Phonological Factors Affecting the Perception of English Syllables and Stress Position by Native Japanese Speakers

Abstract

This study examined the effects of phonological factors on the perception of English syllables and lexical stress by native Japanese speakers. Factors investigated were syllable complexity, position of the consonant cluster, number of syllables, stress position, vowel structure, silent words, and syllabic consonants. The Syllable Count Task (SCT) and the Stress Identification Task (SIT) were conducted. In both tasks, performance declined as the number of syllables increased. In addition, for one-syllable words, as the complexity of the syllable structure increased, SCT performance decreased. Furthermore, as the stress position came closer to the coda position of the word, SIT performance declined.