Intra-word phonological variability in young children

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Abstract
Three experiments are reported which explored the conditions under which intra-word phonological variability occurs. Using an unsolicited imitation task, evidence of variability was obtained for words containing two or more phonological characteristics (consonants, word shapes) that were unstable in the child's speech, and for words containing both unstable characteristics and characteristics the child had not shown any evidence of producing with accuracy. Intra-word variability was most likely to occur when more than one aspect was in a state of instability or when one aspect was unstable and another was non-acquired. Words containing two phonological aspects not yet acquired by the child seemed to have little influence on variability. The findings indicate that variability can be attributed to (1) the presence of optional simplification processes, (2) the presence of more than one process applicable to a specific aspect of the word, (3) a competition between two aspects of the word for accurate surface realization, and/or (4) a competition between consonant approximation and word shape approximation.

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