PHONETIC AND PHONOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF ENGLISH AFFRICATE PRODUCTION IN CHILDREN WITH SPEECH DISORDERS

In this paper we consider phonetic and phonological aspects of the English voiceless affricate /t integral/ as it is realised by children with developmental speech disorders, The speakers described in the study have normal /t/ but disordered /integral/ and /t integral/. Using electropalatography (Reading EPG), we compare the stop and fricative phases of /t integral/ to independent /t/ and /integral/. This comparison shows that the place of articulation of /t integral/ can be predicted from that of independent /integral/. There is a strict requirement for the affricate's stop release to be homorganic with its fricative phase, irrespective of the place of articulation of independent /t/, Sometimes, there is also an observable coronal gesture during the stop phase of a dorsal affricate indicating the influence of independent /t/. This is predicted by phonological theories in which the affricate is related to both /t/ and /integral/ but not by theories in which the affricate is merely the stop counterpart to /integral/.