Perceptions of Voiced and Voiceless Plosives:

The case of Korean and Chinese speakers

Abstract

This paper introduces how Korean-speaking and Mandarin-speaking learners perceive voiced and voiceless plosives. Some Korean-speaking learners perceive Japanese voiced plosives as corresponding to Korean plain plosives, but Japanese speakers recognize them as voiced only in word-medial positions. Mandarin speakers have difficulties perceiving word-medial voiceless plosives because they are unaspirated. Tense plosives in Korean correspond to Japanese voiceless plosives for Korean-speaking learners, while they are voiced for Mandarin speakers.