Inter-word variability of Hungarian affricates /ʦ, ʧ/ in the speech of monolingual children with and without language disorders

Abstract

This study focuses on the characteristics of inter-word variability (IWV) with respect to two Hungarian affricates (/ʦ, ʧ/) produced by children with typical language development (children with TD) aged 3;0–5;11, and those with primary expressive language disorders (children with LD) with the mean age of 6;7. IWV is described in terms of frequency of occurrence, the segments realised in place of the targets and the error patterns resulting in variable production. Findings revealed that variability is characteristic of the production of /ʧ/ in younger children with TD, and of both affricates in children with LD. Beside some similarities, children with TD and those with LD differed from each other in the way in which variable productions emerged. Children with TD committed errors typical of their age, and their IWV mostly reflected developmental changes. Children with LD, however, demonstrated some indicators of phonological disorders such as the persistence of normal simplifications and chronological mismatch.