Vowel Quality and Direction of Stress Shift in a Predictive Model Explaining the Varying Impact of Misplaced Word Stress: Evidence From English

The use of suprasegmental cues to word stress occurs across many languages. Nevertheless, L1 English listeners' pay little attention and evidence shows that segmental are more important listeners in how words identified speech. assume strong syllables with full vowels mark the beginning a new word, attempting alternative resegmentations only when this heuristic fails identify viable string. errors have been shown severely disrupt processing for both L2 listeners, but not all equally damaging. Vowel quality direction shift thought be predictors intelligibility non-standard pronunciations—but most research so far on topic has limited two-syllable words. current study uses auditory lexical decision delayed identification tasks test hypothesized Word Stress Error Gravity Hierarchy two five syllables. Results indicate affect they introduce concomitant vowel errors, an effect is somewhat mediated by shift. As consequence, relative impact any particular error can predicted listeners. These findings implications pronunciation teaching. For research, our results demonstrate varied about loss connected changes these factors must accounted research. teaching, important, should prioritized.