Phonological Variability in Mother-Child Speech

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Abstract
Previous research has provided conflicting findings regarding the phonological characteristics of adult-child speech, with some studies reporting more phonetic clarification and others greater unintelligibility. The present study examined the speech of 10 mothers to their young children (age 15–18 months) and found that a variety of speech styles was used, ranging along a continuum from slow, carefully articulated speech to rapid, casual speech. Each style was associated with particular linguistic and situational contexts. Phonological characteristics of the two styles are described and hypotheses regarding the effect of the observed variability on language acquisition are discussed.

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