Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition
Published on: July 13, 2019
School-aged children's phonological production of derived English words
1School of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, The University of Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA. ljrmlwcz@memphis.edu
Purpose:
Little is known about the phonological aspects of derivational processes. Neutral suffixes (e.g., -ness) that do not change stress and rhythmic or nonneutral suffixes (e.g., -ity) that alter stem stress were used in a production task that explored developmental changes in phonological accuracy of derived English words.
Method:
Three groups of typically achieving children, aged 7 (n = 19), 8 (n = 18), and 9 (n = 15) years, produced derived words in isolation (12 words with rhythmic suffixes and 10 with neutral suffixes). Productions were transcribed from audio-recordings.
Results:
Stress accuracy was at ceiling levels for neutral derived words but steadily improved in words with rhythmic suffixes. The predominant stress error was maintaining stem stress in the derived form. Children also made syllabification and consonant errors (in isolation and overlapping with stem stress errors). More errors occurred on derived words with vowel changes than without.
Conclusions:
Morphophonological knowledge for words with rhythmic suffixes undergoes development in early school-aged children. The number or degree of phonological changes between the stem and derived word appears to be an important variable in accurate production.
Related Concept Videos
Language Development
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
Components of Language
Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon
Elaborative Rehearsals
The effectiveness of...
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
