Accuracy Of Speech Production Research Articles

Task Type Effects on EFL Oral Production, Perception, and Proficiency

This study investigates the oral production and perceptions of 38 EFL learners using two task types: personal information and narrative picture tasks. It also examines whether proficiency level moderates the impact of task type on EFL speech. Results from two-way ANOVAs and thematic analysis revealed that the personal information task was less demanding for EFL learners than the narrative picture task. The data also indicated that EFL learners achieved higher levels of accuracy and syntactic complexity during the personal information task, diverging from theoretical underpinnings and existing research findings in this area. Furthermore, the data showed that while proficiency affected the accuracy and fluency of speech production, it did not moderate task performance, suggesting that EFL learners' performance on the two tasks remained consistent across different proficiency levels. These findings have significant implications for research, pedagogy, and assessment in EFL contexts.

Exploring word production in three-year-old monolingual French-speaking children

ABSTRACT There is a general need for more knowledge on the development of French phonology, and little information is currently available for typically developing French-speaking three-year-old children. This study took place in Belgium and explores the accuracy of speech production of 34 typically developing French-speaking children using a picture naming task. Measures of speech accuracy revealed lower performance than previously seen in the literature. We investigated speech accuracy across different phonological contexts in light of characteristics of target words that are known to have an influence on speech production, namely the condition of production (spontaneous vs. imitated), the length of the word (in number of syllables), syllable complexity (singleton vs. cluster) and positional complexity (onset vs. coda). Results indicate that the accuracy of words produced spontaneously did not differ from imitated words. The presence of consonant clusters in the target word was associated with lower performance on measures of Percentage of Consonants Correct and Whole Word Proximity for both 1- and 4-syllable words. Singleton codas were produced less accurately than onsets in 1-syllable words. Word-internal singleton codas were produced less accurately than final codas. In our sample, 1-syllable words showed surprisingly low levels of performance which we can explain by an over-representation of phonologically complex properties in the target words used in the present study. These results highlight the importance of assessing various aspects of phonological complexity in French speech tasks in order to detect developmental errors in typically developing children and, ultimately, help identify children with speech sound disorders.

Variability, accuracy, and cross-linguistic transfer in bilingual children speaking Jamaican Creole and English

ABSTRACT Due to the lack of normative data about bilingual speech development and limited availability of diagnostic tools optimised for this population, bilingual children under consideration for speech-language services are at an elevated risk of misdiagnosis. In the absence of validated assessment tools, speech-language pathologists may use measures of accuracy and variability of speech production to diagnose suspected speech sound disorders in bilingual children. Research in general motor development suggests that variability and accuracy may trade off in the course of maturation, whereby movement variability spikes before the transition to a more mature stage of motor control. Such variability-accuracy tradeoffs have been described in monolingual speech development but are understudied in bilingual populations, where cross-linguistic transfer occurs. This study aimed to examine variability, accuracy, and cross-linguistic transfer in the speech of 20 bilingual children speaking Jamaican Creole and English. We hypothesised that children who showed higher accuracy in their productions would also exhibit more variable speech, indicating a variability-accuracy tradeoff. The Word Inconsistency Assessment from the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology was administered to measure accuracy and variability in the English context, where misdiagnosis is likely to occur. Contrary to our hypothesis, we observed that individuals with higher accuracy tended to be less variable in their productions. Future research should examine longitudinal trajectories of accuracy and variability and consider a more culturally-appropriate definition of ‘accuracy’ in documenting bilingual speech sound development.

Executive functions in Persian-speaking preschool children with speech sound disorders and comparison with their typically developing peers

This study aimed to compare working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility, the core components of executive functions, among two prevalent subtypes of preschool children with speech sound disorder, i.e., phonological delay (n = 16) and consistent phonological disorder (n = 15), and a group of typically developing children (n = 18). The correlation between executive function components and the accuracy of speech sound production were also investigated. Nonword repetition task and syllable repetition task were used to evaluate the phonological loop of working memory. Backward digit span was administered to examine the central executive of working memory. Cognitive flexibility was assessed using the second selection of the flexible item selection task and inhibitory control using Stroop-like and Go/No-Go tasks. The percentage consonants correct was applied to calculate the accuracy of speech sound production. Results of a one-way multivariate analysis of covariance revealed statistically significant differences between groups in the combined dependent variables after controlling for age (F(14, 80) = 17.289, p < .001, Pillai’s trace = 1.503, partial ηƞ 2 = .752). Typically developing children outperformed in all measurements of executive functions than both speech sound disorder subgroups. Moreover, children with phonological delay performed better in nonword repetition and corrected responses of Stroop-like than consistent phonological disorder group. All executive function measurements also correlated with speech sound production. The results of the present study highlight the importance of including domain-general cognitive skills in current assessment protocols for children with phonological delay and consistent phonological disorders.

