Individual differences in the production of initial consonant sequences in Pig Latin

Abstract

Accounts of English initial consonant sequences suggest that not all sequences are the same. Data from acquisition, speech errors and language games necessitate unusual rules/constraints on subsyllabic structure to account for C/j/ and /s/C(C) sequences. Acquisition evidence supports within- and across-speaker representational differences for these sequences; however, such evidence for adults remains elusive. This study investigates the representation of consonant sequences within and across adult speakers of English. Thirty adults were trained in Pig Latin using words with singletons and true clusters. Generalization to C/j/ and /s/C(C) was then measured. Results suggested differential patterning for consonant sequences within and across speakers based on consistent production patterns and errors. Differences occurred most often with /s/C(C) sequences and even more so for C/j/. Orthography also influenced production patterns. Results support differential representational structure within and across individual grammars, which is accounted for via constraint-based output-output correspondence between surface and Pig Latin forms.