WK3 L6: Phonemes Part2

• What is the title of the module discussed in the study material?

  Phonemes II
• What is a syllable primarily built around?

  A vowel phoneme, known as its nucleus
• What are the parts of a syllable?

  Onset, nucleus, and coda
• What is the rime of a syllable composed of?


  The nucleus and coda together
• What is an example of a one-syllable word?

  Cat
• What is an example of a two-syllable word?

  Apple
• What is an example of a three-syllable word?

  Banana
• What is an example of a four-syllable word?


  Unbelievable
• What is the cognitive status of syllables in language?


  Syllables play a role in word recognition and production
• What is syllable stress?


  It refers to the prominence of certain syllables in a word
• What is primary stress denoted by?


  ˈ
• How do listeners identify vowels?


  By inferring the identity from F1 and F2 frequencies
• What does categorical perception refer to?


  Listeners perceive stimuli as belonging to categories
• What is the significance of F1 and F2 in vowel identification?


  They help listeners infer the identity of a vowel
• What happens to vowel ranges across different speakers?


  Each vowel covers a range of F1 and F2 that can vary
• How do listeners resolve ambiguous vowel situations?


  By considering the context of the sounds
• What did Broadbent et al. (1956) demonstrate about vowel perception?


  Listeners adjusted their perception based on context
• How do listeners identify consonants?


  By categorizing them based on voice onset time (VOT)
• What is the difference between same-different discrimination and categorization tasks?


  Same-different tasks do not require category involvement
• What is the effect of language-specific categories on discrimination abilities?


  They strongly influence discrimination and categorization abilities
• How do infants develop categorical perception?


  It builds up over time based on language experience
• What can young infants discriminate regarding speech sounds?

  They can distinguish sounds that are distinct phonemes in their native language
• What did Werker & Tees (1984) demonstrate about infants' ability to discriminate sounds?


  Infants can distinguish sounds that are not distinct phonemes in their native language
• What happens to English listeners' sensitivity to non-native sounds as they age?

  Sensitivity declines with age
• What are the components of a syllable?

  • Onset: Consonants before the nucleus
  • Nucleus: The prominent vowel or diphthong
  • Coda: Consonants following the nucleus
  • Rime: Combination of nucleus and coda
• What is the relationship between phonemes and syllables?


  • Phonemes are the smallest units of sound
  • Syllables are formed from one or more phonemes
  • Syllables correspond to natural beats in language
• What is the role of syllables in language?


  • Aid in word recognition
  • Assist in word production
  • Serve as a primary functional unit in some languages
• What are the characteristics of stressed syllables?

  • More prominent in polysyllabic words
  • Can be indicated by loudness, duration, or pitch
  • Primary stress is marked with ˈ, secondary stress with ˌ
• How do listeners adjust their perception of phonemes?


  • Based on the context of sounds
  • By considering speaker-specific variations
  • Through categorical perception mechanisms
• What is the significance of the conditioned head turn procedure in infants?


  • Used to train infants to listen for sound changes
  • Measures infants' ability to discriminate phonemes
  • Demonstrates sensitivity to speech sounds from a young age
• What happens to infants' ability to discriminate sounds as they grow older?


  • They become less sensitive to non-native sounds
  • They learn to ignore irrelevant contrasts
  • Their discrimination abilities decline for non-native phonemes
• How many syllables in "Unbelievable"?

  5 syllables: Un-be-lie-va-ble