Influence of pontic design on speech with an anterior fixed dental prosthesis: A clinical study and finite element analysis

Statement of problemPatients may experience disturbed articulation after treatment with a fixed dental prosthesis. However, studies that assess the relationship between fixed dental prosthesis design and the accuracy of speech sound production are lacking. PurposeThe purpose of this clinical and finite element analysis (FEA) study was to examine the influence of pontic design on speech with anterior fixed dental prostheses. Material and methodsFirst, an articulation test was carried out in which a partially edentulous participant was required to pronounce 4 Chinese words containing the voiceless fricative/s/while wearing fixed dental prostheses with 2 types of pontic designs. The oral morphology was obtained by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanning while the participant, wearing the 2 fixed dental prosthesis designs, was pronouncing the voiceless fricative/s/sound. The geometry of the oral cavity was then reconstructed by an image processing software program. Finally, a finite element model for sound wave propagation inside the oral cavity was developed within the framework of the finite element analysis software program. By using this model, the sound pressure level of the 2 types of pontic design was characterized and quantified under different fundamental frequencies (F0). The data were analyzed with 1-way ANOVA (α=.05). ResultsThe experimental articulation test reported that the pontic design of fixed dental prostheses affected the speech production of the/s/sound (P<.001). The numerical study reported that the sound pressure level values were different under various fundamental frequencies. In addition, the pontic design of fixed dental prostheses affected the sound pressure level values, and the differences varied significantly from 420 to 1300 Hz (P<.05); however, the differences were not significant between 120 and 420 Hz (P>.05). Moreover, further comparisons of low F0 (120 to 500 Hz), medium F0 (520 to 900 Hz), and high F0 (920 to 1300 Hz) reported that the differences in the medium F0 area were most obvious (P<.001 for maximum sound pressure level value and P=.001 for sound pressure level value at Point Q). ConclusionsBoth the fixed dental prosthesis pontic design and the fundamental frequency could affect the sound field distribution.

Reading Risk in Children With Speech Sound Disorder: Prevalence, Persistence, and Predictors.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which school-age children with speech sound disorder (SSD) exhibit concomitant reading difficulties and examine the extent to which phonological processing and speech production abilities are associated with increased likelihood of reading risks. Method Data were obtained from 120 kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade children who were in receipt of school-based speech therapy services. Children were categorized as being "at risk" for reading difficulties if standardized scores on a word decoding measure were 1 SD or more from the mean. The selected predictors of reading risk included children's rapid automatized naming ability, phonological awareness (PA), and accuracy of speech sound production. Results Descriptive results indicated that just over 25% of children receiving school-based speech therapy for an SSD exhibited concomitant deficits in word decoding and that those exhibiting risk at the beginning of the school year were likely to continue to be at risk at the end of the school year. Results from a hierarchical logistic regression suggested that, after accounting for children's age, general language abilities, and socioeconomic status, both PA and speech sound production abilities were significantly associated with the likelihood of being classified as at risk. Conclusions School-age children with SSD are at increased risk for reading difficulties that are likely to persist throughout an academic year. The severity of phonological deficits, reflected by PA and speech output, may be important indicators of subsequent reading problems.

