Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology
Published on: June 29, 2021
The role of the root in auditory word recognition of Hebrew
Marina Oganyan1, Richard Wright1, Julia Herschensohn1
1Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, United States.
Abstract:
Evidence from visual word recognition has shown that the root morpheme plays a particularly important role in recognition of nouns in templatic languages [e.g., Velan & Frost, 2009 (Hebrew), Perea, abu Mallouh, & Carreiras, 2010 (Arabic)]. Letter transposition studies in masked priming have proved a useful tool for investigating letter flexibility in the visual domain. Due to the linear nature of the auditory signal, such manipulation is not possible for spoken words. In this study, we use a novel application of the phonemic restoration paradigm to explore the role of morphology in auditory word recognition. In two separate experiments, we show that in auditory word recognition the root plays an important role in Hebrew noun recognition, with words with masked root sounds being especially difficult to recover. This study provides additional evidence in favor of the privileged role of the root in Semitic lexical access and its function in morphological decomposition.
Related Concept Videos
The Auditory Ossicles
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
Auditory Pathway
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
Auditory Perception
Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition
Root Mean Square
For example, consider the velocity of gas molecules in a container. The gas molecules are moving in different directions, which might impart positive and negative...

