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Updated: Dec 1, 2025
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Published on: April 19, 2017
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Infants' First Words are not Phonetically Specified: Own Name Recognition in British English-Learning 5-Month-Olds
Claire Delle Luche1, Caroline Floccia2, Lionel Granjon3
1Department of Languages and Linguistics, University of Essex.
Summary
Infants learning English recognize their name when changes are phonetically distinct. This suggests native language acoustics influence early phonetic processing in babies.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Developmental Psychology
- Speech Perception
Background:
- Infants' word representations develop phonetic detail by one year.
- Early word learning mechanisms, particularly phonetic cue sensitivity, are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if native language acoustic/phonological properties shape infants' attention to phonetic cues.
- To examine how British English-learning infants process phonetic changes in familiar words.
Main Methods:
- Tested 5-month-old British English-learning infants using a name-recognition paradigm.
- Compared infant responses to initial consonant or vowel changes in their own names.
- Analyzed recognition based on phonetic dissimilarity and phoneme category differences.
Main Results:
- Infants did not recognize their name with initial consonant (Molly/Nolly) or vowel (April/Ipril) changes.
- Recognition occurred when the contrasted name was phonetically dissimilar (Sophie/Amber).
- Phoneme category differences (stops vs. continuants) predicted name recognition.
Conclusions:
- Infants' phonetic processing is influenced by the acoustic characteristics of their native language.
- Early language exposure may guide infants toward specific phonetic cues.
- Development of phonetic processing may involve language-specific pathways.
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