Speech sound errors of Mandarin-speaking preschool children with co-occurring speech sound disorder and developmental language disorder

ABSTRACT This study examined the occurrence and types of speech sound errors in Mandarin-speaking children and compared those with co-occurring developmental language disorder (DLD) and speech sound disorders (SSDs) to those with SSD only and those with no DLD or SSD. The participants were 64 four-year-old Mandarin-speaking children, including 20 age-matched children with co-occurring SSD and LI (SSD + DLD), 20 with SSD only, and 24 with no DLD or SSD (typical development [TD]). Speech samples from a list of 20 pictures of common objects and animals were elicited in a picture-naming task. One speech-language therapist transcribed and analysed consonant production accuracy and coded speech errors into the types of substitution, omission, distortion, and addition and phonological processes into typical and atypical sound changes. The interrater reliability of consonant production analysis was checked by another experienced speech-language pathologist. Children with co-occurring SSD and DLD demonstrated the least accuracy of speech production among the three groups of children. Children with co-occurring SSD and DLD showed more frequent use of substitutions, omissions, typical sound changes (i.e. stopping of affricates, stopping of fricatives, deaspiration), and atypical sound changes (i.e. initial consonant deletion, fronting, affrication of stops) than children with SSD only, while no significant difference between the SSD and TD groups was observed in omission error types and atypical sound changes. These results suggest that the disorders in speech sound production in children with SSD and DLD may be associated with underlying phonological–linguistic processing.

Influence of the Covering Area of Major Connectors of Mandibular Dentures on the Accuracy of Speech Production: A Pilot Study

Background/Objectives: Speech impairment during the initial phase of removable partial denture (RPD) treatment can prevent patient adaptation to RPDs. This quasi-experimental study aimed to investigate the influence of the covering area of major connectors located in the mandibular anterior region on the accuracy of speech production. Methods: Fifteen adults (12 men and 3 women aged 26–40 years) with healthy dentition were recruited. Four target syllables were used for the assessments: [ʃi], [ʧi], [çi], and [ki]. There were four speaking conditions: without a connector (control), wearing lingual bar (5 mm width), wearing lingual plates (12 mm width), and wearing connectors covering the occlusal surface of lower dentition (16 mm width; CO). The accuracy of speech production was evaluated by mean appearance ratio of correct labels (MARC) and incorrect labels (MARIC) of the phonetic segments which were calculated with a speech evaluation system (VoiceAnalyzer). Results: The MARC in the 3 target syllables [ʃi], [ʧi], and [ki] significantly decreased with CO. For the target syllable [ʃi], the MARICs of [ʧi], [ʤi], and [çi] with CO were significantly lower than that in the control. For the target syllable [ʧi], the MARIC of [ki] with CO was significantly higher than that in the control. For the target syllable [çi], the MARIC of [gi] with CO was significantly higher than that in the control. Conclusion: RPDs with major connectors covering the lower dentition could disturb speech production during the initial phase of RPD treatment. Prosthodontic treatment with such RPD designs requires further consideration regarding the information given to patients before starting the treatment.

Intra-word accuracy and consistency in Finnish-speaking children with speech sound disorder compared to their typically developing peers

ABSTRACT This study examined intra-word accuracy and consistency in 32 preschool-aged Finnish-speaking children with speech sound disorder (SSD) compared to their typically developing (TD) age- and gender-matched peers. Accuracy and consistency of speech production were assessed by a picture-naming task repeated three times in one assessment session. Responses were classified into four categories: 1) consistently correct, 2) consistently incorrect, 3) variable with hits (when a child’s variable responses included at least one matched with the adult target), and 4) variable with no hits (when responses included at least two different response types without the matched adult target). In addition, relationships between intra-word accuracy and consistency and children’s receptive vocabulary knowledge and articulatory ability based on spontaneous speech samples were investigated. The findings showed that the children with SSD produced significantly more often ‘consistently incorrect’ and ‘variable with no hits’ responses than the TD children. There was a significant negative correlation between ‘variable with no hits’ responses and receptive vocabulary knowledge and articulatory abilities among the children with SSD. As intra-word accuracy and consistency has not previously been studied in Finnish children with SSD, the findings highlighted the need for drafting guidelines for assessment and intervention by paying close attention to high intra-word variability without correct word forms already from age three onwards.

