Low-level segmental and suprasegmental phonetic complexity in typical and atypical speech (4/4)

Johan Verhoeven (City University of London)
Asymmetries in the articulation of English speech sounds

In descriptions of the articulation of speech sounds, it has (more often than not) been assumed that lingual articulation is symmetrical in the lateral dimension; it has been expected that contact between the tongue and the palate is equally extensive on the left-hand side of its midline as on the right-hand side. Recent research has confirmed that the vast majority of speech sounds have asymmetrical articulation with somewhat more contact between the tongue and the palate on the right-hand side in the majority of speakers. This seems consistent with right-hand preference for motor skill. This lecture will explore some of the issues relating to asymmetry in speech articulation and will present further evidence regarding speech asymmetry on the basis of recent electropalatography data on recordings of native speakers of English.