How are syllables used to recognize words?

Abstract

Our subjects were instructed to push a response button as quickly as possible whenever they detected a mispronounced word in a story. Mispronunciations were produced by changing a syllable-initial /p/ or /k/ to its voiced counterpart (/b/ or /g/). The syllable stress and syllable position (first versus second) of the mispronunciation were varied in a 2 x 2 design. As expected on acoustic grounds, mispronunciations were detected more often in stressed than unstressed syllables. However, reaction times to mispronunciations in both stressed and unstressed syllables were about 200-ms faster in the second syllable of a word. The finding of faster reaction times to second syllables is consistent with the assumption that words are accessed from the sounds which begin them.

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