Perception and production of [voice] contrasts in Dutch word-initial plosives

Abstract

This study examines relative cue weights to the [voice] contrast in Dutch word-initial plosives. Perception and production data were collected from 25 native speakers, divided into two gender-balanced age groups (22-29; 61-71). Perception stimuli were artificially-manipulated continua /pɑd/-/bɑd/ ('trail', 'bath') and /tɑl/-/dɑl/ ('quantity', 'valley'), varying in amount of prevoicing and f0 of the following vowel. Results show that both prevoicing and f0 are used as cues to phonological voicing. Production results show an increasing rate of devoicing in younger participants, and significant f0 differences in all speakers. This suggests that cue weights are in the process of changing.