Comparing diadochokinetic performances of stuttering and non-stuttering children between 7–12 ages

Introduction: It is important to evaluate oral motor skills, make appropriate diagnosis and develop appropriate intervention plans for individuals who stutter. One of the measures used to evaluate oral motor skills is diadochokinesia (DDK). Diadochokinesia or diadochokinesis is the ability to make antagonistic movements in quick succession, alternately bringing a limb into opposite positions, as of flexion and extension or of pronation and supination. Diadochokinetic analysis examines the speed, accuracy and continuity measures of speech production in monosyllabic /pΛ/, /tΛ/, /kΛ/and multisyllabic /pΛtΛkΛ/ sequences.Purpose: This study aimed to compare the diadokinetic performance of children aged 7–12 with and without stuttering. Method: Participants were composed of girls and boys with and without stuttering from each age group. The data of the diadokinetic measurements of stuttering children were compared to the data of the typically developing children.Results: It was found that there was a significant difference in favor of children who do not stutter during production of /pΛ/ and /kΛ/ syllables. Syllable repetition rates are quicker in these syllables. Results of the research between the genders found there was a significant difference in favor of girls. The average of girls is higher than males. In addition, there was a significance in favor of 10–12 age groups for /pΛ/ syllable that syllable repetition rate is slower in these groups.

The impact of mobile-based dynamic assessment on improving EFL oral accuracy

Although a number of studies have reported on the positive effects of Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) in the development of students’ language learning, few studies have examined language assessment, particularly Dynamic Assessment (DA), in this area. Accordingly, this study aims at investigating the effect of Mobile-based Dynamic Assessment (MDA) on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ oral accuracy. To this end, 120 students from Iran were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group, each consisting of 40 participants. The learners in the experimental groups accomplished eight communicative tasks through DA in two separate contexts: MDA through text-chat context and MDA through voice-chat context. Students’ oral performance was recorded and analysed to measure the accuracy of speech production. The analysis of the data showed that the experimental groups who received MDA significantly outperformed the control group on the post-test. The findings point to the effectiveness of MDA in the development of EFL students’ oral accuracy.

What Effect can Simple Hand Tapping Have on the Accuracy and Fluency of Speech Production in Children With and Without Speech Sound Disorders

What Effect can Simple Hand Tapping Have on the Accuracy and Fluency of Speech Production in Children With and Without Speech Sound Disorders

The Effects of Teaching Communication Strategy (CS) on Japanese EFL Learners' Syntactic Accuracy of Speech Production

The Effects of Teaching Communication Strategy (CS) on Japanese EFL Learners' Syntactic Accuracy of Speech Production

White Matter Integrity and Treatment-Based Change in Speech Performance in Minimally Verbal Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

We investigated the relationship between imaging variables for two language/speech-motor tracts and speech fluency variables in 10 minimally verbal (MV) children with autism. Specifically, we tested whether measures of white matter integrity—fractional anisotropy (FA) of the arcuate fasciculus (AF) and frontal aslant tract (FAT)—were related to change in percent syllable-initial consonants correct, percent items responded to, and percent syllable insertion errors (from best baseline to post 25 treatment sessions). Twenty-three MV children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) received Auditory-Motor Mapping Training (AMMT), an intonation-based treatment to improve fluency in spoken output, and we report on seven who received a matched control treatment. Ten of the AMMT participants were able to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging study at baseline; their performance on baseline speech production measures is compared to that of the other two groups. No baseline differences were found between groups. A canonical correlation analysis (CCA) relating FA values for left- and right-hemisphere AF and FAT to speech production measures showed that FA of the left AF and right FAT were the largest contributors to the synthetic independent imaging-related variable. Change in percent syllable-initial consonants correct and percent syllable-insertion errors were the largest contributors to the synthetic dependent fluency-related variable. Regression analyses showed that FA values in left AF significantly predicted change in percent syllable-initial consonants correct, no FA variables significantly predicted change in percent items responded to, and FA of right FAT significantly predicted change in percent syllable-insertion errors. Results are consistent with previously identified roles for the AF in mediating bidirectional mapping between articulation and acoustics, and the FAT in its relationship to speech initiation and fluency. They further suggest a division of labor between the hemispheres, implicating the left hemisphere in accuracy of speech production and the right hemisphere in fluency in this population. Changes in response rate are interpreted as stemming from factors other than the integrity of these two fiber tracts. This study is the first to document the existence of a subgroup of MV children who experience increases in syllable- insertion errors as their speech develops in response to therapy.

Sensitivity to meter in auditory feedback during music performance.

