and /g/ in Spanish both contain one phoneme, and two allophones, /d/ and /ð/, and /g/ and /ɣ/, respectively. The phonemes /d/ and /g/ are taught when learning the pronunciation of the alphabet in the Spanish language and the allophones are typically self-learned with experience or indulgence within a Spanish-speaking culture. As a result, native speakers of Spanish tend to have a different pronunciation of phonemes and allophones than non-native speakers who have only been taught Spanish pronunciation in terms of phonemes. I hypothesized that the phonemes /ð/ and /ɣ/ would not be found in a voice analysis of a non-native speaker’s pronunciation, due to the lack of experience and exposure to speaking Spanish. This hypothesis was investigated by analyzing the phonemic and allophonic pronunciation of the phonemes in question with voice analysis software, (i.e., Praat). Speech samples of each phoneme were extracted from continuous speech. Results include graphics and statistical analysis of the differences and similarities of the pronunciation of the two participants. My hypothesis was confirmed.
