Prawf Geiriau Caerdydd--a Welsh language speech test.

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Speech Science
• Phonetics

Background:

• Developing standardized speech assessment tools is crucial for accurate diagnosis.
• Existing tools may not capture the nuances of specific languages like Welsh.
• Isophonemic word lists offer a structured approach to evaluating phoneme perception.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a set of isophonemic word lists for the Welsh language.
• To assess the commonest consonants and vowels/diphthongs in Welsh.
• To analyze phoneme error patterns in Welsh speakers.

Main Methods:

• Creation of six isophonemic word lists, each with 16 vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV) words.
• Inclusion of the 20 most frequent consonants and 16 most frequent vowel/diphthongs in Welsh.
• Ensuring equivalent scoring across all six lists.

Main Results:

• The developed Welsh word lists provide equivalent scores for speech assessment.
• Error pattern analysis revealed differences from English, notably a lack of voiced/voiceless confusions.
• Observed adherence to the specific phonotactic constraints of the Welsh language.

Conclusions:

• The new Welsh isophonemic word lists are a valuable tool for speech-language pathology in Wales.
• These lists facilitate a more accurate understanding of Welsh phonology and potential speech sound disorders.
• The findings underscore the importance of language-specific phonological assessment tools.