Performance of a complex sequential task, such as speech or music, occurs simultaneously with its perceived outcome, known as auditory feedback. The importance of auditory feedback to the fluency of performance is demonstrated by the disruptive effects of altered auditory feedback (AAF). For instance, it has been know for decades that sequence production (in music and speech) can be disrupted by delayed auditory feedback (DAF), a slight asynchrony between actions and resulting sounds (for reviews see Finney, 1999; Howell, 2004; Pfordresher, 2006; Yates, 1963). Fluency in performance clearly relies on temporal coordination between planned actions and concurrent sounds. It is less clear whether performance relies on the content of auditory feedback, which in a musical context refers to the pitches associated with individual notes.For some time, it appeared as though performance may not rely on feedback content. For instance, Howell and Archer (1984) found that disruption from DAF was unchanged when speech feedback was converted to an amplitude-modulated square-wave tone. Finney (1997) further demonstrated that pianists' performances of Bach inventions did not suffer when pitch content was altered in a random-like way. These observations are consistent with Howell's claim that DAF effects result from displacement of auditory rhythms, relative to the rhythmic coordination of actions (Howell, 2001, 2004; Howell, Powell, & Khan, 1983; Howell & Sackin, 2002).However, Pfordresher (2003) introduced an AAF manipulation of pitch content that can disrupt production, referred to as a serial shift. In contrast to other manipulations of content, serial shifts involve presenting pitches from a planned melody (i.e., a sequence of actions that are associated with a sequence of anticipated pitch events) at an alternate serial position. For instance, a lag-1 serial shift causes the feedback pitch heard at each keypress to match what the performer produced at the previous keypress. As such the feedback melody is serially shifted relative to the planned melody. Serial shifts lead to increased pitch errors in performance, while sparing produced timing (Pfordresher, 2003), can disrupt performance of both pianists and nonpianists (Pfordresher, 2005), can lead to disruption of music performance via keyboard or singing (Pfordresher & Mantell, 2012), and can also disrupt the accuracy of speech production (Pruitt & Pfordresher, 2015). It is important to note that serial shifts are distinct from traditional DAF, even though serial shifts may refer to previous events. For instance, hearing serially shifted pitches from future positions also disrupts performance (Pfordresher & Palmer, 2006).Although the effect of serial shifts does demonstrate sensitivity to pitch content, this effect alone does not rule out the possibility that their disruptive effect is to some extent based on rhythmic relationships between perception and action. It has often been observed that the patterning of pitch content can convey rhythmic information through melodic accents (Cooper & Meyer, 1960; Ellis & Jones, 2009; Jones, 1987), including breaks or pivots in the melodic contour (for examples, see Handel, 1989, p. 398), and the use of parallelism in broader pitch patterns (Acevedo, Temperley, & Pfordresher, 2014; Deutsch & Feroe, 1981; Steedman, 1977; Temperley & Bartlette, 2002).We adopted these features to create stimuli for the present study. Notation for the four melodies we used are shown in Figure 1 along with their meter, represented as a grid. Metrical accents are associated with positions that have higher columns of X's above them. Melodies were created to match either a binary (4/4) or a ternary (3/4) metrical structure. The first binary melody (Figure IA) used breaks in the melodic contour to signal metrical boundaries, whereas the second binary melody includes a recurring pattern structure based on an alternating melodic contour that is inverted in the second measure. …

Influence of the Width and Cross-Sectional Shape of Major Connectors of Maxillary Dentures on the Accuracy of Speech Production

Objective: To investigate the effects of the width and cross-sectional shape of the major connectors of maxillary dentures located in the middle area of the palate on the accuracy of phonetic output of consonants using an originally developed speech recognition system. Patients and Methods: Nine adults (4 males and 5 females, aged 24-26 years) with sound dentition were recruited. The following six sounds were considered: [∫i], [t∫i], [ɾi], [ni], [çi], and [ki]. The experimental connectors were fabricated to simulate bars (narrow, 8-mm width) and plates (wide, 20-mm width). Two types of cross-sectional shapes in the sagittal plane were specified: flat and plump edge. The appearance ratio of phonetic segment labels was calculated with the speech recognition system to indicate the accuracy of phonetic output. Statistical analysis was conducted using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test. Results: The mean appearance ratio of correct labels (MARC) significantly decreased for [ni] with the plump edge (narrow connector) and for [ki] with both the flat and plump edge (wide connectors). For [çi], the MARCs tended to be lower with flat plates. There were no significant differences for the other consonants. Conclusion: The width and cross-sectional shape of the connectors had limited effects on the articulation of consonants at the palate.

