The production of English /r/ and /l/ by two Japanese speakers differing in experience with English

Abstract

The articulation of American English /l/ and /r/ by one native speaker of American English and two native speakers of Japanese with different degrees of experience and proficiency with American English were studied. Cinefluorographic data show greater distinctiveness in vocal tract shapes for /l/s and /r/s for the native speaker of American English. The Japanese speakers showed relatively little posterior positioning and -bunching of the tongue and only limited or no lip rounding associated with prevocalic /r/ production. The differences are discussed in terms of phonological and articulatory habits.