Multisyllabic word production by Jordanian Arabic speaking children

ABSTRACT

This study examined multisyllabic words in the speech of Jordanian Arabic-speaking children (JASC) regarding syllable structure, notable phonological processes, and stress assignment. Multisyllabic word productions were collected from 48 participants in the following four age groups: 3–3;6, 3;7–4, 4;1–4;6, and 4;7–5 with 12 participants in each age group. Data were collected using recorded spontaneous speech and picture naming. They were transcribed and analysed in terms of syllable structure, frequencies of syllable types, and phonological processes. Phonological processes were analysed and linked to syllable structure drawing on aspects of the metrical theory including extrametricality, extrasyllabicity, End Rule Right (ERR), and degenerate foot to account for the impact of phonological processes on stress assignment. The variability and complexity of children’s syllable structures were found to increase with age. Further, the CVC syllable structure was the most frequent across the four age groups, whereas CCVC, CCVV, and CVCC were the least frequent. Phonological processes affected antepenultimate, heavy, and closed syllables most. The most notable phonological processes were assimilation and syllable deletion in the younger two age groups. In addition, word-initial weak syllables were more frequently omitted than word-medial weak syllables. Thus, JASC start using phonological processes early to manage the complexity of syllable structures and later start to approximate adult speech as observed in age group 4;7–5 years who showed no phonological processes. These findings may help clinicians in diagnosing children with speech sound disorders (SSDs) and in selecting therapy targets within a developmental hierarchy.

KEYWORDS:

• Multisyllabic words
• Jordanian Arabic
• phonological processes
• syllable structure
• stress
• complexity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 For details on guttural sounds in JA, read Mashaqba, Huneety, Abu Guba, and Al-Duneibat (2022b).

2 Multisyllabic words that were subject to syllable deletion processes.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.