Developmental changes in brain activation involved in the production of novel speech sounds in children

Older children are more successful at producing unfamiliar, non-native speech sounds than younger children during the initial stages of learning. To reveal the neuronal underpinning of the age-related increase in the accuracy of non-native speech production, we examined the developmental changes in activation involved in the production of novel speech sounds using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Healthy right-handed children (aged 6-18 years) were scanned while performing an overt repetition task and a perceptual task involving aurally presented non-native and native syllables. Productions of non-native speech sounds were recorded and evaluated by native speakers. The mouth regions in the bilateral primary sensorimotor areas were activated more significantly during the repetition task relative to the perceptual task. The hemodynamic response in the left inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis (IFG pOp) specific to non-native speech sound production (defined by prior hypothesis) increased with age. Additionally, the accuracy of non-native speech sound production increased with age. These results provide the first evidence of developmental changes in the neural processes underlying the production of novel speech sounds. Our data further suggest that the recruitment of the left IFG pOp during the production of novel speech sounds was possibly enhanced due to the maturation of the neuronal circuits needed for speech motor planning. This, in turn, would lead to improvement in the ability to immediately imitate non-native speech.

The effects of tongue loading and auditory feedback on vowel production

This study investigated the role of sensory feedback during the production of front vowels. A temporary aftereffect induced by tongue loading was employed to modify the somatosensory-based perception of tongue height. Following the removal of tongue loading, tongue height during vowel production was estimated by measuring the frequency of the first formant (F1) from the acoustic signal. In experiment 1, the production of front vowels following tongue loading was investigated either in the presence or absence of auditory feedback. With auditory feedback available, the tongue height of front vowels was not modified by the aftereffect of tongue loading. By contrast, speakers did not compensate for the aftereffect of tongue loading when they produced vowels in the absence of auditory feedback. In experiment 2, the characteristics of the masking noise were manipulated such that it masked energy either in the F1 region or in the region of the second and higher formants. The results showed that the adjustment of tongue height during the production of front vowels depended on information about F1 in the auditory feedback. These findings support the idea that speech goals include both auditory and somatosensory targets and that speakers are able to make use of information from both sensory modalities to maximize the accuracy of speech production.

Linguistic complexity, speech production, and comprehension in Parkinson's disease: behavioral and physiological indices.

To investigate the effects of increased syntactic complexity and utterance length demands on speech production and comprehension in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) using behavioral and physiological measures. Speech response latency, interarticulatory coordinative consistency, accuracy of speech production, and response latency and accuracy on a receptive language task were analyzed in 16 individuals with PD and 16 matched control participants. Individuals with PD had higher oral motor coordination variability, took a longer time to initiate speech, and made more errors on the speaking task compared with the control group. They also received lower scores on the 2 complex conditions of the receptive language task. Increased length and syntactic complexity negatively affected performance in both groups of speakers. These findings provide a novel window into the speech deficits associated with PD by examining performance on longer, sentence-level utterances in contrast to earlier investigations of single-word or nonword productions. Speech motor control processes and language comprehension were adversely affected in the majority of our participants with mild to moderate PD compared to the control group. Finally, increased syntactic complexity and sentence length affected both the healthy aging and PD groups' speech production performance at the behavioral and kinematic levels.

Speed and accuracy of rapid speech output by adolescents with residual speech sound errors including rhotics

Children with residual speech sound errors are often underserved clinically, yet there has been a lack of recent research elucidating the specific deficits in this population. Adolescents aged 10–14 with residual speech sound errors (RE) that included rhotics were compared to normally speaking peers on tasks assessing speed and accuracy of speech production. The two groups were evaluated on an oral diadochokinetic task, which required rapid production of the trisyllable /pΛtΛkΛ/, and two rapid naming tasks: monosyllabic letter names and multisyllabic picture names. No significant group differences were observed in the speed of trisyllables on the DDK task, whether examining all attempts or only correct productions. However, the RE group was less accurate and more variable in their production of the trisyllables. In addition, the RE group was slower and phonologically less accurate in rapidly naming multisyllabic pictures, but not in naming letters. A combination of speed and accuracy measures from these tasks revealed relatively little overlap between groups. Results suggest that both speed and accuracy may be impaired in adolescents with RE, although the underlying causal mechanisms require further exploration.