Abstract
The present study was designed to investigate the effects of phonological factors on stuttering in Japanese children. The difference in the frequency of stuttering was compared between words beginning with light syllables (i.e., syllables, which, in Japanese, are those with one mora) and those with heavy syllables (two moras). The participants were 38 elementary school students who stuttered. A non-word reading task was used. The results were as follows: (1) The frequency of stuttering was significantly higher in words beginning with light than with heavy syllables. (2) Among 4 types of heavy syllables, the frequency of stuttering was significantly lower on long vowels than on diphthongs and geminate stops. Moreover, the frequency of stuttering on long vowels tended to be lower than that on nasal consonants, although this difference was not statistically significant. These results suggest that words beginning with heavy syllables are easier for stuttering children to pronounce than those with light syllables, and that among the 4 types of heavy syllables, long vowels are the easiest to pronounce.
